Egypt celebrates the grand reopening of the 3,400-year-old Avenue of the Sphinxes in Luxor

On Thursday evening, Egypt commemorated the reopening of the historic Avenue of the Sphinxes, a 2.7-kilometer (1.7-mile) ancient road that links the Temple of Luxor with the Temple of Karnak in Luxor.

The celebration featured a reenactment of the Opet Festival, an annual ancient Egyptian festival that honored the Nile River and fertility, attended by the pharaohs.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was present at the event, which showcased a parade, an orchestra, and dancers in traditional pharaonic attire, reenacting scenes from the Opet Festival.

Known as the Road of the Rams, this ancient 3,400-year-old pathway was uncovered in the late 1940s, as reported by Reuters, with the discovery confirmed by Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Over centuries and across various Egyptian dynasties, the road was extended and enriched with additional structures, such as baths, washbasins, a pottery workshop, and wine storage areas, according to the ministry.

The site has seen extensive excavation and restoration work over the decades, and now boasts hundreds of sphinxes and ram-headed statues aligned along its route.

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has hailed the site as the “world's largest open-air museum,” emphasizing that the project's aim is to boost tourism in Luxor and showcase its rich archaeological heritage.

Tourism plays a vital role in Egypt's economy, providing jobs and generating revenue, though the industry faced significant challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic.