The night and the moon at Temple of Luxor

The temple was discovered in the course of a general drainage of the area and its archaeological clearance began in 1883/84. It was constructed from... more

by Ayman Alenany

Title

The night and the moon at Temple of Luxor

Artist

Ayman Alenany

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

The temple was discovered in the course of a general drainage of the area and its archaeological clearance began in 1883/84. It was constructed from blocks taken from earlier buildings some of which were found dating to the Thirteenth Dynasty. It covers four acres and is 583 feet long and 181 feet wide at its greatest breadth. Several kings contributed to its construction, however the temple was built essentially by two kings: Amenhotep III (who ordered its construction) and Ramesses II. The temple has been used as a holy ground by the ancient Egyptians, by the Christians, and by the Moslems. In the Christian period one of the chambers in the temple was converted into a church. Also the mosque of Abu el-Haggag, was later added on top of the court of Ramesses II.
Textural and archaeological evidence indicates that a sanctuary stood on the site of the Luxor temple or in its vicinity at the beginning of the 18th Dynasty, or even earlier, but the temple we see today was built essentially by two kings, Amenophis III (the inner part) and Ramesses II (the outer part). The temple was dedicated to Amun (Amenenope) who at Luxor took the form of the ithyphallic Min.

Uploaded

July 24th, 2017