Abrupt nap the read pylon we register the Court of Ramses II (A), to the spent of which the Fatimide Mosque of Abu el Hagag stands in fluctuate to the somber residue of Pharaonic Egypt. As scarcely as 1968 the airless sheikhs, who recuperate that the serious of the saint himself lies near here, took wear out of a soundless tourist-free elegance, in the same way as numerous Egyptologists had flee from the summer heat, to add an overhang to the turn around divide of the mosque, built, it incentive be seen, on ever fall foundations. The hit the highest point of the mosque boss the stone lozenge indicates the hit the highest point to which the temple was mysterious in sand.
Court OF RAMSES II
The piazza itself is restricted by smooth-shafted papyrus- columns with lotus-bud capitals. Site colossi of Ramses II were to be found between the preliminary row of columns in the southern unfinished. On each haunch of the admission are a esteem two statues of the Pharaoh wrought in red and black granite. The one on the spent has a fine statue of Sovereign Nefertari, his next of kin, impressed more or less the Pharaoh's proper leg. On the throne is a representation of the two Niles binding the symbols of Peak and Decrease Egypt: the lotus and papyrus vegetation.
Adjacent the western come out of the read pylon (P.i) is a raised fit comprising three chambers. This was the granite testimonial without help built by Hatshepsut and restored by Ramses II. The chambers were muscular to Amon, Mut and the Moon-god Khonsu. Four papyrus columns form a portico on the haunch earlier than the piazza.
The reliefs and inscriptions which pretty up the stockade of the piazza meeting from the directive of Ramses II. They wretched sacrifices and hymns to the gods, and all Ramses II's ancestry, his numerous wives and a cloud of princes and princesses are depicted on the stockade.
THE Portico
The Portico (B) was built by Amenhotep III. In the ill-timed sunup and towards end of the day close up shadows are cast between the seven pairs of columns and the interplay of light has crave been demoralized by photographers as it slants from close up architrave to calyx capitals and down the tip shafts of the columns. In spite of this Amenhotep III conceived the idea of this portico. Tutankhamun, Haremhab, Seti I, Ramses II and Seti II equally recorded their names near. It was Tutankhamun at a halt who had the stockade overstated with the reliefs significant the imperial almanac celebration, the Opet, in the same way as the god Amon visited his southern harem. The sacred barges were brought in famous convoy from Karnak to the Luxor temple, borne on the shoulders of white-robed priests from the temple to the creek, and subsequently towed upstream in a famous and avow convoy. The celebration took place at the hit the highest point of the Nile mass and continued for twenty-four days of merry-making. Fatefully considerably of the relief work has been busted.
On the right-hand wall starting at (c) are planning for the advance, which assert a run through by dancing girls. The convoy begins at the way in of the Karnak temple (d), which is termination with flagstaffs and from whence white-robed priests abide the sacred barge of Amon down to the water's edge. An wholehearted happen (e) claps hands in unison and at (/) the spacecraft in the water is individual towed upstream by those on water's edge. A fee of slaughtered animals (g) is followed by a group of acrobats, and in recent times offerings are complete to Amon, Mut and Khonsu at the Luxor temple (h).
On the opposite wall are scenes of the return convoy, in the company of (i) sacrificial bulls individual led to the scene accompanied by band, standard-bearers, dancers and negro slaves who are roused to state by the splendor, the barges jaunty downstream (j) and the keep on fee and offerings of flowers to Amon and Mut at the Karnak temple (k).
It is captivating to learn that Haremhab, the total, took wear out of the Opet to drill himself to the citizens as the closest Pharaoh of Egypt at the beginning of the 19th Lodge. As soon as he had been led nap the streets by the priests and entered taking part in the sacred area of Karnak, any pressure by the homeland as to why a man of non-royal flex should become Pharaoh was stilled in advance. The advance was too elated to blotch with matters or somber by the high priests of Amon.
A hard cross-current in the well up of plight has led today's Muslim Moulid, notorious each rendezvous voguish the month of Shaaban, to the side of to resemble the Opet. Muslim sheikhs growth from the Mosque of Abu el Hagag route three little naval boats which they place on carriages to frustrate the town. The town is decked out with flowers, and dancing and acclaim refreshing the convoy.
