Neferirkare Kakai (2477—2467)

Neferirkare was the second child of Khentkaus I to have ruled Egypt. Likewise with his sibling Sahure, it is not sure whether Userkaf was his dad. Neferirkare was hitched to a name-purpose of his mother's, Khentkaus II. It is not improbable that Khentkaus II too was identified with Khentkaus I. No less than two youngsters are accepted to have been conceived of this marriage: Neferefre and Niuserre. Different spouses and youngsters are not known.

The length of his rule is sadly lost on the Turin King-list and the Palermo-stone breaks of subsequent to having recorded a fifth numbering, which, if the tallying happened like clockwork, would imply that Neferirkare at any rate led for a long time. As indicated by Manetho, his lead gone on for a long time, a number which gives off an impression of being for the most part acknowledged.

Neferirkare was the first king to have his birth-name made part of the official titulary, thus adding a second cartouche. He also completed (or modified) the solar-temple built by Userkaf in Abusir. His own solar-temple, called Set-ib-Re, has yet to be located.

He was also the second king to erect his funerary monument at Abusir. The seals and papyri discovered in his mortuary temple give some insights into the functioning of this temple. The documents are dated to the end of the 6th Dynasty, which indicates that the cult for the deceased Neferirkare at least lasted until the end of the Old Kingdom.

Nefererkara Kakai was probably the son of Userkaf, the first king of the 5th Dynasty and thus younger (half-?) brother to his predecessor king Sahure. His pyramid complex at Abusir was unfinished during his lifetime, but obviously finished by his successors. About fifteen years after his death king Neuserre incorporated both his valley temple and causeway into his own complex (see view over Abusir). Somewhere in the vicinity he built a solar temple, because the written historical texts say so, but nothing of this shrine has so far been found and still waits to be dug out from the sand.

Egyptologists don't concede to the length of his rule and figures in the vicinity of fourteen and twenty-four have been proposed. Nefererkara is remarkable for a development in the long column of illustrious names (titles). He was simply the primary ruler to give two names inside a cartouche - one as the child of Re and one as his own name. Every one of his supporters in Egyptian history took up this custom. At his pyramid complex several parts of papyrus were found in the late 1800s and the written work was in another "shorthand" kind of symbolic representations, the alleged hieratic sort of signs utilized for commonsense reasons instead of embellishing.

This first case of this kind of content clearly had quite a while of improvement and is this present lord's most striking commitments to Egyptology. Whenever decoded and distributed in the 1960s it ended up being parts of the illustrious chronicle at the site. It contained subtle elements of the organization for guarding the sanctuaries, dealing with the day by day offerings like bread, lager, meat, fowl, corn and natural product. It likewise demonstrated tables for standard examinations and records of the gear in the religion of the dead pharaohs.

The name of his pyramid was: "The pyramid of the Ba-spirit".

Tomb of PtahShepses

The Tomb of PtahShepses can be entered by an unsteady stepping stool. Twofold room off the passage, which may have held sun powered water crafts. The main other known exammple of this arrangement is Kagemni's Tomb in north Saqqara. Head of Works to Sahure, first f the V Dynasty rulers covered here

Sarcophagus of Ptahshepses

Segments with lotus capitals are the most seasoned discovered ust toward the south-east of Sahure's pyramid there is a substantial mastaba tomb having a place with an essential high authority of Sahure's court. The proprietor is named in his tomb as 'Sovereign, Councilor of Nekhen, Guardian of Nekhen, Priest of Nekhbet, Supreme Judge, Vizier, Head of every single Royal Work, Beloved of his Master, Sole Friend, Secretary of the Morning House, Highest Lector Priest, Right Hand of the God Duau, Ptahshepses'.

Mastaba of Ptahshepses Pillars in the patio

The great mastaba is second in size just to that of Mereruka at Saqqara. It was first found by Jacques de Morgan in 1893 and all the more as of late examined by the archeological mission of the Czech Institute of Egyptology at Charles University of Prague, who have been completing rebuilding of the tomb. The mastaba is currently open to guests despite the fact that recording work is as yet proceeding.

The mastaba contains two components comprising of a superstructure, which was developed from mudbrick and stone work and appears to have advanced and been amplified over some undefined time frame - and the mostly shake cut underground load which is currently open to the components. The great front access to the tomb, which has as of late been remade, incorporates a patio flanked by two novel lotus sections. A raised live with three specialties which would have contained statues of the expired was likely utilized for offerings.

