Luxor Temple, Luxor, Egypt

The Luxor Temple, is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex, located on the east bank of the Nile River, in the city, today known as Luxor, and was constructed approximately 1400 BC. In the Egyptian language, it was known as ipet resyt, "the southern sanctuary". It was one of the two primary temples, on the east bank, the other being Karnak. Unlike the other temples, in Thebes, Luxor temple is not dedicated to a cult god, or a deified version of the pharaoh, in death. Instead, Luxor temple is dedicated, to the rejuvenation of kingship; it may have been where, many of the pharaohs of Egypt, were crowned in reality or conceptually, (as in the case of Alexander the Great, who claimed he was crowned at Luxor, but may never have traveled south of Memphis, near modern Cairo).
To the rear of the temple, are chapels built by Amenhotep III, of the 18th Dynasty, and Alexander. Other parts of the temple, were built by Tutankhamun, and Ramesses II. During the Roman era, the temple and its surroundings, were a legionary fortress, and the home of the Roman government in the area. During the Roman period, a chapel inside the Luxor Temple, originally dedicated to the goddess Mut, was transformed into a Tetrarchy cult chapel, and later into a church.
The Luxor Temple, was built with sandstone, from the Gebel el-Silsila area, which is located in South-Western Egypt. This sandstone, is referred to as Nubian sandstone. It was used for the construction for monuments, in Upper Egypt, as well as in the course of past, and current restoration works.

Like other Egyptian structures, a common technique used was symbolism, or illusionism. For example, to the Egyptian, a sanctuary shaped like an Anubis jackal, was really Anubis. At the Luxor Temple, the two obelisks, flanking the entrance, were not the same height, but they created the illusion that they were. With the layout of the temple, they appear to be of equal height, but using illusionism, it enhances the relative distances, hence making them look the same size, to the wall behind it. Symbolically, it is a visual, and spatial effect to emphasize the heights, and distance from the wall, enhancing the already existing pathway.
Along with the other archeological sites in Thebes, the Luxor Temple, was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, in 1979.