Definition of Luxor Temple

In the current city of Luxor (ancient city of Thebes of ancient Egypt) stands one of the most lavish temples of this civilization, the temple from Luxor.

Is edification It was built 1300 years before Christ, in the time of the pharaohs Amenhotep III and Ramses II, who promoted this building to venerate the gods, especially the god Amun, who was honored each year with a procession to celebrate the arrival of the year new. The procession started at Karnak Temple and ended at Luxor Temple.

Structure of the Temple of Luxor

Its architectural structure is based on a large patio, a vestibule, the open hypostyle room, the solar patio and the sanctuary, although with Later, other elements were incorporated (chapels, the birth room and some added in the time of Alexander the Great, such as the Boat). Its main entrance has a large pylon in which the military deeds of Ramses II are described. The obelisks that were next to the pylon were transferred to France after Napoleon's military campaign in Egypt. Two granite statues are preserved outside and the set of columns with capitals that surround the patio stands out especially.

The temple is 260 meters long and is linked to the Karnak temple through a path decorated by statues, especially sphinxes representing the pharaohs.

Between the divine and the human

The temple of Luxor was also oriented to the veneration of the pharaohs, who had a divine origin. In this sense, to reaffirm his earthly power, a ritual was held to commemorate the divinity of the Pharaoh in one of the rooms (the divine birth room). This ritual fulfilled another function: to convey to the people that the pharaoh would continue to watch over their prosperity. In this way, the temple of Luxor had a double meaning: as show from I respect to divinity and how symbol of pharaoh's power.

The figure of the God of Air in the center

Egyptologists agree that the central figure of the temple is the God Amun (also known as Amun-Ra), who is the most important deity of this civilization. Amun is the symbol of air, because it remains hidden even though it is present. This god was highly revered by the people and by this reason Offerings were made to him that were made in the Temple of Luxor and Karnak. Between the people and the pharaohs, were the priests, who officiated the rites in the rooms of the temple.