All language subtitles for Unearthed.2016.S11E05.1080p.WEB.h264-CBFM_track3_[eng]

NARRATOR: The ruins of two
colossal temples in Egypt,

Karnak,

and Luxor.

Connecting them is an ancient
road flanked by mythical beasts.

This is
the Avenue of Sphinxes.

It's remarkable
these ancient structures

have stood
for thousands of years.

NARRATOR:
The route is used by

the most powerful pharaohs
of ancient Egypt.

The avenue lies buried
beneath the sands

for thousands of years.

Now, a vast restoration
project is returning

this lost wonder
to its ancient glory.

Today, we are bringing
the Sphinx back to life.

Nobody has seen it like this
over thousands of years.

NARRATOR: Our cameras have
unique access to follow experts

as they decipher ancient
messages from the temple ruins.

Despite centuries
of investigations,

there are still many secrets.

NARRATOR:
What is the purpose of

this extraordinary construction,

and who are the ancient rulers
who build it?

To solve these mysteries,

we blow away
the sands of time

and unearth
this mighty structure.

We explore sacred chambers
of ancient ruins...

and digitally reconstruct
the avenue in all its splendor,

to decode the secrets of
the Lost Sphinxes.

Luxor.

This modern metropolis
is home to

the sprawling remains of
an ancient city,

the Egyptian capital Thebes.

Thebes is where
the pharaohs show off

their power by building
their grandest structures.

NARRATOR: In the center
of the city are

the two largest temples
in all of Egypt...

Karnak and Luxor.

Together, they cover an area
the size of 60 football fields.

In the 1950s,

archaeologists make
an incredible

discovery outside
the entrance of Karnak.

Buried beneath the sand,

they unearth a road made
of sandstone,

and on either side,
colossal statues of sphinxes.

Over 1200 of these mythological
creatures once line

the entire length of this
1.5-mile avenue.

The route connects Karnak
with another sacred temple

complex, Luxor.

What can these temples
and this

extraordinary avenue reveal
about ancient Egypt?

In 2021,

after a 70-year
reconstruction project

that cost more than
$30 million,

the biggest restoration
endeavor in Egyptian history,

the Avenue of Sphinxes is
finally open to investigators.

A grand ceremony
is held in Luxor

to celebrate the resurrection
of this ancient marvel.

Meredith Brand is
on a mission to uncover

the secret purpose of
the Avenue of Sphinxes.

MEREDITH:
This avenue is massive.

It's on a scale unlike
anything in ancient Egypt.

NARRATOR: Meredith starts her
investigation at the southern

end of the Avenue
at Luxor Temple.

Luxor Temple is the seat of
the Pharaoh's divine power,

and it's a great place to
start to look for clues.

NARRATOR: Meredith ventures
through the temple gateway

and into a vast columned room
called the Colonnade Hall.

It is decorated with
the statues of

powerful Pharaohs.

This statue shows
the young King Tutankhamun.

Based on the facial features,

it looks like
the boy king himself.

NARRATOR: Luxor Temple is
where the rulers of the most

powerful dynasties of ancient
Egypt are crowned as Pharaohs.

MEREDITH: Tutankhamun reigns
for only nine years,

in an era called
the New Kingdom.

This was a golden age for
ancient Egypt, and it

was a particular moment of
prosperity and glory

for Thebes.

NARRATOR: Luxor Temple
and the Avenue of Sphinxes are

vitally important
to the Pharaohs

of New Kingdom Egypt.

More clues about the avenue
could lie on

the lavishly decorated walls
of the Colonnade Hall

in the temple.

They are covered in reliefs of
exquisite detail.

Meredith inspects the images
and ancient inscriptions.

MEREDITH: These
are fantastic carvings.

They paint
a scene of lively joy.

There's singers and drummers,
all kinds of musicians,

dancers and acrobats and piles
and piles of food.

This shows some kind of
massive celebration,

and it must have been
so important that

the Pharaoh wants
to immortalize it in stone,

in a temple.

NARRATOR: These beautiful
reliefs suggest the temple

and the Avenue of Sphinxes
host a spectacular event.

Meredith searches for
clues that

could reveal who creates
this relief.