Reliefs from the mastaba of Ptahshepses   Reliefs from the mastaba of Ptahshepses

To the south is an enormous courtyard, surrounded by a portico which was supported by 20 square limestone pillars, decorated with reliefs of Ptahshepses. The huge pillars can still be seen in the now-open court which is annexed to the tomb structure. In the north-west corner of the court a sloping corridor leads to the burial chamber, which has a lintel decorated with the palace-facade motif. A huge granite sarcophagus belonging to Ptahshepses still remains in the burial chamber. To the south of the courtyard there are two boat-shaped pits, probably intended to represent solar boats and possibly even containing actual boats - which would have been an unusual feature in a private tomb. Ptahshepses obviously held a very important position in the court.

Tomb of Sahure

Pyramid at Abusir (called Kha-ba-Sahure). A sun temple (called Sekhet-Re) is known from written sources, but has not yet been found. Palace (caleld Uetjesneferusahure “Sahure’s splendor soars upt o heaven”) from an inscription, but no site yet.

Pyramid of Sahure

Sahure (2458—2446)

Sahure's titulary

The second lord of the fifth Dynasty built up the Egyptian naval force and sent an armada to Punt and exchanged with Palestine. His pyramid has colonnaded courts and reliefs of his maritime armada, however his military vocation comprised for the most part of crusades against the Libyans in the western leave. He started the graveyard complex at Saqqara and he likewise had a diorite quarry quite recently west of Abu Simbel.

Sahure was a child of Khentkaus I, who, in her tomb at Giza, is said to have been the "mother of two lords". His dad most likely was Userkaf. There are no spouses or youngsters known to him and at any rate no offspring of his appear to have outlasted him, since he was prevailing by his sibling.

As indicated by the Turin King-list, Sahure ruled for a long time. The Palermo-stone notes 7 cows tallies, which either demonstrates a rule of no less than 13 years if the dairy cattle checks were held at regular intervals.

Like Userkaf, Sahure assembled a sunlight based sanctuary, named Sekhet-Re, which has not yet been found. It is once in a while expected that as opposed to building his own sun based sanctuary, he in actuality altered his dad's and gave it another name. The literary confirmation notwithstanding, demonstrates that Sekhet-Re was an alternate sanctuary that was being used in the meantime as Userkaf's.

He was the principal lord to construct his pyramid complex at Abusir, a couple of kilometers North of Saqqara. The move to Abusir was maybe as of now begun by Userkaf, who manufactured his sun based sanctuary there. The reliefs in his morgue and valley sanctuary delineate an including of outsiders by or before the goddess Seshat and the arrival of an armada from Asia, maybe Byblos. This may demonstrate a military enthusiasm for the Near East, however the contacts may have been political and business also. As a feature of the contacts with the Near-East, the reliefs from his funerary landmarks likewise hold the most seasoned known portrayal of a Syrian bear.

A relief showing a war against Libya is believed by some to be historical and by others to be merely ritual. The Palermo-stone also mentions expeditions the the Sinai and to the exotic land of Punt, as well as to the diorite quarries North-West of Abu Simbel, thus far into Nubia.

The second king of the 5th Dynasty established the Egyptian navy and sent a fleet to Punt and traded with Palestine. His pyramid has colonnaded courts and reliefs of his naval fleet, but his military career consisted mostly of campaigns against the Libyans in the western desert. He began the cemetery complex at Saqqara and he also had a diorite quarry just west of Abu Simbel.

The second king of the dynasty was Sahure and he is rather well attested for by his well-preserved pyramid complex at the new royal burial ground at Abusir.

When it was excavated the first years of the 1900s a great amount of fine reliefs were found to an extent and quality superior to those from the dynasty before. Some of the low relief-cuttings in red granite are masterpieces of its kind and still in place at the site. The construction of the pyramid was on the other hand (like the others from this dynasty) made with an inner core of roughly hewn stones in a step construction held together in many sections with mortar of mud.

While this was under construction a corridor was left into the shaft where the grave chamber was erected separately and later covered by left over stone blocks and debris. This working strategy is clearly visible from two unfinished pyramids and was the old style from the third dynasty now coming back after being temporary abandoned by the builders of the five great pyramids at Dashur and Giza during dynasty four.

