The mosque of Sufi Shaykh Yusuf Abu al-Hajjaj

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The mosque of Sufi Shaykh Yusuf Abu al-Hajjaj and the temple

Al-Uqsur, in Arabic or Luxor meaning the Palaces was a small Nile village famous only for the annual festival with which it celebrated the renowned 13th-ccntury Sufi Shaykh Ynsuf Abu al-Hajjaj.

The mosque of Sufi Shaykh Yusuf Abu al-Hajjaj

The mosque of Sufi Shaykh Yusuf Abu al-Hajjaj

In the early 19th century, however, French archaeologists discovered that the village indeed deserved its name. Beneath the mosque that was built around Shaykh Yusuf's tomb, a vast temple lay buried.

As the temple was excavated the mosque was left intact and is still in use today. Therefore, from ancient times, through the Christian period and into the present this patch of earth has been a place of devout worship.

View Luxor with your mouse or click on the text links below.

Temple of Luxor showing the Avenue of Sphinxes.

1. Great pylon of Ramses II

2. Great court of Ramses II, which includes a shrine to Thutmose III.

3. Mosque of Sufi Shaykh Yusuf Abu al-Hajjaj

4. Pylon and colonnade of Amonhotep III.

5. Court of Amonhotep III

6. Hypostyle hall

7. Chapel of Alexander the Great.

8. Holy of Holies - Sanctuary

Discovering Egypt Newsletter

During the New Kingdom the Opet Festival, was one of the most important annual festivals the people received free bread and beer and the celebrations lasted for 27 days.