Sunrise on the winter solstice looks as if the sun is in the sights of a rifle.
Such was the solar alignment through the columns of Karnak Temple to the inner sanctum on Tuesday.
Before sunrise, a sound and light show tells the history of the holy of holies on the temple facade.
The first rays of the sun shine through the temple’s eastern gate. As the sun goes higher, the main axis of the temple is lit up in a dazzling display and penetrates into the inner sanctum, home of the statue of Amoun, the patron deity of Luxor.
The statue is illuminated for several minutes before the rays of the sun disperse.
This phenomenon occurs every year on December 21, which coincides with the sprouting of germination.
On this day, the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.5 degrees south of the equator.
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