At the time of the Prince’s visit, excavations were still ongoing at Luxor Temple. Today the statues standing at the main entrance are visible down to their feet. The temple was abandoned in the third century AD and over time, became buried under silt and earth. A village and mosque were constructed on the site. While the village was removed in the nineteenth century, the mosque still remains to this day. Its minaret is visible in the photograph. Acquired by the Prince of Wales, 1862