Second Pylon, Great Hypo-style Hall

Luxor, Egypt.

We return to the great court of the temple and proceed towards the second pylon, the pylon of Ramses II, The center section was originally restored by the Ptolemies. It is now being reconstructed after the removal of the blocks from Akhenaten's Sun Temple to Aten which were used as filling for the core. Just before the pylon is a small vestibule flanked by two large statues. The one on the left, in red granite, is of Panejem, son-in-law of the high priest.

This is the statue already mentioned as having been found under the second pylon.

The Great Hypostyle Hall, fruit of Egypt' s power and wealth and one of the most massive of human creations, covers an area of

4,983 square metres. To support the roof 134 columns were arranged in sixteen rows. The double row of central columns leading from the doorway of the second pylon eastwards towards the sanctuary is higher than the others. The smooth-shafted central columns are twenty-one meters high and are topped with calyx capitals large enough to hold one hundred standing men. The somewhat squat side columns have bud capitals and the discrepancy in height is made up by square pillars between the steps of the roof. The space between these pillars once held windows and served to light the entire hall, revealing that the walls, the shafts of the columns, the architrave and infact every available space was covered with inscriptions and reliefs. It has been stated in almost every description of this hall to date, but must nevertheless be repelled here, that the whole of the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris could he comfortably accommodated within its walls.

The hypostyle hall was planned and begun by Ramses I and was continued by his son Seti I on a scale far surpassing Amenhotep Ill's unfinished hypostyle hall at Luxor. It was finally completed by Seti's son Ramses II. Although Seti I was responsible for the construction of the entire northern half of the hall and also the central aisle, and although Ramses II built only the southern portion, it is the latter who has secured credit for the greater part of the work.

The overall effect is awe-inspiring. Although some critics have commented on the less-than-elegant columns at the sides or on the fact that 'you can't see the trees for forest', its magnificence is indisputable. When Napoleon's learned entourage first saw it, the hall looked as though devastated by a hurricane. Leaning columns seemed on the verge of collapse, many were already prostrate and the flag-stones were littered with debris.

Only one single column (the first in the sixth row) bears the name of Ramses l, who started its construction in his brief two years reign. It may be noticed that the reliefs of Seti I (in the northern portion) are in flat relief and are somewhat more delicate than the deeper, more definite inscriptions of Ramses II (in the southern portion from the eleventh row). Most of the reliefs depict adoration of the Theban god. Rarnses Ill, Ramses IV, Ramses VI and Ramses XII all recorded their names.

On the outside of the hypostyle hall are some important historical reliefs . These are accessible from the exit at the side or from the central court . They are portrayals of Seti I's and Ramses II's military campaigns in Asia , the like of which had not been seen for two generations since the expansion of the empire under Thutmose III. There are over sixty meters of representations from the spectacular charges into the foe with arrows and chariots to the ultimate presentation of prisoners of war to Amon, Mut and Khonsu.

Ramses II's campaign was against the Hittites. It is depicted on the southern wall and contains the actual text of the treaty, the earliest surviving international non-aggression pact. According to the treaty each state, having equal, independent status, renounced all ideas of aggression against the other. It declared that peace should henceforth prevail between the two kings and all their dependents and reaffirmed earlier treaties existing between the two countries. A mutual defence alliance, co-operation in the humane treatment of disloyal subjects and also in the extradition of political refugees and immigrants, formed clauses of the pact.

It bore the title :

'The treaty which the great chief of Kheta , Khetasar .the valiant,  the son of Merasar, the great chief of Kheta, the valiant, the grandson of Seplel, the great chief of Kheta, the valiant, made, upon a silver tablet for Usermare-Setepnere (Ramses II), the great ruler of Egypt, the valiant, the son of Seti I, the great ruler of Egypt, the valiant; the grandson of Ramses l, the great ruler of Egypt, the valiant; the good treaty of peace and of brotherhood, setting peace between them forever,"

   Witnesses to the treaty were a thousand gods and goddesses of the land of the Hittites and a thousand gods and goddesses from the land of Egypt.