MEREDITH:
This is a cartouche.

It's an ancient Egyptian
symbol that provides protection

for whatever
is written inside.

This cartouche above me
seems to be from a king

named Horemheb,

but the closer I look,
something unusual is happening,

and it seems like this
cartouche has been altered.

NARRATOR:
The Pharaohs of ancient Egypt

are obsessed with power
and legacy,

sometimes to the detriment of
the rulers who came before.

Meredith identifies
other cartouches,

which also appear
to have been changed.

She examines high-definition
images of them.

MEREDITH:
It has the name Tutankhamun,

but something's happening.

Another Pharaoh comes
and inserts his hieroglyphs

into the name
of Tutankhamun.

What's happening
in this image is

the same thing that's
happening in Luxor Temple.

What this shows is that
the images in this temple

: of the grand celebration are
actually made by Tutankhamun.

NARRATOR: Tutankhamun's
short reign means that only

a few of his works survive.

Evidence that he creates
these reliefs and celebrates

a huge event on the Avenue of
Sphinxes is remarkable.

There must be
a reason why Tutankhamun

wants to immortalize
the celebration in stone.

NARRATOR: Tutankhamun constructs
a majestic relief in

honor of
this grand celebration.

Horemheb,
a Pharaoh who follows him,

claims the work as his own.

Meredith wants
to know who or what

is at the heart of
the celebration

and this magnificent
sacred complex.

She makes her way
through Luxor Temple

to the Avenue of
Sphinxes itself.

The Sphinx is
the ancient Egyptians'

ultimate symbol of strength
and protection.

The most famous,
the Great Sphinx, guards

the pyramid tombs
and temples of Giza.

I'm on a path, and it's lined
on both sides by Sphinx.

And when I look at them,
they're a bit different.

They're not your
average Sphinx.

This one has the body of
a lion and the head of a ram.

This Sphinx makes me think
that this area is

set apart as a route of
a sacred space.

NARRATOR: The Sphinxes on the
avenue protect the ceremonial

route between the temples
of Karnak and Luxor

and make it a sacred place.

This is remarkable.

These hieroglyphs
tell me exactly

what's going on
with the Sphinx.

It reads Amun Ra,
king of the gods.

Amun Ra
is the god of Luxor.

He's the god
of Karnak Temple.

The name Amun is on every
single one of these Sphinx,

and it tells me that
this area is for Amun.

Amun is central to what's
happening on this path.

NARRATOR: Meredith makes her way
more than a mile

along the avenue
to its northern end,

the colossal
temple complex of Karnak.

MEREDITH: Karnak Temple is
where the pharaohs demonstrate

their power by building
the grandest structures.

NARRATOR:
Thousands of years ago,

Karnak Temple is a marvel of
the ancient world.

It spans over 250 acres,
and is filled

with chapels dedicated to
the gods of ancient Egypt.

In the heart of the complex is
the temple's most sacred shrine,

the Holy of Holies.

A solid gold statue
of the god Amun

is housed within
this inner sanctum.

His crown is topped with
two feathers and a sun disc.

Who is this mighty deity?

And why is he worshiped
at Karnak

and on the Avenue of Sphinxes?

Meredith
makes her way through

the vast temple
to the inner sanctuary.

MEREDITH: This is where
there was a golden statue

of the god, Amun.

And the ancient Egyptians
believed that Amun himself in

the form of a spirit lived
inside of the statue.

The only people
allowed in this space

were the king
and the high priest.

This is the most sacred
location in Karnak Temple.

NARRATOR: Meredith investigates
the sanctuary exterior for

more evidence of
the mysterious god.

This is Amun.

I know it's Amun because of
his unique headdress.

He has a crown
with two feathered plumes

sticking out of it.

And I see this image of
Amun all

over the walls of the temple
of Karnak.

It seems that almost every New
Kingdom Pharaoh came here

and built a temple or
a building dedicated to the god.

NARRATOR: Amun is the mightiest
of all the gods.

He rises to power
in Egypt's New Kingdom,

from the 16th to the 11th
century BCE,

the time of Tutankhamun.

Looking at the statue,
I notice something else.

It actually has the facial
features

of the young boy king,
Tutankhamun,

So this statue is
King Tutankhamun

as the god, Amun.

He would want to do this,
because if the king shows

himself as the god,

it links Amun and the king --
the king gets the benefit of

the power, protection,
and divinity of Amun.

NARRATOR: Amun's rise to power
as the undisputed king of

the gods coincides with
the rise of Thebes itself.

The royal capital
moves nearly 500 miles

south from Memphis
to Thebes

in the 21st century BCE.

Pharaohs make Amun the supreme
god of the Egyptian pantheon

and merge him
with the sun god, Ra.

Amun is the creator of
the universe

and is associated
with fertility

and the force of the wind.

Karnak Temple
becomes the center of a cult

dedicated to Amun,

and Pharaohs construct temples
to show their

affiliation with the new king
of the gods.

A grand avenue guarded by
elaborate Sphinxes is the focal

point of a celebration of
Thebes' most powerful god,

Amun.

MEREDITH: This is the site of
more than just a celebration.

It's a festival vital
for the king

of the gods, Amun,
and the Pharaoh himself.

NARRATOR: What could be
so vital to the god, Amun,

and the Pharaohs of
the New Kingdom?

Could clues lie in a restored
chapel in the ruins of Thebes?

NARRATOR: The Avenue
of Sphinxes in Luxor,

a monumental road
at the heart of

the ancient Egyptian capital,
Thebes.

Meredith Brand is on a mission
to uncover the secrets

of the avenue
and a mysterious celebration

that takes place here.

Statues of Amun at Karnak

suggest he is at the center of
the celebrations,

and throughout the complex are
ruins that hold further clues.

Archaeologists excavate Karnak

and discover fragments of

a mysterious structure
scattered across the site.

They piece them together
and reveal it is once

a sacred chapel dedicated
to the god of Thebes, Amun.

A plinth stands in
the center of the chapel.

A gold-painted wooden boat is

placed on top during
ritual celebrations.

It holds a solid golden statue
of Amun.

Who builds this
elaborate shrine?

And what can it reveal
about the celebration

on the Avenue of Sphinxes?

Modern engineers
use the original

fragments to painstakingly
rebuild the chapel.

Meredith ventures inside to
examine the surviving evidence.

This cartouche holds the clue
as to who built this chapel.

It says
[speaking ancient Egyptian]

Amun, Hatshepsut.

This cartouche belongs to
Hatshepsut,

a female king.

She was around
the 1400s BC,

a powerful Pharaoh of Egypt,
and this is her chapel to

the god, Amun.

NARRATOR: Hatshepsut

constructs six chapels
like this one

along the route of
the Avenue of Sphinxes.

Meredith examines the chapel
exterior for clues about

what happens during
the celebration on the avenue.

Oh, look at that image!

It's fantastic!

There's these dancers
doing back flips

and acrobats and a musician
with a harp.

The whole procession seems
lively, fun entertainment.

It kind of reminds me of
the image at Luxor Temple.

NARRATOR: A procession
depicted at Luxor

is celebrated
on the avenue, too.

Meredith searches
for more reliefs

that could reveal further
clues about this grand event.

MEREDITH:
This scene is important.

It shows the king, who is
behind a procession of priests,

walking on a road or avenue,

carrying a barque of Amun.

NARRATOR:
The barque is a sacred vessel

and a key feature of ancient
Egyptian rituals.

The relief reveals
the statue and barque

are a vital part
of a ritual procession.

They're moving forward towards
a building that's like

a waystation or a stopping
point in the procession.

And inside is
the barque, and outside,

there is the king,
offering incense

and doing rituals
at this waystation.

So this shows an entire
ritual scene on an avenue

with key points of rest for
the barque and ritual practice.

NARRATOR:
The procession rests

at the six shrines
built by Hatshepsut.

Priests perform rituals
in honor of

the god Amun
in each shrine.

Here it is -- the key.

It says
[speaking Ancient Egyptian],

"his beautiful
festival of Opet."

That's the name
of the festival.

This is the Opet Festival.

NARRATOR: Meredith wants
to know if the Opet

Festival is just about
honoring Amun.

She examines the structure of
the chapel for clues.

Oh, this is fascinating!

