Introduction to the Temple of Esna: Located in the town of Esna south of Luxor, it is a temple dedicated to the god Khnum, so it is also called the Temple of Khnum. ). Khnum is the ancient Egyptian god of creation. The Temple of Esna was built in 1500 BC and was completely rebuilt during the Eighteenth Dynasty and the Ptolemaic Dynasty. Due to the flooding of the Nile River in ancient times, the ground became higher and the temples were buried underground. You have to walk down the stairs to visit. What remains now is the pillared hall that was once used as a barn and cotton warehouse. The most worth visiting here are the reliefs and inscriptions on the walls, which record the origin of the world and human life, as well as the activities of the Ptolemaic dynasty. Condition. There are also many murals and sculptures about the story of the god Khnum, as well as many pictures depicting the story of the Elefantine trinity composed of him, his wife, and his son.