The last tour on the East Bank was the Luxor Temple, positioned along the Nile four blocks from the Karnak Temple. We arrived there right before sunset, and were able to see the colors of twilight deepening with the dusk. The Luxor Temple was known in the New Kingdom period as "
Ipt-Ryst", which meant "Southern Shrine". Built by kings of the 12th dynasty, it was used for fertility ceremonies during the Opet Festival to the Sun God, Amun-Re. Outside an avenue of sphinx's lined up in parallel fashion from the temple's entrance to the distant Temple of Karnak. Ramses II had six colossal statues built by the entrance, 4 standing and 2 sitting, but only the latter 2 have survived the ravages of time. Also at the entrance were 2 obelisks, but one of them was transferred to Paris in 1835, where it now stands in the center of the Place de la Concorde. It was given to the city of Paris as a gift to King Philip Louis of France by Mohamed Ali (who ruled Egypt 1805-1850), after he was given a clock from the French, which incidentally never worked properly. Seeing the obelisk at the Luxor Temple gives greater meaning to my visit in Paris a couple year's back, when I gazed upon its twin.
I was privileged to see the colors of twilight fuse with the deepening shadows of night. The last couple of shots were oh so
byoo-teee-full.... and gave the pics a wistful feel. As night fell, we hurried back to the Karnak Temple to catch the "Sound and Light Show", thus ending our ancient ruins tour and wonderful week-end in the city of Luxor.
