In ancient times Luxor Temple was the site of a grand festival each spring
known as Opet. Opet celebrated the conjugal reunion of Egyptian gods
Amun and Mut and also the transformation of the Egyptian King to a god.
It began with the sailing of a flotilla of boats from Karnak, just downriver
from Luxor. Each boat carried the image of a god and was accompanied on shore
by crowds of soldiers, dancers, musicians and high ranking officials. Some
references to this festival state that it was noted for its public debauchery.
The building of Luxor Temple was begun by Amenophis III in approximately
1400 BC. Ramses II added a court a hundred years later.
This is a photo of the entrance gateway to the Temple of Luxor.
Much of Luxor Temple is well preserved - owing to the fact that much of it
was submerged in sand for centuries and in that way protected from the
elements. The town of Luxor actually now sits many meters above the level of the
temple.
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The intricately carved obelisk at Luxor Temple is 25 meters tall.
It is only one of two that
were originally here. The second was removed in 1835 and taken to France.
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Inside Luxor Temple many of the walls are intricately carved with
heiroglyphs and images that tell stories about the festivals that were
celebrated here.
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