The Avenue of Sphinxes joins Karnak with the Temple of Luxor. The Avenue has been excavated and recovered recently, although only a few dozen sphinxes have surfaced (the rest probably smuggled away by the people living in he vicinity).
This temple was expanded from a shrine built by Hatshepsut by Amenhotep III and further extended by Rameses II, Alexander the Great (and others). It contains bits and pieces of all the religions that passed by though the ages. A Church, that became buried in the sand (like most of the complex) on top of which a Mosque was later built. Also some Roman remains can be found if one knows where to look.
This Temple was used during the Opet Festival, in which the statues of Amun, Mut and Khonsu were brought from Karnak , via the Avenue of the Sphinxs, to celebrate the Inundation.
Close to the Barque Shrine of Amun a side room contains also the scenes of the divine birth of Amenhotep III, confirming his right to the throne. Nearby, we can find the cartouche with Alexander the Great name. A small chapel of Serapis sits between the Avenue of Sphinxes and the First Pylon.
As we visited at the end of the afternoon, the sun was setting and the light changed continuously, making the the visit to the temple become even more magic than at any other time.
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