Location:
Esna is situated at 37 miles south of Luxor.

Who built it?
The temple was originally built by king Thutmosis III in the 18th dynasty and it was completed by Ptolemaic and Roman Emperors from 40-250 AD.

Why was it built?

The temple was, like the other Roman temples, built to secure the legality of the foreign emperors by showing them on the walls presenting offerings to the different gods. Moreover, the temple was mainly dedicated to god khnum.

Explanation:

The temple lies on the west bank of the Nile. The temple of Esna is situated in the middle of the modern city.
It was originally built on another temple, built by Tuthmosis III, as there are some blocks dates back to the 18th dynasty and the rest dates back to the Greco-Roman period.

The most interesting scene in the temple is the astronomical scene which is depicted on the roof of the hypostyle hall. The columns of the temple are decorated with some texts describing the religious festivals of the town and several Roman emperors before the gods. In the court of the temple, there were some blocks remains from an old Christian church, when Esna was an important Christian center.