Unlike most Egyptian temples, Luxor Temple sits right in the middle of the modern city, and it was dedicated not to a god but to the rejuvenation of kingship. Built largely by Amenhotep III and Ramesses II, it is compact, graceful and easy to explore.
A single obelisk still stands at the entrance; its twin is in the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The temple's later history is layered too, with a mosque built above one court and traces of a Roman chapel inside.
The temple dates mainly to the 14th and 13th centuries BCE. It was connected to Karnak by the Avenue of Sphinxes, along which the annual Opet Festival procession once passed.
Half day
A private East Bank tour of Karnak's vast hall of columns and the graceful riverside Luxor Temple, connected by the ancient Avenue of Sphinxes.
From $75 per person
View tourYes, and the evening is arguably the best time to visit, when the temple is beautifully illuminated.
Luxor Temple is smaller, more central and more graceful, while Karnak is vast and sprawling. They complement each other.
Its twin stands in the Place de la Concorde in Paris, a gift in the 19th century.
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