The Festival Hall of Thutmose III

The Festival Hall of Thutmose III is an ancient shrine in Luxor, Egypt, located at the heart of the Precinct of Amun-Re in the Karnak Temple Complex. The name is often translated as the most glorious of monuments, though it can also mean monument to living spirit. Originally built to celebrate the jubilee of the 18th Dynasty pharaoh Thutmose III, the building later became part of the annual Opet Festival.

The structure is decorated to echo a huge tent shrine, complete with awnings and tent poles. It is situated at the end of the Middle Kingdom court with its axis at right-angles to the main east - west axis of the temple. The building consists of three main parts: a suite of rooms dedicated to Sokar to the south-east, a solar complex to the north-east, and the festival hall itself. This central area is known as the Hry-ib, or that which is at the heart of it.

The only original entrance was in the south-west corner of the building. The walls contain the Botanical garden of Thutmose III. In a small room off of the main hall lies the Chamber of Ancestors, where a large inscription known as the Karnak king list shows Thutmose III making offerings to his 61 ancestors. The originals of these inscriptions were removed and are now located in the Louve Museum in Paris.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons