Alexander the Great becoming pharaoh of Egypt, as shown here praying to Amun at the Luxor Temple [OC] [1335×2000]

The Luxor Temple famously sits on the east bank of the Nile in Luxor, standing as a site where the pharaohs received divine authority and kingship. Since 3,400 years ago, the people here have set this temple as sacred, where heaven touched earth.

Even Alexander the Great, at only 24 years old, was crowed pharaoh of Egypt here, although most likely symbolically as history doesn’t show he made his way all the way down to Thebes. This is one of history’s smartest political moves, where Alexander in a sense said “I’m not just your conqueror, I’m your new god-king.” The Egyptians had been under Persian rule for 200 years, so they were actually happy to have him.

During the Roman period, this sacred space was converted to a Roman Temple, and later a church. Around 800 years ago, a mosque was constructed directly over the temple, still in use to this day! Luxor stands as a remarkable testament to how human are always trying to connect with the divine, making Luxor perhaps the oldest continuously used temple in the whole world.