The battle scenes are similar to those on the first pylon of the temple of Luxor already described.

Seti I's battles took place in Lebanon, southern Palestine, and Syria, and are depicted on the northern wall. The series begins on the eastern wall where (in the upper row) Seti alights from his chariot in the wooded Lebanon. The Lebanese are obliged to cut down trees for the Pharaoh. In the lower row Seti is in battle with the bedouins of southern Palestine (to the right). He drives his chariot, drawn by two horses, whilst firing arrows at the enemv.

Confused heaps of dead and wounded lie on the ground. The fortress of Canaan, above the battlefield, is used as a hide out and the inhabitants assist fugitives to escape into it.

On the left hand section of the main wall is the battle in Syria. In the upper row the Pharaoh advances to the front line of the attack, shooting arrows that send the enemy, both charioteers and cavalry, fleeing in confusion . In the fortress which is surrounded by a moat the inhabitants are surprisingly carved full face as they

peer, from behind trees, Seti is also depicted binding captives, leading or dragging them. Two rows of captured Syrians are presented to Amon, Mut and Khonsu along with valuable booty.

In the lower row is a triumphal march through Palestine (left), a battle .with the bedouins .of southern Palestine and (right) the victorious march from Syria. The border between Asia and Africa is marked by a crocodile-infested canal bordered by reeds and linked by a bridge, At each end of this bridge is a for tified guardhouse and, on the home front, Seti is welcomed by groups of priests carrying garlanded flowers. Captives and booty are presented to Amon.

On the right-hand wall is the battle of Kadesh (in the top row), the battle against the Libyans (in the middle row), and the battle against the Hittites in northern Syria (in the lower row). The defenders of Kadesh are pierced by arrows. The Libyans, distinguished by a single plaited braid and feathers, are smitten with the sword. The Hittites, shot at by the charioted Pharaoh, take flight on foot, on horseback and in chariot. In the lower row, when Seti hands his captives and the captured vessels over to Amon, Mut and Khonsu, the goddess of truth is present.

On each side of the doorway separating these two walls are colossal representations of Amon holding several rows of captured nations and cities by cords and presenting the sword of victory to Seti l. Seti raises his club against a band of foes whomhe dangles by the hair.