The entire bottom
of this chapel is built

with this black diorite stone --
to the ancient Egyptians,

black represented the fertile
Nile soil after the flood.

It was the source of life to
the ancient Egyptians, and

ancient Egyptian kings
were concerned with rebirth,

renewal, and regeneration.

Fertility was their main
earthly and spiritual goal.

NARRATOR: The black stone
reveals the importance of

the annual Nile flood
to the festival

on the Avenue of Sphinxes.

The Nile Valley is inundated
every year by monsoon rains.

Millions of gallons of water
pour into the river.

Priests monitor the river's
depth in special structures

called Nilometers

and forecast the annual flood
and the size of the harvest.

The monsoon rainwater
overflows the Nile's banks

and leaves behind
a rich layer of silt.

Farmers plant their crops in
this nutrient-rich soil

and grow the food that powers
Egyptian civilization.

MEREDITH: The symbolism of
the black stone is clear.

The Opet Festival is
about the Nile inundation.

Everybody in ancient Egypt was
concerned about the flood

of the Nile, from the king to
the commoner.

NARRATOR: The Opet Festival is
a grand celebration

to honor the mighty Amun.

Ancient Egyptians believe

the ceremony ensures
the annual flood.

It is the Nile flood that
allows all life

in Egypt to thrive.

The avenue
and the temples are

used for this ritual
for 1,000 years.

But who builds
the Avenue of Sphinxes?

Could clues be found on
the mythical beasts themselves?

NARRATOR:
Luxor, Egypt.

The huge Avenue of Sphinxes
is the site

of a grand religious festival
dedicated to god, Amun.

MEREDITH: The Avenue of
the Sphinx is central to

the power of the pharaoh,

and it's a marvel
of ancient engineering

and infrastructure.

NARRATOR: The resources
of ancient Egypt are

poured into this vast
construction project.

But the name
of the Pharaoh who

first builds it
is shrouded in mystery.

Clues could lie in the design
of the Sphinxes themselves.

The Karnak end
of the avenue

features more than 100
exquisitely carved Criosphinxes.

They have the body of
a resting lion,

the head of a ram,

and a statue of a Pharaoh
between the paws.

The Luxor end of the avenue

has hundreds of Androsphinxes.

They also have
the body of a lion,

but each has
the same human head,

and they sit on a platform
covered in hieroglyphs.

Could these human-headed
Sphinxes shed

light on who builds
the avenue?

The Great Sphinx of Giza,
300 miles north of Luxor,

also features the face of
the Pharaoh who builds it.

He is believed
to be the Khafre.

It could be that
the faces on the Sphinx

here might be evidence of
the builder of the avenue.

Meredith searches for clues
at the avenue's southern end.

MEREDITH: This is the Sphinx
of Luxor Temple.

And when I look at it closer,
it's got the royal headdress,

a cobra from its brow,
and a big false beard.

Those are all
hallmarks of kingship.

So this clearly is
the face of a pharaoh.

NARRATOR: Meredith examines
the base of one

of the Sphinxes
for more clues.

Here it is -- this is
the clue I'm looking for.

This is the name of
the pharaoh who builds

the entirety of
all the Sphinx

I see here, and it says,
[speaking ancient Egyptian].

That's Nectanebo the First.

He's the first king of
the last great Egyptian dynasty,

and his plans,

his grand design for Karnak
and Luxor, shape what we call

the Avenue of Sphinx today.

NARRATOR: Nectanebo
is a powerful

and ambitious
military commander.

In 380 BCE, he overthrows
the reigning Pharaoh

in a military coup
and proclaims himself as ruler.

He is the last Pharaoh to
build at the Avenue of Sphinx.

MEREDITH: His plans
and initiatives between Luxor

and Karnak, his design,
last to this day.

NARRATOR: Meredith ventures
deep into Luxor Temple to find

out who is the first Pharaoh
to build here.

This is Amenhotep the Third.

His name is right up
there -- Nebmaatre.

And he has a cobra
on his brow,

a sign of kingship.

NARRATOR: Amenhotep is
the grandfather of Tutankhamun.

His reign begins
in around 1390 BCE,

over 1000 years before
Nectanebo the First.

