Egypt, circa 1870

by Antonio Beato

The Luxor Temple, located in the ancient city of Thebes (currently called Luxor), was started in roughly 1400 BC by Pharaoh Amenhotep III to pay homage to the Gods referred to as the Thebian Triad: Amon (one of the sun Gods), Mut (Amon’s wife) and Khonsu (their son). Taken by the Italian photographer Antonio Beato, well known for his architecture and landscapes of Egypt, this 19th century image shows the splendor of this grand Temple reflected on the calm waters of the Nile and was presumably sold to tourists out of the photographers studio (which, interestingly, is the leftmost building in this picture).