Couple of delineations of the ruler are known, yet in a model he is indicated sitting on his position of royalty with a nearby nome (region) divinity close by. Picture left shows him wearing the huge regal headgear called by a Greek name "nemes" and underneath is his honored position name inside the cartouche (all together: hu-sa-re) made in help taken from a red stone segment outside his pyramid which had the name "The pyramid where the Ba-soul ascends" as appeared in hieroglyphic writing in picture beneath right.

Today just the internal development remains mostly unmistakable in a heap of rubble beginning from the unrefined filling of garbage and mortar behind the packaging stones taken away a thousand years back. The entire internal development is severely harmed and unrealistic to get to today (year 2002).

The passage at the north side is a short dropping hall fixed with red stone taken after by a path finishing at the internment chamber. It has a gabled rooftop made of enormous limestone layers and sections of the sarcophagus were found here when it was entered in the mid 1800s.

Userkaf (2465—2458 )

Userkaf

Dates 7 years from 2465—2458. Userkaf was the originator of the fifth Dynasty. He administered Ancient Egypt from 2465 BC until 2458 BC. His better half, Queen Khentkaues, was of imperial blood. Students of history say that Userkaf wedded her to adjust himself to the regal line. Tragically, his rule is not all around reported, but rather he assembled a wonderful pyramid at Saqqara. His design and adornment shows the masterful wonderfulness of the period. The pyramid was intended to go about as a house of prayer for offerings and an as a funeral home sanctuary for the lord. The sanctuary court has square rock sections in every one of the corners and some wonderful reliefs on the dividers. Two of the sanctuary's busts were recouped as of late.

Userkaf was the child of Neferhetepes, a girl of the fourth Dynasty ruler Djedefre. His dad is not known. His marriage to Khentkaus I, a girl of Mykerinos, legitimized his claim to the position of royalty. Regardless of the solid family relationship of Userkaf with his ancestors, Manetho begins another tradition, the fifth, with the rule of this lord. This might be reflected in the Middle Kingdom story, noted on the Papyrus Westcar, where the introduction of 3 new lords, Userkaf, Sahure and Neferirkare, as the children of a cleric of Re and a lady named Red-djedet, is anticipated. In spite of the story of Papyrus Westcar, notwithstanding, it is presently trusted that Userkaf was not the sibling but rather the father of his two prompt successors and that their mom was Khentkaus I.

As per the Turin King-list, Userkaf ruled for just 7 years, however Manetho (in the form of Africanus) credits him with as much as 28 years! The number given by the Turin King-list, notwithstanding, is by all accounts affirmed by the Palermo-stone, which takes note of the time of the third cows consider of this lord his most noteworthy.

Userkaf's significance lies in another sort of landmark that he worked in Abusir, a couple of kilometers north of Saqqara: an alleged sun powered sanctuary. This sanctuary comprised of a raised stage that contained a sacred place just before a hill, whereupon a wide and moderately low pillar was raised. From this sanctuary, a secured thoroughfare prompted a valley-sanctuary. It is in this valley sanctuary that a perfectly safeguarded head of Userkaf, wearing the crown of Lower-Egypt has been found.

The correct importance and centrality of this structure is not totally caught on. Its association with the sun oriented clique is evident through the unequivocal sun powered image, the monolith, yet it is trusted that this landmark likewise was identified with the lord's funeral home faction. It shows, in any case, that amid the fifth Dynasty the sun based faction turned out to be progressively essential. This inclination had as of now begun amid the fourth Dynasty, when Djedefre included the title "Child of Re" to the imperial titulary. From the fifth Dynasty on, there would be just a couple of lords that did not have the theophorous component "Re" in their prenomen.

Except for the arrival of 70 foreign women to Egypt and some cultic activity that shows his interest in the Delta, nothing much is known about Userkaf's political activites.

Next to the solar-temple, Userkaf's only other monument of some importance seems to have been his pyramid-complex, which he erected at Saqqara, just north-east of the complex of Djoser. It is much smaller than the pyramids at Giza, and this is often interpreted as that Userkaf was not as powerful as his 4th Dynasty predecessors.

Userkaf's funerary cult seems to have been discontinued at the end of the 5th Dynasty

Userkaf was the founder of the 5th Dynasty. He ruled Ancient Egypt from 2465 BC until 2458 BC. His wife, Queen Khentkaues, was of royal blood. Historians say that Userkaf married her to align himself with the royal line. Unfortunately, his reign is not well documented, but he built a marvelous pyramid at Saqqara. His architecture and decoration demonstrates the artistic glory of the era. The pyramid was designed to act as a chapel for offerings and a as a mortuary temple for the king. The temple court has square granite columns in all the corners and some beautiful reliefs on the walls. Two of the temple's busts were recovered recently.

