Story: Luxor Temple
Episode: 2
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane
Air Date: 7 March 2026

Luxor Temple is an evocative monument on the east bank of the Nile, reflecting more than three millennia of history from pharaonic rule to modern Luxor.

• Approached via the Avenue of the Sphinxes, the temple connects directly to Karnak and reveals how processions once moved through sacred spaces in festival time.
• Built chiefly by Amenhotep III and Ramses II around 1300 BC, the complex was central to the Opet Festival celebrating renewal and divine favour.
• Inside, colossal statues and papyrus-bud columns create a carefully planned journey from public courtyards toward the most sacred sanctuaries of Amun, Mut and Khonsu.
• Egyptologists decode the hieroglyphs, explaining how land, river cycles and kingship were woven into ritual celebrations and architectural design.
• Later additions, including a chapel associated with Alexander the Great, demonstrate how sacred places were reused and revered across successive eras.

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