The Avenue of the Sphinxes: The Sacred Way of Ancient Thebes
The Avenue of the Sphinxes, known in Arabic as Tareeq al-Kebbash and in ancient Egypt as Wat Netjer ("the Way of the God"), is one of the most grandiose infrastructural works ever conceived in the history of ancient humanity. This monumental processional road, about 2.7 kilometres long, connected the two most important temples of ancient Thebes — the complex of Karnak in the north and the Temple of Luxor in the south — through an avenue flanked by over 1,350 statues of sphinxes arranged in orderly rows on both sides.
After decades of archaeological excavations and a colossal restoration project, the Avenue of the Sphinxes was reopened to the public in November 2021 with a spectacular ceremony that captured the attention of the entire world. Today, strolling along this millennial sacred way is an experience that allows one to relive the atmosphere of the great religious processions of ancient Egypt, when thousands of people gathered along the route to witness the passage of the sacred barques of the gods.
History of the Processional Way
The Origins in the New Kingdom
The origins of the Avenue of the Sphinxes date back to the New Kingdom, around the 15th century BC, when Queen Hatshepsut of the 18th dynasty had six way stations built along the processional route between Karnak and Luxor. These stations were small sanctuaries where the sacred barques could be temporarily deposited during the processions, allowing the priests to rest and the people to pay homage to the deities.
However, it was the pharaoh Amenhotep III who conceived the project of a monumental avenue flanked by sphinxes, beginning the construction of the southern section with human-headed sphinxes (androsphinxes) that led to the Temple of Luxor. The sphinxes of this section present the idealised face of the pharaoh himself, with the traditional nemes headdress and the sacred cobra (uraeus) on the forehead.
The Completion under Nectanebo I
The project reached its definitive form under the pharaoh Nectanebo I of the 30th dynasty, around 380 BC, who completed and standardised the entire route. Nectanebo I had hundreds of new sphinxes added and restored the existing ones, creating a continuous and magnificent avenue that crossed the entire city of Thebes. The northern section, near Karnak, was flanked by criosphinxes with the head of a ram, the animal sacred to the god Amun, while the southern section presented the human-faced androsphinxes.
Each sphinx was carved in a single block of sandstone and positioned on a pedestal also of stone. The statues were originally painted with vivid colours — the body of the lion in ochre yellow, the mane or the headdress in blue and red — and the avenue itself was paved in stone, with trees and gardens that delimited its edges.
The Festival of Opet
The Avenue of the Sphinxes was the main stage of the Festival of Opet, the most important religious celebration of ancient Thebes. This festival, which lasted from eleven to twenty-seven days depending on the historical period, took place annually during the second month of the Inundation season (approximately August-September) and celebrated the renewal of the divine power of the pharaoh.
During the procession, the sacred statues of Amun-Ra, Mut and Khonsu — the divine triad of Thebes — were removed from their sanctuaries in the Temple of Karnak, placed on gilded ceremonial barques and transported along the Avenue of the Sphinxes to the Temple of Luxor. The route could take place by land, with the priests carrying the barques on their shoulders along the avenue, or by river, with the sacred barques towed by boats along the Nile. The choice between the two modalities varied according to the historical period and the preferences of the reigning pharaoh.
The population of Thebes participated en masse in the celebration: music, dances, songs and offerings of food and drink accompanied the procession along the entire route. It was a moment of collective jubilation in which the barriers between the sacred world and the profane one temporarily dissolved.
The Disappearance and the Rediscovery
Centuries of Oblivion
With the decline of Egyptian civilisation and the advent of Christianity and Islam, the Avenue of the Sphinxes was gradually forgotten. The city of Luxor grew over the ruins of ancient Thebes, and the avenue was buried under streets, houses, shops, mosques and churches built over the centuries. Many sphinxes were destroyed or reused as building material, and for hundreds of years their existence was known only through the ancient written sources.
The Archaeological Excavations
The rediscovery of the Avenue of the Sphinxes began in 1949, when the Egyptian Egyptologist Mohamed Zakaria Ghoneim discovered eight ram-headed sphinxes near the tenth pylon of the Temple of Karnak. In the following years, other archaeologists brought to light sections of the avenue at various points along the route, confirming the existence of the processional way described in the ancient sources.
However, it was only in the 2000s that the Egyptian government decided to undertake a systematic project of excavation and restoration of the entire avenue. The operation required the demolition of hundreds of modern buildings constructed over the ruins, the relocation of thousands of residents and a massive work of excavation that brought to light hundreds of buried sphinxes, together with numerous archaeological finds of great importance.