King Userkaf was related to the royal house from more than one side. He was the grandson of king Djedefre and he married a daughter of king Menkaure.

He moved to the very heart of the Sakkara cemetery for his tomb and had the nerve to erect his tomb monument only fifty metres from the enclosure wall of the mortuary complex of Djoser, then over 200 years old and probably with his cult still in action.

Alongside the arranging of his tomb, Userkaf started an absolutely new kind of building task at Abusir two or three kilometers toward the north, where the vast majority of his supporters ought to erect their pyramids. This was something extraordinary - a development of a Sun Temple.

This clique focal point of the sun god Re, had a tremendous stone monolith as the totem, symbolizing the sun. A sacrificial stone was put for offerings and the Palermo stone (made later in this administration) expresses that two bulls were yielded here consistently. This confidence had at this point developed to a national religion and starting now and into the foreseeable future the ruler had as one of his titles: "Child of Re".

At the point when this site was exhumed in the 1950s it ended up being in an extreme condition of destroy since it had been a stone quarry in old circumstances. The ground arrange and diverse phases of development could apportion however, and the conclusion was that more than one pharaoh had added to the working throughout the years. It is assumed that ruler Neuserre (after 100 years) included the inward fenced in area divider and councils of limestone.

At the end of the causeway down by the Nile was a Valley Temple, and the whole concept was similar to the pyramids of the pharaohs, with the difference that the tomb was changed for a shrine to the solar god Re. Written sources tell that six sun temples were built during the fifth dynasty, but only four have been found. A black stone head of the king (picture left) was found at the site. Some doubts about if it really is the king have been put forward since he is looking so young considering he became pharaoh as a middle aged man. Nonetheless is this an example of how sculpturing and art in general stood at its peak in Egyptian history at this point. Thereafter a general decline was clearly visible and never again in Egyptian history did it reach the standard of dynasty five.

Userkaf's tomb was built at Sakkara as a pyramid. Its name was "The Pyramid Which is Pure in Places" (picture below left). The temple by the pyramid had a floor made of black basalt stone and so was the foundations of the walls. The rest was made of white limestone from Tura and carved with relief scenes of offerings, decorations of animals etc.

Temple of Hatshepsut

The burial temple of Hatshepsut is one of the most dramatic monuments of ancient Egypt. The queen’s architect, Senmut, designed the temple with rows of evenly spaced columns that follow the vertical patterns of the cliff backdrop making the temple a beautiful reflection of its natural surroundings.

Leading up to the temple was a tree lined avenue of sphinxes. There are also a series of walkways connecting a number of terraces built into the temple. The lowest terraces were restored in 1906 to protect the famous reliefs or wall paintings depicting scenes of the temple being built and the birth of the Pharaoh. Although gone today, the front of the upper terrace contained a long line of large statues of the queen that looked out over the valley. When the temple was first built, the walls behind these statues were decorated with bright wall paintings.

 

Temple of Hatshepsut

 

Osiris pillar

 

From the temple of Hatshepsut

 

Sanctuary of Hathor

 

Inside Hatshepsut Temple

 

Hatshepsut between Re-Horakhty and Amun-Re

 

 

Queen Hatshepsut, to whom the temple was dedicated, was one of the first recorded female rulers of ancient Egypt. On her coronation, she wore a complete Pharaoh’s ritual costume including the false beard. We know this from the many wall paintings and statues that depict her as a male; few remaining statues or pictures that show her as a female have survived. 

How the great queen Hatshepsut died remains a mystery. Many historians believe that she was killed because she was a woman. After her death in 1452 BCE, Hatshepsut’s name was erased from her monuments and some were destroyed altogether. Still Hatshepsut accomplished what no woman had before her; she successfully ruled the most powerful civilization in the world for over twenty years.

Temple of Edfu

    Edfu (Behdet) A site 72 miles south of Thebes, on the Nile, Edfu was the capital of the second nome of Upper Egypt and the HORUS cultic site from early times. The city was called “the Exaltation of Horus” in some eras. Tombs dating  to  the  Sixth  Dynasty  (2323–2150  B.C.E.)  and erected  by  the  local  Nomarchs were  discovered  in  the city’s necropolis, as well as a step pyramid dating to the Third  Dynasty  (2649–2575  B.C.E.).  Mastabas and  reliefs were  also  discovered  there.  In  the  Ptolemaic  Period (304–30  B.C.E.)  a  great  temple  was  erected  on  the  site. The city was always considered militarily strategic for the defense of the nation and was fortified against assaults by the Nubians (the modern Sudanese). During the Second Intermediate Period (1640–1550 B.C.E.) when the Asiatics (Hyksos) ruled  the  northern  Delta  territories,  Edfu  was fortified by the Theban dynasties.

 

Access to the Temple of Edfu 

 

The Major entrance of Edfu Temple

    Horus, husband to the cow goddess Hathor, was one of the primary gods to the Egyptians.  He is depicted with the head of a hawk, sometimes on the body of a human, sometimes on the body of a hawk.

    Temple of Horus at Edfu built in 200 BC under the Greek Ptolemaic kings, this is one of the youngest – and the best preserved – of the Egyptian temples. Sekhmet, the lioness goddess, is very loving and, when needed, equally vicious.

    Bedouini Judy and Ruth wrap themselves in ancient-style scarves to ward off the cold morning winds.

 

Inside the Temple of Edfu 

 

Engraving on the walls of Edfu Temple

 

Cobra relief on the walls of Temple of Edfu

 

Scarab relief on the walls of Temple of Edfu

 

Statue of Horus

 

Mammisi of Ptolemy VIII Euergete

Temple of Kom Ombo

    Kom Ombo A site south of EDFU on the Nile that served as the cultic center for the deities HORUS the Elder and SOBEK, Kom Ombo was also a major center of Egyptian  TRADE with  the  Red  Sea  and  Nubian  (modern Sudanese)  cultures.  Eighteenth  Dynasty  (1550–1307B.C.E.) structures made Kom Ombo important, but there were also settlements from the Paleolithic Period in the area.

 

Temple of Sobek and Horus at Kom Ombo

From

Bunson (M. R.), Encyclopedia of ancient Egypt, New York, 2002.

 

Temple of Kom Ombo 

 

Papyrus shaped columns at Kom Ombo temple 

 

The gate to access to the sanctuary of Sobek

 

Column details at Kom Ombo 

 

Relief stone outside the temple

 

Nilometer outside the temple

    The temple of Haroeris (HORUS) and SOBEK was a double structure, with identical sections, the northern one for Haroeris and the southern one for Sobek. There was also a shrine to HATHOR on the site. The complex was dedicated as well to KHONS (1). Tasenetnofret, an obscure goddess called “the Good Sister,” and Pnebtawy, called“the Lord of the Two Lands,” were honored as well at Kom Ombo.

    A double entrance is in the southwest, leading to a courtyard. Two HYPOSTYLE HALLS, offering halls, twin sanctuaries, magazines, vestibules, wells, and birth houses, called MAMMISI, compose the elements of the temple. The main temple is Ptolemaic in its  present  form, with a gate fashioned by PTOLEMY XII Auletes (r. 80–58, 55–51 B.C.E.). Niches and crypts were also included, and mummies  of  CROCODILES were  found,  wearing  golden earrings,  manicures,  and  gilded  nails.  A  NILOMETER was installed at Kom Ombo, and CALENDARS and portraits of the Ptolemys adorned the walls.

Karnak

   The temples at Karnak are the largest ancient complex in Egypt. Begun in 1970 BC by Sesostris I, construction continued through the reign of Ramses III in 1166 BC. Each Pharaoh of those 800 years wanted to leave something of himself here – a new temple, chapel, or carvings of himself superimposed over older carvings.

   The Great Hypostyle Hall, comprised of the huge columns seen to the right, is one of the greatest achievements of Ancient Egypt, considered as difficult to achieve as the Great Pyramid at Giza.

Karnak Temples

 

Gate of Karnak

 

statues of Ram at Karnak

 

Pillars of the Great Hypostyle Hall

 

The Sacred Lake

 From karnak temple

 

 

 

Abu Simbel Sun Festival

For most of the year, the inner sanctum of the main temple at Abu Simbel is shrouded in darkness. On two specific days, traditionally the anniversary of the birthday and coronation of pharaoh Ramses II, a shaft of sunlight pierces the gloom, illuminating statues of gods and the king in the temple’s inner sanctum.

