Avenue of Sphinxes between Karnak and Luxor Temples. Luxor, Egypt

"Visitors approaching Luxor Temple can travel a short way along an ancient road that originally extended about 1,5 miles from the north. Paved with stone and flanked by human-headed sphinxes, this ceremonial avenue linked Karnak and Luxor temples and now leads to the huge double towers of the pylon of Ramesses II." [Byron E. Shafer, 1997: Temples of Ancient Egypt, Cornell University Press]. During his trip to Egypt, Elisofon visited Luxor (Al Uqsur) on the site of ancient Thebes (capital of the New Kingdom). It is noted for having ruins of many temples and burial grounds. When Thebes declined, Luxor remained the more heavily populated part of the ancient city and grew into a modern market town. [The J. P. Getty Fund: Thesaurus of Geographical Names]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for American Institute of Architects, directing the Egyptian portion of the documentary on Ancient Egypt, March 1965 and September 1965.