Avenue of Sphinxes

The Avenue of Sphinxes is an ancient processional way in Luxor, Egypt, that links the precincts of Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple on the Nile’s east bank. The avenue is lined with a sequence of sphinx and ram-headed sphinx (criosphinx) statues and was used for temple processions in pharaonic times.

The route extends for roughly 2.7 kilometres and is flanked by hundreds of carved statues placed in sequences by different rulers and during different periods. Much of the avenue was buried under town streets and flood deposits until archaeological clearance in recent decades revealed long stretches of the original route.

Construction, refurbishment and embellishment of the avenue took place over many periods from the New Kingdom through Ptolemaic and Roman times, reflecting successive pharaonic and later interventions. Modern excavation and conservation projects in the late 20th and early 21st centuries have exposed, conserved and in places reassembled sections of the path for study and visitation.

The avenue runs across the city of Luxor in the Luxor Governorate, linking the two temple complexes on the east bank of the Nile.

• Length and arrangement: Runs roughly 2.7 kilometres between the two temple precincts and is lined by hundreds of sphinx and criosphinx statues installed in different periods.
• Restoration and access: Excavation and restoration work in the 20th and 21st centuries exposed long stretches of the avenue; sections are now accessible to visitors walking between the temples.

What to See #

• Karnak approach: The Karnak end of the avenue aligns with the main processional approach to the Great Temple complex, where ram-headed criosphinxes and other statues mark the Karnak precinct.
• Luxor approach: The Luxor end meets the forecourt of Luxor Temple, forming the procession terminus where royal and ritual parades historically concluded near the temple entrance.