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Luxor

The city of Luxor-Homer's 'hundred-gated Thebes'- is located about 500 km, or 300 miles to the south of Cairo. The town is the site and the gateway to the largest surviving concentration of ancient monuments in the Nile Valley. Luxor is home to: the famous temples of Karnak and Luxor, the Valley of the Kings, (where the tomb of Tutankhamun is to be found), the Valley of the Queens, and other awe-inspiring monuments, tombs, and colossal statues. Luxor has its own museum with relics from the Theban temples and Necropolis.

The city features traditional souks and bazaars, selling a wide range of goods, from spices to clothes.

Felucca boats line the Nile, and offer short trips and sunset cruises.

The Monuments of Luxor

The Temple of Luxor
The Temple of Luxor was built by Amenophis III on the site of an earlier temple and enlarged and beautified by Ramesses II. In front of the great pylon entrance originally stood two obelisks and six colossal statues, all erected by Ramesses II. One obelisk is now in Paris. The statues all represent Ramesses himself. The colonnaded forecourt is also Ramesses' work. But perhaps the most beautiful parts of the temple are the Colonnade and Court of Amenophis, its columns crowned with lotus bud capitals.

The Temple of Karnak
The great Temple of Amun at Karnak was once the religious centre of Thebes and Upper Egypt. The Temple covers an immense 100 acres, and was once linked to Luxor by a sphinx-lined avenue.The whole complex of temples was in turn linked to the Nile via a canal through which moved the sacred boats of the god Amun. Passing through a smaller avenue of ram-headed sphinxes, erected by Ramesses II, we come to the massive pylon entrance of the 30th dynasty. Inside the great Courtyard, which dates from the 22nd dynasty, are three chapels dedicated to the gods Amun, Khous and Mut by Seth II. The impressive Hypostyle Hall has 134 soaring columns; each column is carved with scenes of gods and pharaohs; the inscriptions on the walls tell their stories of war and peace.

The Valley of the Kings
Situated in a secluded area of the west bank, the Valley of the Kings contains 62 excavated tombs, mostly royal but some belonging to members of the nobility. There are differences in style, color and content in each of the tombs; the earliest have staircases, corridors and right-angled bends while the later ones are more simplified, being little more than huge sloping corridors. The walls and ceilings were painted with scenes and inscriptions designed to assist the King in his journey through the underworld. A visit to the Valley of the Kings usually takes in two or three of the tombs, dependent on the number of visitors in the Valley and which tombs are open. Other main tombs include those of Amenophis II (one of the best preserved), Ramesses IX (never completed), Ramesses VI and Seti I (largest and most elaborate).

The Valley of the Queens
Also situated on the west bank, the Valley of the Queens is smaller than the Valley of the Kings but is ringed by impressive cliffs. The tombs belong to lesser important personages (Queens and Princes) but have many interesting facets. The main tombs are those of Queen Titi (an otherwise unknown royal lady), Prince Khaemwaset (Ramesses III's eldest son) and Prince Amenhirkhepeshef (notable for its vivid coloring). The finest tomb is the tomb of Queen Nefertari. Recent excavations have unearthed previously unknown tombs, although most are damaged or undecorated.

The Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
The Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, unlike any other temple in Egypt, is composed of three widely-spaced terraces with ramps leading from one to the next. It is said that the Queen intended it as a pleasure garden for the god Amun, to whom the temple is dedicated. There are chapels dedicated to the gods Anubis and Hathor, the tutelary goddess of the Theban necropolis. The first terrace is virtually destroyed; approaching the second visitors climb the ramp to see some excellent bas-reliefs of the Queen with her nephew and co-regent Tuthmosis III. Particularly interesting are friezes depicting the Queen's expedition to the land of Punt.

The Colossi of Memnon
These two massive statues, both portraying King Amenhotep II once flanked the entrance to his massive funerary temple. The temple has all but disappeared but the statues, although weather-beaten, have survived. Carved from a single block of sandstone they stand over 50 ft high on a base of 8 ft and look imperiously over the barren landscape. The two colossi enjoyed fame even in the ancient world and it was the Greeks who identified them with Memnon, son of Titon and Dawn.