Discover the Temple of Amun (often referred to as "Luxor Temple")

Built at the request of the pharaoh Amenhotep III, the temple evolved under the reigns of Tutankhamen and especially Ramses II, who added a courtyard. He also made other modifications and additions. Later, during the reign of the Nubian pharaohs, the site underwent new and far-reaching transformations, right up to the time of the two Nectanebo pharaohs (30th dynasty), the last Egyptian pharaohs, who were great temple rebuilders. Even Alexander the Great made his mark. Even the Muslims, who built a mosque on the site above a Roman church.

Once you arrive at the site, the temple stands out on the banks of the Nile.

First of all, bear in mind that you are in the middle of a desert and that only the Nile here can provide you with a bit of fresh air. Remember this when you travel. It's essential to take water with you. You won't find any once you're inside. From your hotel, take a horse-drawn carriage for a pleasant ride. Or take a felucca for a refreshing moment.

The temple's monumental architecture is truly impressive. Whether you're standing 30 metres from the entrance, or at the foot of the columns in the hypostyle halls, you'll have a feeling of gigantism, even the impression that this temple is not a human work, especially as the plethora of symbols that are so foreign to our culture and that you'll see engraved everywhere will take you into an unprecedented dimension, out of time and out of your cultural reference points.

Although it can't compete with the Karnak complex in terms of its size, 3 km away and once entirely lined with sphinxes, Luxor Temple is remarkable for its colossal appearance and astonishing juxtaposition of eras.

Facing you, then, is the entrance to the temple flanked by 6 monumental statues 5 times your height, the colossi of Ramses II. These colossi, representing the pharaoh, can be found throughout the temple, sometimes seated, sometimes standing, sometimes wearing the pschent, that very special high headdress characteristic of Egyptian deity-kings (in reality, it consists of two interlocking crowns, one for the god Set, the other for the god Horus).

The temple is impressive for its high surrounding wall, known as the pylon, and the huge statues of Ramses II at its entrance (one is missing from this photo, on the left). Note that the pylon is the remnant of what was once the enclosure, which ran all around, a few dozen metres from the current ruins.

In front of this entrance, a giant obelisk, engraved along its entire length, stands like a column pointing towards the sky. Its shape, size and hieroglyphics will immediately remind you of the one that stands .... in Paris, on the Place de la Concorde. This is no coincidence.

In reality, they are twin obelisks which, until the early 1800s, were both in Luxor, flanking the entrance to the Temple of Amun. The viceroy of the time, Mehemet Ali, made a gift of them to France, and the second obelisk remained at the entrance to the temple. In 1981, François Mitterrand declared that France would relinquish the second obelisk.

In this large courtyard, which Ramses II had added to the temple of Amenophis III and which spans the entire width of the building, you will discover more than 70 stone columns arranged in two rows (double-portico) running along its perimeter.

On the left as you enter, the mosque of Sheikh Abu-el-Hagag. On the right, the resting place of the sacred barks of Amun, Mut and Khonsu (also sometimes called the "Hatshepsut building" because Ramses II had it removed from a chapel dedicated to the famous queen).

This is important because Luxor Temple was the site of ceremonies and sacrifices to the glory of Amun and of the Opet festival (New Year). On this occasion, a procession of boats glided down the Nile to the temple, then were hoisted inside to be finally deposited on the triple resting place. To visit a temple of this wealth is to travel back in time, and change space.

To get the full measure of the place, it's best to bear in mind that the temple has a symbolic and liturgical function, as well as being the god's dwelling place. In another ceremony, the statue of Amun was transported from the Temple of Karnak to the Temple of Luxor, where Amun joined forces with Mut to give birth to the Pharaoh.

This brings us to the other two rooms, where the imposing colonnade of Amenhetep III (Amenhotep III) unfolds first. The pharaoh built the temple for his father, the god Amun. Amenhotep III wanted a masterly edifice of unparalleled beauty, with walls of gold and silver alloy, a silver floor and a pylon that touched the sky. Glorifying the divine father glorifies the son, the god-king, the pharaoh, and the reign can be fulfilled.

The great colonnade of Amenhotep III is simply dazzling. If you come early, which we strongly advise you to do because of the heat and the crowds, you will have the pleasure of discovering these large columns several metres in diameter in the soft sunlight.

Imagine what this place must have been like, adorned with gold and silver, lapi-lazuli and jade, and perhaps citrine everywhere. Take the time to discover the many hieroglyphs engraved in their stone: thebee, divine messenger, symbol of the pharaohs in which the tear of the god Ra was seen; the ankh, the purely Egyptian ankh cross, symbolising life, in other words, eternal life here. And so on.

If you are particularly interested in Egyptology, take along a guide to Egyptian symbols. Understanding them is bound to add depth to the spiritual dimension of the site. For everything here is symbol and metaphor, everything is meaning, everything is dialogue with the gods.

Otherwise, you'll just feel like you're in a setting.

You are now in the square courtyard of Amenophis III, a kind of agora also surrounded by columns. You are in the sanctuary of the god Ra, facing him, in full sunlight. Under its rays, this highly ceremonial place is the bosom of the pharaoh's regeneration. Keep this in mind as you pass through, looking for a shady spot. Then slip into the two adjoining hypostyle halls.

These two great halls were made up of around fifteen chambers or temples, some of which were secret. More than 70 columns rise up around you. Be particularly interested in the pilaster on the east wall. Here you will see a fresco that is more than 35 centuries old, depicting scenes from the life of the Pharaoh: he receives the life of Montu, followed by another engraving of Amun. Then he receives a necklace from the lion-headed goddess, which confers eternal health on him.

You can imagine what these highly codified ceremonies were like, under the acclamation of a crowd of scholars, in an effervescence of colours and metallic reflections that were unparalleled throughout human history!