The Temple of Luxor

Temple of Luxor, Luxor, Egypt.
Amenhotep III , the 18th Dynasty Pharaoh and great-grandson of the military genius Thutmose III ,built the temple of Luxor close to the banks of the Ni1e just south of the city. Though by this time Egyptian military power was past its peak, economic conditions within the capital were sound. Trade was flourishing with wealth pouring in from the distant provinces of the empire, which comprised almost all West Asia including Palestine, Syria, Phoenicia and the western part of the Euphrates, Nubia and Libya. Extravagant caravans brought gold and silver, metal ware, ivory and timber, spices for the royal taste and strange and exotic animals to roam in private gardens. The temples were bursting with tributes, walls and columns were encrusted with richness and colour, feasts and festivals were bountiful, the pace was brisk, the mood content. Amenhotep ruled in splendour with relatively little to concern him politically apart from a Nubian revolt which was quickly quelled. His Asian supremacy was unchallenged and he was confident that his armies were strong enough to maintain his foreign empire. At home his viziers took care of all matters of state and held the reins of power in their able hands.
Advantage was taken of slave labour from Nubia and Asia, and Amenhotep imbued traditional architecture with new lite both by enlarging and embellishing existing temples and also by building new ones. Apart from the Luxor temple he completed the temple to Mut, in the great Karnak triad, which had been begun by his ancestors, giving it grace and elegance. Size was no deterrent, as can be gauged from the statues at the entrance to his mortuary temple on the necropolis, now known as the Colossi of Memnon.
This was perhaps the most trouble-free time in Egyptian history. Egypt was united , the nightmare rule of the Hyksos was no more than a bad memory. The empire was expansive, slave labor cheap, wealth abundant and Amenhotep had every reason to be the most carefree of Pharaohs. He raised his bow to beasts and fowl on his native soil where his ancestors had raised theirs to the enerny on alien lands . His wife, Queen Tiy, was very beautiful and c1early loved by the Pharaoh, as she is depicted in name or person a always at his side and far more frequently than was usual for royal wives of earlier rulers.
In the circumstances it is not surprising that Amenhotep, architecturally active and emotionally content, should have developed an interest in horticulture. Near his palace on the necropolis his enormous artificial lake,over 1, 7 00 meters long and 500wide,was surrounded by luxuriant foliage. Between the temple of Luxor and that ofKarnak he laid out beautiful gardens, lining the avenue with rams carved in stone,each with a statue of himself between its forepaws. The effect must have been one of overwhelming grandeur as solemn processions and dazzling ceremonies passed along this splendid avenue.
At Karnak Amenhotep III continued the new theme in architecture: the pylon, a huge stone tower sloping inwards from the base. A pylon stood on each side of the entrance to the temple. Thebes was never to know berter; bigger, maybe, but never better.
Because the temple of Luxor, like that of Karnak and in fact like most other temples throughout Egypt, was built nor by a single architect or according to a uniform plan, but reflected the ideas and whims of many successive rulers, it is necessary before describing the first pylon, which was actually the last addition to the temple, to have some idea of how it developed, underwent alteration, appropriation, calculated destruction and , finally, excavation.
The temple was constructed on the site of as mall temple to Arnon built by the Pharaohs of the 12th Dynasty. Amenhotep III had his architects rebuild the modest original sanctuary which was as always the first part of the temple to be built, renovate the surrounding chambers and design a forecourt of fine, slender colonnades. It is this court, with its clustered papyrus bud columns, that can be seen from the Nile and that gives the temple its special character.
It was planned along traditional lines. Like all Egyptian temples it had a sanctuary or Holy of Holies with surrounding chambers, a large colonnaded hall- the hypostyle hall -and an open court. A second court was also planned but only the huge columns of the nave were erected before the death of the Pharaoh. His son Amenhotep IV, who later became known as Akhenaten and transferred the roval residence to Tel el Amarna, was far too hostile towards. Amon to complete the work. At his time the temple was only 190 metres long and 55metres wide at its greatest span. Three small granite shrines, which had been erected by Thutmose III, stood opposite the entrance.
And then came the first of a long series of changes. During the religious revolution under Amenhotep IV the temple was stripped of the images and names of the ancient deities, especially those relating to Amon, who even disappeared from the divine sign that included the name of the Pharaoh , the oval cartouch.
Akhenaten's successor, Tutankhamun, transferred the royal residence back to Thebes. The wall reliefs of the Luxor temple were inscribed with his name only to be changed again to that of his successor Harmhab. It was probably Tutankhamun who had the walls erected on each side of the columns of the unfinished court. and had the inner surfaces inscribed with reliefs. In the 19th Dynasty Seti I made a concerted effort to continue the restoration of the worship of Amon but added nothing to the temple's architecture. The major alterations were left to that great Pharaonic builder and most celebrated of Egyptian kings, Ramses II . His large colonnaded court was placed before the temple of his ancestors and he usurped the shrines of Thutmose III, altering the reliefs to bear his own name . He also erected a massive pylon , two obelisks and six colossal statues of himself at the northern end of the temple. Thus forming an impressive entrance to the whole complex. The temple was now 260 meters long.
Few further alterations took place until the advent of Christianity, when the entire area between the sanctuary and the hypo-style hall was converted into a church complete with altar in one of the enclosed chambers at the further end. The wall re presentations were plastered over and where the plaster has fallen off we can see a jig-saw of Christian saints and ancient gods.
One of the chambers adjoining the sanctuary,which was restored by Alexander the Great, was inhabited by the engineer who supervised the transportation of the pink granite obelisk from the entrance of the temple to the Place de la Concorde in Paris.


