Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III

 Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III temple, located in the West Bank of Luxor in Egypt, holds great significance as an important New Kingdom period structure and is renowned for its size, architecture, and artistic depictions.

One of the most notable features of this mortuary temple is its depiction of the advent and defeat of the Sea Peoples during Ramesses III's reign. These inscribed reliefs have provided valuable historical information about this event.

The temple was first described by Vivant Denon in 1799-1801 and later by Jean-François Champollion in 1829. Excavation work began sporadically between 1859 and 1899 under the Department of Antiquities but unfortunately resulted in destruction without proper documentation.

Since then, excavation, recording, and conservation efforts have been continuously carried out since 1924 by the University of Chicago Oriental Institute's Architectural and Epigraphic Surveys. The main temple measures approximately 150 meters long with a precinct spanning over 210 meters by 300 meters. The walls are well-preserved within a massive mudbrick enclosure that may have been fortified.

The entrance to the temple is through a fortified gate-house known as migdol which leads into an open courtyard lined with colossal statues depicting Ramesses III as Osiris on one side and uncarved columns on another. Further inside lies chapels dedicated to Amenirdis I, Shepenupet II, and Nitiqret - all Divine Adoratrices of Amun.

Passing through two pylons leads into a peristyle hall featuring columns shaped like Ramesses III himself before reaching a large hypostyle hall with lost roof where foreign captives' heads were found placed - possibly symbolizing his control over Syria and Nubia.

In addition to these features, the temple also contained a church during the Greco-Roman and Byzantine period which has since been removed. Some of the carvings on the main wall have been altered to include Christian symbols.

Lastly, it is worth noting that there is a minor king list found in this temple depicting nine pharaohs celebrating the festival of Min. This can be seen on the upper register of the eastern wall in the second courtyard.

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