Lying just 4km north of town Karnak Temple’s avenue of ram-headed sphinxes leads visitors through an enormous pylon (gateway) and into the Hypostyle Hall, where the enormous pillars and lintels, some still with original paint, amaze visitors. Here you’ll see enormous statues of legendary pharaohs, see obelisks and the Sacred Pool.
Back in town and you can cool off in the wonderful Luxor Museum, a small but well labelled and atmospherically lit repository of finds from the area. Luxor Temple is hard to miss in the centre of the city, especially at night illuminated as it is with floodlights. On the west bank lies the Valley of the Kings.
A winding road leads past the Colossi of Memnon through the fields and into a steep-sided valley to its entrance, beyond which lies the resting place of dozens of pharaohs including Tutankhamun and Ramses the Great. Below the cliffs that shield the Valley of the Kings from view lies Deir al-Bahri, better known as Hatshepsut’s Temple. Famous for its remarkable friezes this is one of Luxor’s great attractions and one not to be missed.
Those lucky enough to have more time should visit the less-visited Tombs of the Nobles whose tombs are well-preserved chambers, the Valley of the Queens, the Ramesseum – Ramses II’s funerary temple, and the wonderful pair, Deir al-Medina and Medinat Habu.
Nile Valley, Egypt
Deir el Medina was originally the village which housed the workers who built the Valley of the Kings tombs. It takes its name from a monastery once occupied by monks. The area is home to a variety of ...
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Nile Valley, Egypt
This excellent museum is well worth a visit being modern, well-lit and well-labelled. It houses a variety of artefacts from the Old Kingdom up to Mameluke times including a variety of statues includin...
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Nile Valley, Egypt
Illuminated by floodlights at night Luxor Temple is a magnificent introduction to Egypt’s antiquities for anybody arriving after dark and well worth a visit during a stay in the city. Located in the m...
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Nile Valley, Egypt
Medinat Habu is a stunning yet relatively little-visited complex that comes a close second to Karnak in terms of size. Visitors can generally wander here in peace as few people make the journey out to...
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Nile Valley, Egypt
The Ramesseum is the funerary temple of Ramses II, built to impress all who gazed upon it and persuade the gods of Rameses rightful place in the afterlife. Built by Ramses II on the site of a temple c...
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Nile Valley, Egypt
Once the final resting place for officials and nobles the 80 or so tombs that have so far been discovered in the Valley of the Queens indicate that the site was taken over for use by royalty sometime ...
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