The Temple of Luxor - Part II Pylon of Ramses II
The Temple of Luxor - Part III, Court of Ramses II
The Temple of Luxor - Part IV, Court of Amenhotep III
The Temple of Luxor - Part V, Hypostyle Hall
The Temple of Luxor- Part VI, Birth Room
The Temple of Luxor- Part VII, Sanctuary of Alexander the Great!

The Temple of Luxor- Part VII, Sanctuary of Alexander the Great!

Luxor, Egypt.

We now come to what has become known as the Sanctuary of Alexander the Great, the area entirely rebuilt by him. He removed the four original columns and placed a shrine in their stead. Both the inner and the outer walls have reliefs representing Alexander before Amon and other deities. He obligingly left unmolested some reliefs of Amenhotep III before various Theban deities.

In the sanctuary stood the gold-plated statue of Amon. To imbue it with life each day the priests of Amon carried out a series of rituals. Those carried out at dawn were the most elaborate. The statue was first carefully cleansed. Then it was clothed with garments and anointed with perfumes. The eyes were made up and prayers were chanted. Then just as painstakingly the clothing and makeup were removed and the priests humbly withdrew.

The chambers at the rear of the temple are of little significance. One to the north has four clustered papyrus columns and three rows of wall reliefs showing Amenhotep before Amon and other deities; another was a sanctuary with twelve columns.

The Temple of Luxor- Part VI, Birth Room

Luxor, Egypt.

Several small chambers surround the sanctuary, including what has become known as the Birth Room. Though in poor condition the murals are of special interest because they depict the birth of Amenhotep III.

The Egyptian Pharaoh was the embodiment of Horus, the son of Ra or Amon. But he had, in addition,to be of direct royal lineage through his father and royal consort. If, as in the case of Amenhotep III , whose mother was not of royal Egyptian blood, his accession was not considered legitimate, he could overcome this difficulty by marrying a sister of royal lineage. Amenhotep did not do this. It was necessary for him therefore to consolidate his monarchy in other respects . Queen Hatschepsut had already shown him how. In her mortuary temple she depicted how she ruled by divine right of Amon and was,in fact, a direct descendant of the Sun God Amon-Ra. In his temple at Luxor Amenhotep also showed that he was the son of the divine, begotten of Amon and born under the protection of the gods.

The story of the birth room is depicted in three rows on the left hand wall. From left to right in the lower row the god Khnum moulds two infants,Amenhotep and his guardian spirit or ka, and fashions them on a potter's wheel. The goddess Isis sits opposite.

Amenhotep's mother is embraced by Isis in the presence of Amon.

In the center row Amon is led by the ibis-headed god of wisdom to the queen's bedchamber where he approaches her to beget the child already molded by Khnum. The pregnancy and confinement are attended by Bes and Thoueris, the patron deities of childbirth.After the delivery Amon stands with the child in his arms in the presence of Hathor and Mut. On the much-damaged top row are the suckling of the infant king, his guardian spirits, and his presentation to Amon by Horus who promises him 'millions of years like Ra ' . In the corner the grown Amenhotep stands as king.

In all other reliefs of this chamber Amenhotep is blessed by the various deities.

The Temple of Luxor - Part V, Hypostyle Hall

Luxor, Egypt.
Adjoining the court to the south is the Hypostyle Hall, comprising gigantic columns arranged in four rows of eight columns each. The hall stands today as a somewhat cheerless ruin, though the walls still have reliefs of Amenhotep III before the Theban deities. The columns bear the cartouches of Ramses IV, Ramscs VI, Ramses II and SetiI, mentioning the repairs carried out in their respective reigns.
To the left of the hypo-style hall stands an altar bearing Latin inscriptions dedicated to the Emperor Augustus . Adjoining the rear wall(to left and right) are two small shrines, one to Mut and one to Khonsu. The section leading off the rear originally had eight columns, which were removed when the area was converted into a church. The doorway to the sanctuary was walled into a curved recess flanked by two granite Corinthian columns,and the exquisite 18th Dynasty reliefs were plastered over and painted with Christian themes. In places where the stucco has fallen off one can see the reliefs of Amenhotepbeneath.