The Reopening of 2021
On 25 November 2021, the Avenue of the Sphinxes was officially reopened to the public with a grandiose ceremony named "The Road of the Pharaohs". The event, broadcast live on television all over the world, included a procession that recreated the ancient Festival of Opet, with actors in pharaonic costumes, ceremonial chariots, music inspired by ancient Egypt and a fireworks display that illuminated the sky of Luxor.
The reopening of the avenue represented a historic moment not only for Egyptology, but for the entire Egyptian nation, which saw in this project a symbol of cultural rebirth and national pride. The restoration allowed for the first time in over two thousand years to travel the entire journey from Karnak to Luxor along the sacred way of the ancient Egyptians.
The Sphinxes: Typologies and Characteristics
The Criosphinxes (Ram-Headed Sphinxes)
The sphinxes of the northern section of the avenue, between the Temple of Karnak and the Temple of Mut, present the body of a lion with the head of a ram, the animal sacred to the god Amun-Ra. Between the front paws of each ram-headed sphinx is a small statue of the pharaoh in an erect position, protected by the divine embrace of the ram. These sphinxes represent the divine protection that Amun offered to the pharaoh and to the entire world.
The Androsphinxes (Human-Headed Sphinxes)
The southern section of the avenue presents sphinxes with the body of a lion and a human head, with the traditional nemes headdress and the idealised face of the pharaoh. These statues, of slightly smaller dimensions compared to the criosphinxes, present a serene and majestic expression that embodies the Egyptian ideal of divine royalty. The leonine body symbolised strength and power, while the human face represented the intelligence and the wisdom of the sovereign.
Architecture and Route
The Structure of the Avenue
The avenue extends for about 2,700 metres in a north-south direction, with an average width of about 76 metres between the rows of sphinxes on each side. The sphinxes are arranged at regular intervals of about 3-4 metres from one another, creating an imposing and solemn ceremonial corridor. Along the route were the way stations built by Queen Hatshepsut, some of which have been brought to light during the excavations.
The route crosses what was once the sacred city of Thebes, passing alongside numerous archaeological remains discovered during the excavations, including foundations of ancient buildings, fragments of statues and ceramics, and traces of gardens and canals that once adorned the processional way.
Tips for the Visit
How to Walk the Avenue
The Avenue of the Sphinxes can be walked in both directions, from Karnak towards the Temple of Luxor or vice versa. It is advisable to start from the Temple of Karnak and walk towards the south, concluding the walk at the Temple of Luxor, where it is possible to enjoy the evening illumination of the temple. The walk takes about 30-45 minutes without stops, but it is advisable to dedicate at least an hour and a half to admire the sphinxes, read the information along the route and take photographs.
Hours and Best Conditions
The avenue is particularly evocative in the hours of the late afternoon and the evening, when the artificial illumination creates an evocative atmosphere that recalls the ancient torchlit processions. During the summer months, it is advisable to avoid the central hours of the day due to the intense heat. Bring water, a hat and sun protection.
Photographic Suggestions
The best points for photographs are found in the sections where the sphinxes are best preserved, in particular near the Temple of Karnak (criosphinxes) and in the central section of the avenue. At sunset, the golden light illuminates the sphinxes creating spectacular contrasts. In the evening, the artificial illumination offers unique photographic opportunities.
Combining the Visit
The Avenue of the Sphinxes is the natural connection between the two main attractions of the eastern bank of Luxor. It is advisable to plan a half day dedicated to the visit of Karnak in the morning, followed by the walk along the avenue in the afternoon and the visit to the Temple of Luxor at sunset. Alternatively, the avenue can be walked as an independent evening stroll after dinner, a romantic and evocative experience.
Curiosities about the Avenue of the Sphinxes
The total number of sphinxes originally present along the avenue is estimated at over 1,350, of which about 900 have been found during the excavations. Some sphinxes present inscriptions and graffiti left by ancient visitors, including Roman soldiers and Christian pilgrims, testimonies of the many cultures that have crossed this sacred place over the millennia.
The restoration project required the demolition of over 600 modern buildings and the relocation of about 1,000 families, making the operation one of the largest interventions of urban archaeology ever realised. Despite the controversies linked to the demolitions, the final result has returned to the world one of the most extraordinary works of antiquity, a monument that allows the visitors of today to literally walk in the footsteps of the pharaohs.
