The temple of Luxor is located at 3km south from Karnak and was joined to that by a long stone-paved dromos, a drome and a processional avenue, flanked by sphinxes with rams heads that the XXX Cynasty replaced with sphinxes with human heads.

The construction was basically commissioned by Amenhotep III who started it in the XIV century B.C. and Ramses II who completed it adding the porticoed courtyard with its axis moved eastwards.

The first pylon was erected by Ramesses II and is 65m heigh. In ancient times the pylon was preceded by two obelisks, two seated colossi and two pair of standing colossi. Today only the left obelisk is still standing. The other was taken to Paris in 1833 and placed in Place de la Concorde on the 25th October 1836. The temple is the typical style of New Kingdom temples.

The south end of the Temple of Luxor was an addition constructed by Ramesses II during the XIX dynasty. The great court is surrounded with well proportioned papyrus bud capital columns. Reliefs cover the interior walls. Within the court can be seen the tip of the minaret of the mosque of Abu'l Haggag.

The chapel inside the Sanctuary of the Sacred was rebuilt by Alexander the Great and bears his reliefs, while the chamber walls bear the reliefs of Amenhotep II.