The Temple of Luxor - Part IV, Court of Amenhotep III

Luxor, Egypt.

South of the colonnade is theCourt of Amenhotep III (C). To the left of the entrance are three seared statues of Ramses II ,Amon and Mut. The court has a double row of columns on each side and is a fine example of the architecture of Egypt's golden age. The columns arc of exquisite pro portion. They have clustered papyrus bud capitals and are in a good state of repair. The doorway through which we have just passed was the entrance to the temple in Amenhotep lll's reign and the sphinx-lined avenue commenced from this point.

The Temple of Luxor Part III: Court of Ramses II, Colonnade

Luxor, Egypt

Passing through the entrance pylon we enter the Court of Ramse II, to the left of which the Fatimi Mosque of Abu eI Hagag stands In contrast to the solemn ruins of Pharonic Egypt. As recently as 1968 the local sheikhs, who claim that the tomb of the saint him self lies there, added an extension to the rear portion of the mosque, built, It will be seen, on ever weakening foundations, The height of the mosque above the stone court yard indicates the height to which the temple was buried in sand.

The court itself is surrounded by smooth-shafted papyrus columns with lotus-bud capitals, Standing colossi of Ramses II were placed between the first row of columns in the southern half. On each side of the doorway are a further two statues of the Pharaoh wrought in red and black granite. The one on the left has a fine statue of Queen Nefertari, his wife, carved near the Pharaoh 's right leg, On the throne is a representation of the two Niles binding the symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt: the lotus and papyrus

plants.

Adjoining the western tower of the entrance pylon is a raised platform comprising three chambers. This was the granite shrine originally built by ThutmoseIII and restored by Ramses II. The chambers were dedicated to Amon, Mut and the Moon God Khonsu. Four papyrus columns form a colonnade on the side facing the court.

The reliefs and inscriptions which adorn the walls of the court date from the reign of Ramses II. They represent sacrifices and hymns to the gods, and all Ramses II's family, his many wives and a horde of princes and princesses are depicted on the walls.

The Colonnade was built by Amenhotep III. In the early morning and towards sunset heavy shadows are cast between the seven pairs of columns and the interplay of light has long been exploited by photographers as it slams from heavy architrave to calyx capital sanddown the slender shafts of the columns. Though Amenhotep III conceived the idea of this colonnade, Tutankhamun, Harmhab, Seti I, Rames II and Seti II also recorded their names there. It was Tutankhamun however who had the walls embellished with the reliefs representing the Great New Year Festival, the Opel, when the god Amon visited his southern harem. The sacred barges were brought in splendid procession from Karnak to the Luxor temple, borne on the shoulders of white-robed priests from the temple to the river, and then towed upstream in a splendid and majestic procession. The festival took place at the height of the Nile flood and continued for twenty-four days of merry-making. Unhappily much of the relief work has been destroyed but there is still sufficient to take us back to what must have been not only a significant but a lavish religious celebration.

On the right-hand wall starting at are preparations tor fhe occasion, which include a rehearsal by dancing girls. The procession begins at the gate of the Karnak temple, which is complete with flagstaff sand from whence white-robed priests bear the sacred barge of Amon down to the water's edge. An enthusiastic audience claps hands in unison and at the boat in the water is being towed upstream by those onshore. A sacrifice of slaughtered animals is followed by a group of acrobats, and finally offerings are made to Amon, Mut and Khonsu at the Luxor temple.

On the opposite wall are scenes of the return procession, including sacrificial bulls being led to the scene accompanied by soldiers, standard-bearers, dancers and slaves who are roused to frenzy by the pomp, the barges floating downstream and the final sacrifice and offerings of flowers to Amon and Mut at the Karnak temple.

