Grand Gateway of the Temple of Luxor 1862

At the time of the Prince’s visit, excavations were still ongoing at Luxor Temple. Today the statues standing at the main entrance are visible down to their feet. The temple was abandoned in the 3rd century AD and over time, became buried under silt and earth. A village and mosque were constructed on the site. While the village was removed in the 19th century, the mosque still remains to this day. Its minaret is visible in the photograph. The photograph is signed, captioned and dated in the negative, ‘F Bedford Luxor’. The number in the Day & Son series is 45.