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LUXOR , more properly El-Aksur, " The Castles" (plur. of kasr), a See also:town of Upper See also:Egypt, on the See also:east See also:bank of the See also:Nile 450 M. above See also:Cairo by See also:river and 418 by See also:rail. Pop. (1907 See also:census) 12,644. It is the centre for visitors to the ruins of and about See also:Thebes, and is frequented by travellers and invalids in the See also:winter See also:season, several See also:fine hotels having been built for their See also:accommodation. There are See also:Anglican and See also:Roman See also:Catholic churches, and a See also:hospital for natives, opened in 1891. The See also:district is the seat of an extensive manufacture of forged antiques.
The See also:temple of Luxor is one of the greatest of the monuments of Thebes (q.v.). It stands near the river bank on the S.W. See also:side of the town and See also:measures nearly 300 yds. from back to front. There may have been an earlier temple here, but the See also:present structure, dedicated to the Theban triad of See also:Ammon, Mut and
Khons, was erected by Amenophis III. The See also:great See also:colonnade, which is its most striking feature, was apparently intended for the See also:nave of a See also:hypostyle See also: The See also:axis of the temple ran from S.W. to N.E.; a See also:long paved road bordered by recumbent rams led from the See also:facade to the temples of Karnak (q.v.) in a somewhat more easterly direction, and See also:Rameses II. adopted the See also:line of this See also:avenue in adding an extensive See also:court to the work of Amenophis, producing a curious See also:change of axis. He embellished the walls and pylons of his court with scenes from his victories over See also:Hittites and Syrians, and placed a number of See also:colossal statues within it. In front of the pylon Rameses set up colossi and a pair of obelisks (one of which was taken to See also:Paris in 1831 and re-erected in the See also:Place de la Concorde). A few scenes and See also:inscriptions were added by later See also:kings, but the above is practically the See also:history of the temple until See also: (F. LL. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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