It is interesting to learn that Harmhab, the general,took advantage of the Opet to introduce himself to the populace as the next Pharaoh of Egypt at the beginning of the 19th Dynasty. Once he had been led through the streets by the priests and entered into the sacred precincts of Karnak, any question by the people as to why Amon of non-royal line age should become Pharaoh was stilled in advance. The occasion was too joyous to spoil with matters already decided by the high priestsof Amon. A fascinating cross-current in the tide of fate has led today's Muslim Moulid, celebrated each year during the month of Shaaban, closely to resemble the Opet. Muslim sheikhs emerge from the Mosque of Abu el Hagag bearing three small sailing boat swhich they place on carriages to traverse the city. The city is bedecked with flowers, and dancing and clapping greet the procession.

Pylon of Ramses II: The Temple of Luxor Part II

Luxor, Egypt.

The main entrance to the temple of Luxor is by the great Pylon of Ramses II, In front of it are six enormous statues of Ramses I I, two scaled and four standing. Were these statues not carved from solid granite one might imagine them to have been cast froma pair of moulds. So similar are their solid legs, firmly implanted feet, square shoulders , clearcut features and eyes looking forward through all eternity.

In front of the seated figures were two pink granite obelisks, The one in position, now reinforced and repaired, has its base adorned with three praying apes on one side, and the inscriptions name Ramses II himself as the builder of this magnificent temple erected to honour Amon, blithely over looking the fact that he was responsible only for adding to the entrance section of a temple that had stood on site for over seven hundred years. The other obelisk now stands in Paris.

The outer walls of the pylon are embellished with records of Ramses II's military campaigns, particularly against the Hittites of Syria in the fifth year of his reign, Ramses II was always anxious for his personal bravery to be recorded and his sculptors lost no time in pandering to his vanity. On the western tower one can still make out life at the Egyptian camp and the enthroned Pharaoh holding council. In thecentre is the fortified camp with shielded soldiers and the Pharaoh himself dashing with his chariot into the fray.

The eastern tower depicts a ferocious battle with Ramses II, still in his chariot, hurling arrows at the surrounding enemy. Dead and wounded lie beneath his feet and the enemy flee in confusion to the fortress of Kadesh from whence fresh troops appear. Kadesh itself is surrounded with battlements and the defending Hittite forces. To the extreme left, somewhat remote from the heat of the battle, the prince of the Hittites may be seen surrounded by his guards and supposedly in fear of the 'enemy'.

