Memnon Colossi, Medinet Habu & Hatshepsut Temple

The temple of Medinet Habu

The Memnon Colossi are two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, which stand at the front of the completely ruined mortuary temple of Amenhotep III, once the largest temple in the Theban necropolis. They have stood on the road leading to the Valley of the Kings since 1350 BC and are 18 meters tall. The two statues contain 107 inscriptions from the Roman period in Greek and Latin, which are dated to between 20 and 250 AD. Many of these inscriptions on the northern statue refer to the Greek mythological king Memnon, whom the statue was - incorrectly - supposed to represent at the time.

Medinet Habu is the name of an area that is part of the necropolis of Thebes-West and is largely associated with the mortuary temple of Ramses III. In addition to the main temple, the 7,000 m² complex also contains a temple of Amun, the burial chapels of Amun's wives from the 23rd to 26th dynasties and a sacred lake. The mortuary temple of Ramses III has a length of approx. 150 meters and was built in the 12th century BC. Among other things, it is known for its unique relief depictions of the victory of Ramses III over the Sea Peoples.

The mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, also known as Deir el Bahari, is located directly beneath massive rocks near the west bank of the Nile and is dedicated to the sun god Amon-Ra. Built entirely of limestone in the 13th dynasty, the rock-cut temple is architecturally unique as it was designed in the style of classical architecture with its long columned hall, pylons, and courtyards. Located in the interior, we find the sun-courtyard, the chapel, and the sanctuary. The temple's reliefs depict, among others, the story of the divine birth of Hatshepsut and trading expeditions to the land of Punt.

The rock-cut temple of Hatshepsut

Related tours

The following cultural tours include this excursion.

Luxor in the path of the solar eclipse

One week in Luxor with solar eclipse and sightseeing program

Cairo & Luxor with solar eclipse

One week in Egypt with sightseeing in Cairo and Luxor incl. solar eclipse

Aswan & Luxor with solar eclipse

One week in Upper Egypt with sightseeing in Aswan and Luxor incl. solar eclipse

Contact us

Tell us about the trip of your dreams using our contact form

or by email: