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Exterior & Entrance

Luxor Temple - Theban Temples - T vs MT - Thebes - The Places

The remaining Obelisk is 25 meters high. Its near twin is now in Paris on the Place de Concorde after being moved there in 1833; other pairs of Obelisks are usually the same height but these 2 only created the illusion that they were of the same height. It was a visual effect to be seen from the Avenue of Sphinx as its axis is not straight on as it is at Karnak Temple.

In front of the Temple is the beginning or end (depending on which way you are looking at it) of the Avenue of Sphinx that runs between Karnak and Luxor Temples. The exterior of the Temple is home to 2 massive Statues and 2 huge Obelisks of Pharaoh Ramses II, placed here when he erected the now First Pylon and now First Courtyard, which explains the lack of Statues of any other Pharaoh.

The Statues are made of Granite and are 15 meters high and represent the Pharaoh seated. These and the 2 further seated Statues of Pharaoh Ramses II at the end of the First Courtyard are all representative of Ka Statues. The Ka is one of nine parts of the Ancient Egyptian Soul represents the physical and well as the spiritual soul. As Luxor Temple is thought now to be a rejuvenation Temple these Ka Statues are in place as it is Pharaoh Ramses II’s permanent way of asking the Deities to help his Ka even when he is not at the Temple. Or a Cult Statue of the Pharaoh in an expression of his Royal Ka. All the remaining Statues are standing ones and are also of Pharaoh Ramses II or his family: there is one of his Great Royal Wife, Queen Nefertari, and their daughter and a later Great Royal Wife, Queen Merytamun.

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