Amenhotep the Third shapes
the Theban infrastructure

with his monuments,

and he's instrumental
to constructing

the Avenue of the Sphinx.

But Hatshepsut's cartouche in
the Red Chapel of Karnak

proves that the construction

of the avenue goes even
further back than Amenhotep.

It is Hatshepsut
who first builds

the processional road in
the 15th century BCE.

She constructs human-headed
Sphinxes in her own likeness.

Decades later, Amenhotep
the Third expands the avenue

and connects it to another
temple complex.

Amenhotep's grandson,
Tutankhamun, picks

up the project once again
and expands it.

One thousand years
after the boy king,

Nectanebo the First
adds the human-headed

Sphinxes that flank
the entrance to Luxor Temple.

MEREDITH:
The Avenue of the Sphinx is

a vast construction project
spanning generations

of Pharaohs
over 1,000 years.

NARRATOR:
Ancient engineers craft

the Sphinx with extraordinary
detail and precision.

Can modern engineers resurrect
these ancient masterpieces?

NARRATOR:
Luxor, Egypt.

The restored ruins of
the Avenue of Sphinxes

runs through the center of
the ancient city.

The avenue lies
buried for thousands

of years beneath
the desert sands.

Restorers begin
the task of uncovering

the avenue
over 70 years ago.

MOSTAFA: This project is
considered to be one of

the biggest restoration
projects all over

the Egyptian history.

Now, it's accessible for
the first time for

the investigators to come to
study everything

about the Sphinxes.

NARRATOR: Now, restoration work
helps investigators piece

together what
these magnificent

Sphinxes look like
in their prime.

Each Androsphinx is carved

from a monolithic block
of sandstone.

Stonemasons get to work on
the finer details.

They sculpt the lion's body

and the human head

with breathtaking precision.

Artists decorated with
a vibrant palette

of mineral-based paints.

Finally, they carve
mysterious hieroglyphs

into the base of each Sphinx.

How are modern experts

reconstructing
these ancient masterpieces?

Mostafa Al-Saghir

heads a team of excavators
and restorers who

work to return the Sphinxes
to their ancient glory.

This restoration project had
been started more than

70 years ago, when the first
statue of the Sphinx is

discovered in front
of Luxor Temple.

NARRATOR: Today, Mostafa
and his team work to

restore one of
the human-headed Androsphinxes.

MOSTAFA:
Today is a very special day.

We are now making
the restoration for one of

the Sphinxes that had been found
here in this area.

Only a few statues had been
found, because during

the medieval period, many of
them had been destroyed.

NARRATOR: Mostafa's mission
is to position the head

back onto the body of
the Sphinx statue.

MOSTAFA: This work is really
important, because

it's a real piece of
the history.

It really gives us good
information about the work done

by Nectanebo the First here,

especially in the immediate
area of the Avenue of Sphinx

between Karnak
and Luxor Temples.

NARRATOR: Nectanebo
the First is obsessed

with the power
of the Sphinx.

He builds more Sphinx statues
than any other Pharaoh.

The team start by clearing

the Sphinx of years
of dirt and debris.

MOSTAFA: My team really are
experienced with this,

but they are dealing with
a piece of the history.

So they have to take care
for every step they are

doing today.

NARRATOR: Next, the crew
use a crane to lift

the ancient head of the Sphinx
into place over the body.

MOSTAFA: We are bringing
the Sphinx back to life.

Nobody has seen it like this
over thousands of years.

NARRATOR: The slightest error
will be a failure

for Mustafa and his team.

They know what to do,

but they have to be really
careful, because there is no

chance for any mistake.

NARRATOR:
With the head in position,

the key moment has arrived.

So this is
the most important moment.

They have to be really
accurate to put

the head and to fit
perfectly over the statue.

NARRATOR:
Inches at a time,

they place the head
delicately onto the body.

The team maneuvers the head
into perfect position,

removes the crane, and brushes
away the final debris.

They use a special cement mix
made with plaster and red

brick to secure the head of
the Androsphinx into place.

MOSTAFA: This is the moment
that we are waiting for.

Now, the restoration work
is complete.

We really feel so satisfied to
bring the Sphinx back to life.

NARRATOR: All that's left is
for the restoration team to

make final checks on
the quality of the work...