 

Temple of Abu Simbel

On February 22, a day celebrating the king’s birthday and again on October 22, a day celebrating his coronation, sunlight illuminates seated statues of the sun gods Re-Horakhte and Amon-Re, as well as a statue of king Ramses II. The statues sit in the company of the Theban god of darkness, Ptah (who remains in the shadows all year).

 

Abu Simbel Sun Festival

The sun illuminating Abu Simbel is considered to be one of the oldest Egyptian Sun Festivals, it dates back to the pharaonic era and has endured more than 3,200 years of Egyptian history. It draws thousands of tourists to Abu Simbel to watch this ancient tribute to a pharaoh whose name is still known up and down the Nile Valley and the world over for his military exploits and monumental building projects. Nowadays, it became a touristic attraction due to the high dam and the moving of the temple.

During the spectacle, people stand in two rows to let the sun rays reach the statues in the shrine.

The Unfinished Obelisk, in Aswan

The Unfinished Obelisk is a huge obelisk yet to be finished. If finished, it would have measured around 41 m and would have weighed nearly 117 tons. Its importance lies in the fact that it carries inscriptions that explain the methods the ancient Egyptians used in cutting and sculpting obelisks.

 

The Unfinished Obelisk, in Aswan

Egypt Nile Cruises

The pharaohs sometimes visited their Nile-side temples by royal barge, and boat traffic along the river remains the most  dramatic way to reach the monuments. Since 1869,  when Thomas Cook and Son launched  their Upper Egypt excursions, steamships were popular with those who wished to travel in style, and see the sites at a comfortable pace. While some of today’s cruise ships are nearly as well-appointed as the royal barge, there are packages to suit every budget, offering itineraries of varying lengths.

 

Egypt Nile Cruises

Several jewellike monuments are located on the banks of the river between Luxor and Aswan, including the Temple of Khnum at Esna, the Temple of falcon-headed Horus at Edfu, and the  temple of the  crocodile  god Sobek at Kom Ombo. All may be visited by car from Luxor, as well as by cruise ship to Aswan, south of Luxor, whose attractions  also merit an extended stay.

Note:

From Aswan you may embark on a (3 to 4) night Lake Nasser cruise to Abu Simbel, visiting the monuments of Nubia along the way.

Luxor Temple

This magnificent structure, know in ancient times as the “Harem of the South” is
connected to the Temple of Karnak by a 3Km processional Avenue of Sphinxes, like
Karnak, Luxor’s temple was dedicated to the Theban triad of Amun, Mut and Khonusu,
whose statues stood here during the Opet festival.

Even though Luxor Temple was expanded several times throughout the ages, it’s much
more compact and coherent than Karnak, perhaps because its core was built by just one
pharaoh, Amenhotep III. The walls are decorated with some of the finest carvings in
Egypt, protected because much of the temple was buried until 1885. Before excavations,
only the heads of the Ramses II colossi and the tips of the obelisks stuck out above the
pile of debris on which Luxor village was built. The village was removed bit by bit as the
excavations started.

 

Luxor

 

Luxor at night

 

Luxor temple

 

 

Luxor temple (at Night) 

Luxor temple (entrance)

 

Avenue of Sphinxes leading up to Luxor Temple

 

Courtyard of the Luxor Temple

 

The Avenue of Sphinxes leads to the monumental fist pylon built by Ramses II, which
was once fronted by two obelisks and six colosii of the man himself. The pylon is
decorated, as so many other Egyptian temples, with Ramses II’s favorite story the battle
of Qadesh. Beyond the pylon, the large Court of Ramses II is surrounded by two rows of
papyrus-bud columns, interspersed with more statues of the king.

Beyond the second pylon the impressive Processional Colonnade of Amenhotep III, with
huge papyrus columns, was the model for the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak. The
craving on the walls was added by Tutankhamun and gives a picture of the Opet
celebration: One wall shows the outward journey, the other the return of the procession.
At the end of colonnade is the temple’s most impressive part, the Great Sun Court, also
built by Amenhotep III, its fine decorations developed over the millennium between the
reigns of Amenhotep and Alexander the Great.

Unfortunately this court has suffered badly from the rising water level and a major
restoration project is underway. Behind a columned portico, used as a chapel by Roman
soldiers, lays the temple’s inner sanctuary, with Alexander the Great’s Sanctuary of
Amun’s Barge and Amenhotep III’s Birth Room, and his nurturing by goddesses. The
bedrock on which this part of the temple was built was believed to be the site where
Amun was born.