Amenhotep IV, who changed his name to, and is more commonly known as Akhenaten, is also sometimes referred to nowadays as the Heretic King. He attempted to dispose of the traditional ancient Egyptian religion in favor of a new one focused on the Sun Disk, called the Aten, and in the process rejected the traditional state god, Amun. After his death, his probable son, Tutankhamun, almost certainly under the direction of elder advisors (Horemheb and Ay), reinstated the old religion and in turn attempted to erase both the memory of Akhenaten and his religion. However, Akhenaten, the son of Amenhotep III, was not without earlier influences. His father had already begun during his reign to elevate the status of sun worship. Indeed, Amenhotep III is sometimes referred to as the Sun King.

However, that has nothing to do with the courtyard beyond the Colonnade of Amenhotep III, so named the "Sun Court". This is really a modern name for this court, due to its being an open court to the sky. There was apparently no sun worship aspect of this courtyard, and in fact, many modern authors have dropped the term, "Sun Court" in favor of more generic terms.

The Great Sun Court of Amenhotep IIIs Luxor Temple, located in Luxor, Egypt, measures about 45.11 by 56.08 meters (148 by 184 feet). It was the first expansion northward from the core temple. It was not a part of the original core temple. This is a peristyle court with a double row of sixty columns with papyrus bundle capitals on three sides. Today, they are the best preserved and most elegant columns in the temple.

The sun court is almost identical to the court in front of the inner part of Amenhotep IIIs funerary temple in West Thebes. Both are slightly wider at the front than at the rear. This would have enhanced the depth of the perspective of the court by an optical illusion and added to its impact. It received decoration from the time of Amenhotep himself to that of Alexander the Great. The side walls retain some of their original coloring, but are poorly preserved. They show traces of scenes showing Amenhotep III, Amun and others, including Alexander the Great.