EGYPT V
Built by the New Kingdom Pharaoh Amenophis III (about 1417 before Christ), Luxor Temple is a strikingly graceful piece of architecture on the banks of the Nile River. It's located just in the middle of Luxor city and is as impressive as all the other monuments in town.
Fronting the entrance of the Luxor Temple is the enormous "first pylon" (that is, the first part of the Temple), about 24m high, in front of which are some colossal statues of Ramses II and a pink granite obelisk (well... in the picture below, the obelisk does look yellow, because of the sunshine). Originally, there were six statues of Ramses II in front of the Luxor Temple (four seated and two standing), however, nowadays, only two of the seated figures and one standing remain (one seated statue is behind me, the other is on my left side and the standing one did not fit in the picture) ... the Temple is huuuuge and my photo camera was not "powerful" enough - hehe).
The "lonely" obelisk that stands in front of the Luxor Temple was once one of a pair... however, the Egyptian authorities gave the other obelisk, as a gift in the "name of friendship" to France, so now, such "precious donation" stands in the Place de la Concorde, in Paris.
"The Temple of Luxor" - Luxor/Egypt, October/2000
The Great Court of Ramses II is surrounded by a double row of high columns and several huge statues of himself. And there Gerson was... with his "egyptian visual" adopted due to the unbearable hot weather we faced in Luxor. That outfit is commonly used by the Egyptians themselves and they claim it's comfortable and make them "forget the heat".
"The Temple of Luxor" - Luxor/Egypt, October/2000
The "Temple of Karnak" is possibly one of the most overwhelming monuments of the Pharaonic legacy; work was carried out on that Temple for over 1.500 years. Its ancient name was "Ipet-Isut" (meaning "The Most Perfect of the Places" and it was built as a symbol of the Egyptian power during the "Pharaonic Times" (3000-341 before Christ).
"The Temple of Karnak" - Luxor/Egypt, October/2000
A paved avenue of human-headed sphinxes once linked the Temple of Karnak with the Temple of Luxor (can you imagine that? An avenue surrounded by sphinxes at that time? Definitely, the Pharaohs were probably all megalomaniacs... hehe). Only a small section of this sacred way has been excavated. The rest of the three km avenue lies beneath the city and paved roads of modern Luxor.
"The Temple of Karnak" - Luxor/Egypt, October/2000
Perhaps, what it is most impressive in the Temple of Karnak is the number of columns inside of it. They are 139 in total! The "Great Hypostyle Hall" is an unforgettable forest of towering stone pillars (sculptured with hieroglyphs inscriptions). It is impossible to get an overall idea of this court (or maybe my photo camera was not "powerful enough" - hehe)... well, 139 pillars are just "too much", right?
"The Temple of Karnak" - Luxor/Egypt, October/2000