[scattered applause]

and celebrate
the successful restoration

of the ancient Sphinx.

The original
construction requires

an enormous workforce of
skilled craftspeople.

Stonemasons cut sandstone in the
quarries of Gebel el-Silsila.

Sailors transport it
75 miles downriver

to Thebes by barge.

Skilled workers use copper
tools to cut the sandstone

into smaller slabs

and assemble them to
form the paving of the avenue.

Stonemasons intricately
carve blocks of sandstone

and transform them into
the Sphinxes that line

the processional road.

Finally, they inscribe
hieroglyphs on the base

to honor the Pharaoh

and paint the Sphinxes
with bright pigments.

MOSTAFA: There should be
hundreds or even thousands of

engineers, stonemasons,

artists, who construct this
magnificent Avenue of Sphinx

from Luxor to Karnak Temples.

NARRATOR: The engineers who
construct this mighty Avenue

of Sphinxes do so
for a single purpose --

the Opet Festival.

What is the grand finale of
the Opet Festival?

Can clues be found at
a mysterious shrine

in Luxor Temple?

NARRATOR: The monumental
temples of Karnak and Luxor

are linked by the iconic
Avenue of Sphinxes.

In ancient times,

a grand celebration of
the annual Nile flood takes

place here --
the Opet Festival.

But the magnificent finale to

the festival is shrouded
in mystery.

Luxor temple is
the final destination

of the Opet Festival,

and there must be more to
discover inside.

NARRATOR: Beyond
the imposing walls

and colonnades
of Luxor Temple

lies a mysterious structure
that marks

the end point of
the procession.

It is flanked by
four towering columns

that are shaped
like lotus flowers,

a symbol of life
and creation.

The shrine has
three mysterious rooms,

each seemingly built to house
something of great importance.

Could this shrine hold
clues about

the grand finale of
the Opet Festival?

And what can it reveal about

the Pharaoh's obsession with
this annual ritual?

Meredith
ventures into the shrine.

She examines the walls
and spots an important clue.

This room is clearly dedicated
to the god, Amun.

His image is on both sides of
the door.

It's on the door frame.

And when I look through,
I can clearly see the god, Amun,

and even there's a picture of
his sacred barque.

So this is
the place where Amun

rests towards the end of
the Opet Festival.

NARRATOR: Two smaller rooms
flank the chamber

where Amun's barque shrine
is kept.

Meredith wants to find out
who they could be dedicated to

and what this could
reveal about

the final stages of
the Opet Festival.

NARRATOR: She investigates
the first chamber.

This image is important.

It has the symbol of the moon.

There's the crescent-shaped
moon underneath

the sun, and that's sitting
on a sacred boat.

This shows the symbol of
the moon god, Khonsu,

and it's his sacred barque
that resided in this shrine.

Amun is not
the only god worshiped

during the Opet Festival.

The god, Khonsu, is central to
ancient Egyptian religion

and also to this celebration.

Meredith enters
the final chamber to

find out which other gods
reside here.

This image is at the back of
the shrine, and it shows

the king offering to

a goddess, and she has
a vulture headdress

and the crown of upper
and lower Egypt.

That's the symbol of
the goddess Mut.

So this tells me,
this shrine is

dedicated to the barque of
the goddess Mut.

NARRATOR: These three gods --
Amun, Mut, and Khonsu --

are each vital to
the Opet Festival.

Ancient Egyptians
must perform

elaborate rituals to
appease them.

If they don't, the annual Nile
flood might fail,

and with it, the miracle of
Egypt's life-giving harvest.

The Opet Festival is
a celebration of

the renewal of the divine
power of the Theban Triad,

Amun, Mut, and Khonsu.

NARRATOR: The festival
begins at Karnak Temple.

High priests
take the statues of

the three gods and carry them
on ceremonial barques.

The Pharaoh accompanies
the priests as they

begin the procession along
the Avenue of Sphinx.

The procession stops at six
waystations along the route

and finally reaches
Luxor Temple.

The ceremonial barques
are taken into the shrine

of the Theban Triad,

and two weeks of feasting
and celebration begin.

The gods of the Theban Triad
rest in place at Luxor Temple.

