Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Luxor Temple is a great temple complex in modern Luxor dedicated to Amun, a creator god often
fused with the sun-god Ra into Amun-Ra.
Through the pylon gateway leads into a peristyle courtyard, also built by Ramesses II. This area and
the pylon were built at an oblique angle to the rest of the temple, presumably to accommodate the three
pre-existing barque shrines located in the northwest corner.
It is atop the columns of this courtyard that the Abu Haggag Mosque was built: on the eastern side, a
doorway leads out into thin air some 8 meters above the ground.
After the peristyle courtyard comes the processional colonnade built by Amenhotep III a 100-metre
corridor lined by 14 papyrus-capital columns. Friezes on the wall describe the stages in the Opet
Festival, from sacrifices at Karnak at the top left, through Ammon's arrival at Luxor at the end of that
wall, and concluding with his return on the opposite side. The decorations were put in place by
Tutankhamun: the boy pharaoh is depicted, but his names have been replaced with those of
Horemheb.
Beyond the colonnade is another peristyle courtyard, which also dates back to Amenhotep's original
construction. The best preserved columns are on the eastern side, where some traces of original colour
can be seen. The southern side of this courtyard is made up of a 32-column hypostyle court that leads
into the inner sanctums of the temple.
The inner sanctums begin with a dark antechamber. Of particular interest here are the Roman stuccoes
than can still be seen atop the Egyptian carvings below; in Roman times this area served as a chapel,
where local Christians were offered a final opportunity to renounce their faith and embrace the pagan
state religion.
Further in stands a Barque Shrine for use by Amun, built by Alexander, with the final area being the
private quarters of the gods and the Birth Shrine of Amenhotep III. The latter features detailed wall
paintings depicting the pharoah's claim to have been fathered by Amun, and therefore of divine descent.
A cache of 26 New Kingdom statues was found under the floor in the inner sanctum area in 1989
hidden away by pious priests, presumably, at some moment of internal upheaval or invasion. These
splendid pieces are now on display at the nearby Luxor Museum.