Temple of Luxor Part I

Amenhotep III , the 18th Dynasty Pharaoh and great-grandson of the military genius Thutmose III ,built the temple of Luxor close to the banks of the Ni1e just south of the city. Though by this time Egyptian military power was past its peak, economic conditions within the capital were sound. Trade was flourishing with wealth pouring in from the distant provinces of the empire, which comprised almost all West Asia including Palestine, Syria, Phoenicia and the western part of the Euphrates, Nubia and Libya. Extravagant caravans brought gold and silver, metal ware, ivory and timber, spices for the royal taste and strange and exotic animals to roam in private gardens. The temples were bursting with tributes, walls and columns were encrusted with richness and colour, feasts and festivals were bountiful, the pace was brisk, the mood content. Amenhotep ruled in splendour with relatively little to concern him politically apart from a Nubian revolt which was quickly quelled. His Asian supremacy was unchallenged and he was confident that his armies were strong enough to maintain his foreign empire. At home his viziers took care of all matters of state and held the reins of power in their able hands.
Advantage was taken of slave labour from Nuubia and Asia, and Amenhotep imbued traditional architecture with new lite both by enlarging and embellishing existing temples and also by building new ones. Apart from the Luxor temple he completed the temple to Mut, in the great Karnak triad, which had been begun by his ancestors, giving it grace and elegance. Size was no deterrent, as can be gauged from the statues at the entrance to his mortuary temple on the necropolis, now known as the Colossi of Memnon.
This was perhaps the most trouble-free time in Egyptian history. Egypt was united , the nightmare rule of the Hyksos was no more than a bad memory. The empire was expansive, slave labor cheap, wealth abundant and Amenhotep had every reason to be the most carefree of Pharaohs. He raised his bow to beasts and fowl on his native soil where his ancestors had raised theirs to the enerny on alien lands . His wife, Queen Tiy, was very beautiful and c1early loved by the Pharaoh, as she is depicted in name or person a always at his side and far more frequently than was usual for royal wives of earlier rulers.
In the circumstances it is not surprising that Amenhotep, architecturally active and emotionally content, should have developed an interest in horticulture. Near his palace on the necropolis his enormous artificial lake,over 1, 7 00 meters long and 500wide,was surrounded by luxuriant foliage. Between the temple of Luxor and that of Karnak he laid out beautiful gardens, lining the avenue with rams carved in stone,each with a statue of himself between its forepaws. The effect must have been one of overwhelming grandeur as solemn processions and dazzling ceremonies passed along this splendid avenue.
At Karnak Amenhotep III continued the new theme in architecture: the pylon, a huge stone tower sloping inwards from the base. A pylon stood on each side of the entrance to the temple. Thebes was never to know berter; bigger, maybe, but never better.
Because the temple of Luxor, like that of Karnak and in fact like most other temples throughout Egypt, was built nor by a single architect or according to a uniform plan, but reflected the ideas and whims of many successive rulers, it is necessary before describing the first pylon, which was actually the last addition to the temple, to have some idea of how it developed, underwent alteration, appropriation, calculated destruction and , finally, excavation.
The temple was constructed on the site of as mall temple to Arnon built by the Pharaohs of the 12th Dynasty. Amenhotep III had his architects rebuild the modest original sanctuary which was as always the first part of the temple to be built, renovate the surrounding chambers and design a forecourt of fine, slender colonnades. It is this court, with its clustered papyrus bud columns, that can be seen from the Nile and that gives the temple its special character.
It was planned along traditional lines. Like all Egyptian temples it had a sanctuary or Holy of Holies with surrounding chambers, a large colonnaded hall- the hypostyle hall -and an open court. A second court was also planned but only the huge columns of the nave were erected before the death of the Pharaoh. His son Amenhotep IV, who later became known as Akhenaten and transferred the roval residence to Tel el Amarna, was far too hostile towards. Amon to complete the work. At his time the temple was only 190 metres long and 55metres wide at its greatest span. Three small granite shrines, which had been erected by Thutmose III, stood opposite the entrance.
And then came the first of a long series of changes. During the religious revolution under Amenhotep IV the temple was stripped of the images and names of the ancient deities, especially those relating to Amon, who even disappeared from the divine sign that included the name of the Pharaoh , the oval cartouch.
Akhenaten's successor, Tutankhamun, transferred the royal residence back to Thebes. The wall reliefs of the Luxor temple were inscribed with his name only to be changed again to that of his successor Harmhab. It was probably Tutankhamun who had the walls erected on each side of the columns of the unfinished court. and had the inner surfaces inscribed with reliefs. In the 19th Dynasty Seti I made a concerted effort to continue the restoration of the worship of Amon but added nothing to the temple's architecture. The major alterations were left to that great Pharaonic builder and most celebrated of Egyptian kings, Ramses II . His large colonnaded court was placed before the temple of his ancestors and he usurped the shrines of Thutmose III, altering the reliefs to bear his own name . He also erected a massive pylon , two obelisks and six colossal statues of himself at the northern end of the temple. Thus forming an impressive entrance to the whole complex. The temple was now 260 meters long.
Few further alterations took place until the advent of Christianity, when the entire area between the sanctuary and the hypo-style hall was converted into a church complete with altar in one of the enclosed chambers at the further end. The wall re presentations were plastered over and where the plaster has fallen off we can see a jig-saw of Christian saints and ancient gods.
One of the chambers adjoining the sanctuary,which was restored by Alexander the Great, was inhabited by the engineer who supervised the transportation of the pink granite obelisk from the entrance of the temple to the Place de la Concorde in Paris.