This is Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple i Egypt is a very anciemt place to visit for various reasons and occassions as you will get all you are asking for from educational to vacation purposes If you travel to Luxor (ancient Thebes) then it will be hard to miss the spectacular Luxor Temple situated in the center of Luxor city. The Temple of Luxor was built largely by Amenhotep III and Ramesses II around 1400BC. Its main purpose was to celebrate the festival of Opet. Many rulers built on to the temple yet it always remained a place of worship for Christians and later Muslims. A mosque built inside the temple still exists and is one of the highlights of the site.

Luxor Temple is beautifully lit at night so it's worth visiting the site at sunset. Hours are 9am - 6pm and admission is 20 Egyptian Pounds. See my article for more information about Luxor, Thebes and Karnak including where to stay and how to get to the major site
The name Luxor represents both the present-day metropolis that was ancient Thebes, and the temple on the eastern bank which adjoins the town. "Luxor" derives from the Arabic al-uksur, meaning "fortifications". That name in addition was adapted from the Latin castrum which referred to the Roman fort built around the temple in the later third century AD. The temple of Luxor has, since its inception, always been a sacred site. After Egypt's pagan period, a Christian church and monastery was located here, and after that, a mosque (13th century Mosque of Abu el-Haggag) was built that continues to be used today.





In ancient Egypt the temple area now known as Luxor was called Ipt rsyt, the "southern sanctuary", referring to the holy of holies at the temple’s southern end, wherein the principal god, Amun "preeminent in his sanctuary", dwelt. His name was later shortened to Amenemope. This Amun was a fertility god, and his statue was modeled on that of the similarly Min of Coptos. He also has strong connections to both Karnak and West Thebes.



Known in ancient times as "the private sanctuary (Opet) of the south," the temple proper is located south of Karnak. The present temple is built on a rise that has never been excavated and which may conceal the original foundations. The early building may rest on a no longer visible older structure dating back to the 12th Dynasty. However, since neither the cult nor any part of the temple appears to predate the early 18th Dynasty; the few Middle Kingdom fragments found here more probably came from elsewhere and were transported to Luxor after the original buildings were dismantled.

The earliest reference to the temple comes from a pair of stelae left at Maasara quarry, in the hills east of Memphis, inscribed in regnal year 22 of the reign of Ahmose, c. 1550 BC. The text records the extraction of limestone for a number of temples including the "Mansion of Amun in the Southern Sanctuary." But structural evidence appears at Luxor only during the co-rule of Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III c 1500 BC. These elements are now built into the triple shrine erected by Ramesses II, c 1280 BC, the most substantial remnant of Luxor temple’s Tuthmosid phase. The shrine was erected inside the first court, in the northwest corner, and reused elements from the original chapel dedicated by Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III.. This small building had been the last of six barque stations built along the road that brought Amun and his entourage from Karnak to Luxor every year during the Opet Festival.


We also know that Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) built a sanctuary to the sun next to the Luxor Temple that was later destroyed by Horemheb.



The temple we see today was built essentially by two kings, Amenhotep III, (the inner part), and Ramesses II, (the outer part). The overall length of the temple between the pylon and rear wall measures about 189.89 by 55.17 meters (623 by 181 feet).



The original function of the temple of Luxor, apparently dedicated to the Theban Triad of Amun, Mut and their son Khonsu, appears uncertain. However, recent hypotheses suggest that the temple of Luxor, a collection of irregularly developed structures begun during the reign of Amenhotep III and then expanded, particularly by Ramesses II, and still further enlarged in later years, should be considered a sanctuary dedicated to the celebration of the royal ka.
I ADVISE YOU TO TRY EGYPT FOR YOUR TOURS AS THE NATION HAS LOTS OF NATURAL ATTRACTIONS
REALLY IS AGOOD PLACE TO VISIT FOR THOSE INTERSTED IN ANCIOENT EGYPTIAN CULRURE AND MYTHSTERY AND I WILL LIKE YOU TO PLEASE SUBSCRIBE FOR THIDS BLOG BY ENTERING YOUR EMAIL IN THE BOX AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE OAND ALSO FOLLOW BY EMAIL

My advice to visitors to Africa

A tourist visiting Africa for the first time is more likely to spend more money on a service than locals usually this is the case in almost every African country and in general in any foreign countryin the world that a tourist finds himself .It is not for any other reason but for some obscure reason that foreign tourists come with lots of cash

Now am devoting on qa very important issue that will a tourist to Africa enjoy your stay and at the same spend less and feel the African nation better. when yopu are in any copuntry in africa and in general try to ahddhere to these basic pribnciples i have sat down and spelt out

I have sat dowmn and thopught that many visitors to african are likely to have problems sometimesbut adhering to these you will have better ways of getting more from your tours

Hence,the focus of this topic is how you can be in any African nation ad you spend less and feel the African people better that is you will spend as the locals on any given services and enjoy the tours better .The chinese have succeeded in staying in almost every Arican country since they are able to indiogenise with the native African cultures .What I mean by indigenisation is that thet Chinese are able to live like the locals in any country they find themselves in Africa :they live like the locals and hence,reduce their costs of staying in these countries and also have a better feel of the country

Yes indigenisation is the key in getting the best when visiting an African country.really we Africans like foreigners that appreciate our culture so as a tourist when you are in any African country just behave as if you are not new in that country and try as much as possible try to make use of the facilities that locals make use of and try to be used to their native cultures .Also take note that the specialized facilities and services for tourists are far more expensive than ones that the locals use based on the same services with all factors remaining constant but foir some obscure belief that foreign tourists come with lots of cash

I was in neihgbouring Togo in 2010 and spent three months there and I was in Dekon,and Kodjoviatokpe which are tourists sites in the small African nation both are in Lome the Togolese capital city.I left from my native Nigeria by road and on getting there I found out that there are lots of chinese there and other foreigners in Lome.many have spent lots of years in the country and i feel that is the cool serenity and life there that attracts them to this small francophone west African nation and they have been there with their families and there also lots of Europeans and south Americans there

I was almost perplexed by the character of the chinese there as they are freely mingling with locals and hence get the best from their tours there they are just like the native togolese :making use cof local taxis,local motorcycles,visiting the beach at coconut beach and using local bars and restaurants they hardly use the specialesd servises and facilities provided for foreign tourists in the country they hardly use the specialised five star hotel hotel Palm beach and the specialised taxis for tourists in the country and hence, they considerably get better from their tours in the country.And these specialised services and facilities for tourists are far more exopensive than the ones that locals use

Take for example the cost of of taxi for a distance of 10km in one of the special taxis for tourists painted red in colour ,the cost is about 2000CF (4$) same distance in the local cabs that local use is just about 700CFA (1.5 $) So whay is the price higher in the taxis for tousists ?Is it that the car they use here in the tourists cabs is of better model?no is the same car that they use in both services but the only difference is the colour however a brave foreign touristin the country can just board the local taxis painted green and give them just 700CFA (1.5$) .That is the price in the local cabs but about 2000CFA (4$) in the specialized cabs for tourists painted red in colour .The same scenarioplays itsely out inall african countries and in any nation in the world thart a tourist find himseff.tourist pay more since they prefer to make use of the specialise services abnd facilities there .howver rthe locals pay less since thery use the local cabs and srvices there it is the same in bniogerian and all African countries:tourists pay more than locals on the same services with all condituions remaining the same

Also try to not no be hurry in getting services done for you by locals you have to understand that you in a different country and there may be be different mentality there when yiou are in hurry to get your services rendered ,there is the likelihood that the locals may hike the prices of the services offered to you .A classical, example is that of tourists moving into Walda Haifa in northen sudan fron southern Egypt .the tourist has to enter into Walda Haifa by ship while his car will be brought into Walda Haifa by barge .( a large cargo for carrying goods on the sea) and payment is made by the tourist to the barge owners in Egypt on getting to Walda Haifa tourist in hurry may want that the car is brought quick and henv=ce the boys charge hiom extra money fior offloading while he can wait they will just bring the car out and go back to Egypt for next loadIng they can never remain in Walda Haifa as they have to go back to Egypt as this is the instruction fron the barge owners in Egypt

Also from my observation I have discovered that you can get the best from your tours if you can move into the site you want to on foot

Really we Africans love foreigners that are able to speak our languages and know our culture so try to kno or more words in our locals using thisese in greetings and in meeting locals for the first time when you are in any african nation for tours,and at the same time you feel the country better and get more sight seeing from your tours in Africa.