They are appeased,

and the vital Nile flood is
ensured for another year.

MEREDITH: The annual Nile flood
gives life to Egypt.

It brings in new soil
and water to grow crops

that everyone
needed to survive,

and festivals
like Opet ensured

the flood would come.

NARRATOR:
Why else is the Opet Festival

important to the pharaohs?

Could it be used to maintain
their grip on power?

NARRATOR:
Two grand temples,

Luxor...

and Karnak.

Mighty pharaohs pour resources
into them for over a millennia.

They connect them with
a ceremonial road,

the Avenue of Sphinxes,

built for the grand annual
Opet Festival.

MEREDITH:
The Opet Festival celebrates

the renewal of the divine power
of the Theban Triad,

Amun, Mut, and Khonsu.

It guarantees the life-giving
waters of the Nile flood

and ensures the inundation
for the prosperity of Egypt.

NARRATOR: Meredith wants
to know why the Pharaohs

are so obsessed
with the Opet Festival.

She heads into the heart of
Luxor Temple to find out.

This is a remarkable image.

Amenhotep the Third inscribes
on these walls

the source of Pharaoh's
divine power.

Here, he depicts his mother
sitting on a bed with the god,

Amun, and Amun is extending
the key of life,

the Ankh sign,
to the mother.

He is giving her
divine essence.

And from this moment,
Amenhotep the Third is born.

He is not just a mortal,
he's also a god.

NARRATOR:
Amenhotep portrays himself

as a direct descendant
of Amun,

king of the gods and the focus
of the Opet Festival.

He engraves his claim in stone
so that all

who see it will know of
his divine conception.

This is a delightful image.

It shows the god, Amun,
and this small child

is actually Amenhotep the Third,
and he's sitting on Amun's lap.

The intimacy in this image
connects the Pharaoh to

the gods.

NARRATOR: The Pharaoh
Amenhotep's relationship with

our moon is close
and personal.

So the Pharaoh's celebration
of Amun at the Opet Festival

is also a celebration
of the Pharaoh himself.

Meredith heads to the most
sacred part of the temple.

This is the inner sanctuary
of Luxor Temple.

It is the holy of holies, and
there's a special image here,

and it shows the god, Amun,
and the Pharaoh in an embrace.

It demonstrates that
the god Amun

is the source
of the Pharaoh's power.

NARRATOR: The people of Thebes
gather to

witness the Opet Festival
procession each year.

They are surrounded by
powerful images

of their god
and their Pharaoh.

The Opet Festival was an amazing
chance for the people

of Egypt to get a glimpse of
the god, Amun.

It solidified their personal
connection with the god.

It also allowed the Pharaoh
to legitimize

his reign through his intimate
relationship with Amun.

NARRATOR:
The Pharaoh is at the center

of a ritual ceremony,

staged and managed to affirm
his divine right to rule.

He leads
the two-week celebration

of the inundation of the Nile

and a new year of
his reign over Egypt.

The entire population
of Thebes

takes part
in the Opet Festival.

Dancers, singers,
and wrestlers

perform around
the temple complex.

When the celebration is over,

the priests float the statues
and barque shrines

on barges back to Karnak,

where they remain
until the following year.

After two weeks of celebrating,
the spirits of Amun, Mut,

Khonsu, and even the Pharaoh
are revived.

They emerge from Luxor
temple rejuvenated.

And after,
the Nile will flood,

the fertility will come back
to the land,

and Egypt will prosper.

NARRATOR: The vast
megastructure of the Avenue

of Sphinxes is built
for a single purpose,

a processional route for
the Opet Festival.

The rituals practiced here
are vital to all

of Egypt, from the Pharaoh to
the common people.

MEREDITH: The Avenue
of the Sphinx is

a vital link
between the king of

the gods, Amun,

the Pharaoh, and the ancient
Egyptian people.

NARRATOR: Built by generations
of Pharaohs over a millennium,

the Avenue of Sphinxes is at
the center of Egyptian culture.

Buried beneath
the sands of time,

archaeologists uncover it
thousands of years later,

to reveal a vital connection

between the temples of
ancient Thebes,

uncovering the secrets of
the Lost Sphinxes.