Luxor City Located in Upper Egypt, has been described as the world’s biggest open-air museum, Luxor contains about a third of the most valuable monuments and antiquities in the whole world, which makes it one of the most important tourist sites. Luxor Monuments such as The Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple, Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, El Deir El-Bahri (the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut), the worker's village at Deir El-Medina.
Luxor is located about 670 km. (416 miles) to the south of Cairo, 220km (137 miles) to the north of Aswan, and 280 kms (174 miles) to the west of Hurghada.
Luxor city located on the east bank of the Nile River in southern Egypt. It's on the site of ancient Thebes, it is consists of temples and tombs in The East Bank and in The West Bank, Thebes reached the height of its splendor and influence in modern city.
Luxor Formerly known Thebes, but “Thebes” was not what the ancient Egyptians called it. Ancient texts show that it was called T-apt, “The Shrine” with the ancient Greeks calling it Tea Pie. The name vanished then as the area submitted to the desert and then by the 10th-century Arab travelers thought the ruins were of grand buildings so started to call it (Al-Oksour) in arabic or “site of the palaces” which slowly became Luxor, also named as the city of hundred doors, as described by the Greek poet Homer in the Iliad.
Luxor served as the capital of a newly unified Egypt with the new role of being the political and administrative capital which flourished, Nothing in the world compares to the scale and grandeur of the monuments that have survived from ancient Thebes, such as Temple of Luxor, Karnak Temple, Luxor Museum, tombs of the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens, Hatshepsut Temple, Colossi of Memnon.
Luxor attract the largest segment of cultural tourism coming to Egypt, it is the store for the ancient Egyptian civilization where in more than 800 archaeological shrine area includes most fascinating monuments of human heritage, From Luxor you can enjoy spectacular aswan attraction with its assortment sites.
Luxor Museum is located in the center of Luxor, overlooking the Luxor west bank of the Nile River, The Luxor Museum is also home to a collection of 26 extremely well preserved statues that were discovered buried near to the famous Luxor Temple.
The museum opened for the public for the first time in 1975,The museum grounds are 55 meters long and 29 meters wide, and its facade was designed to face the Nile, moreover this temple includes two obelisks at the entrance, one of them is in Paris and the other still in Luxor and inscribed victories of King Ramses II
As well as it has a large courtyard with two columns that give the shape of Papyrus plant and there are two statues of the King Ramses II, one is bigger on its size than the other one, which was constructed in pink granite, as well as there is another statue of the king Ramses II, that shows him sitting at the door side of the courtyard, furthermore there are two statues in the entrance side of this Museum, which were belonging to Ramses II and of his wife Nefertari, the small statue was constructed for Nefertari and the big one belong to Ramses II.
Another one of the museums most striking exhibits are relics taken from the tomb of King Tutankhamen, such as model boats, figures of servants, sandals and arrows, located on the first floor of the museum, Get excited by walking inside mysteries Luxor museum while you are in Luxor
Karnak Temple is one of the largest temple complexes in the world. This magnificent Temple has incredibly rich architectural and it was covering about 200 acres (1.5 km by 0.8 km), and was a place of pilgrimage for nearly 2,000 years, was dedicated to the Theban triad of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu.
This great Temple of Amon Ra was known during the Middle Kingdom period as Ipt-Swt, which means the Selected Spot. It was also called Pr-Imn, or the House of Amon. The name Al-Karnak in Arabic was derived from Karnak, which means fortified village.
This superb complex hosting a group of temples and it has been enlarged over a thirteen hundred years period. The three main temples of Mut, Montu and Amun are enclosed by enormous brick walls. The Open Air Museum is located to the north of the first courtyard, across from the Sacred Lake.
The main complex, The Temple of Amun, is situated in the center of the entire complex. The Temple of Monthu is to the north of the Temple of Amun, and next to it, inside of the enclosure wall is the Temple of Ptah, while the Temple of Mut is to the south.
There is also the small Temple dedicated to Khonsu, and next to it, an even smaller Temple of Opet. Actually there are a number of smaller temples and chapels spread about Karnak, such as the Temple of Osiris Hek-Djet (Heqadjet), which is actually inside the enclosure wall of the Temple of Amun. , mud brick enclosure wall surrounds all of these buildings, On your way towards the entrance, you will find a ram-headed avenue of Sphinxes, which was built to protect the Temple of Karnak, it is comprised of a series of pylons (monumental gateways which taper towards the top to cornices), leading into courtyards, halls, and temples. The first pylon opens onto a wide court which invites the visitor further. The second pylon opens onto the Hypostyle Court which measures 337 feet (103 meters) by 170 feet (52 meters). The hall is supported by 134 columns 72 feet (22 meters) tall and 11 feet (3.5 meters) around in diameter, The Hypostyle Hall leads to The 3rd Pylon, built by Amenhotep III, Crossing the 3rd Pylon, you come to an open, rectangular court, which is known as the Court of Tuthmosis I. Tuthmosis I erected 2 obelisks, but only one obelisk has survived: 19m high and around 310 tons in weight, From the Court of Tuthmosis, we reach the 4th Pylon, which Tuthmosis I also built, The 5th Pylon, yet again built by Tuthmosis I, is damaged and on both sides of the entrance, Tuthmosis III built two small rooms, The 6th Pylon, which was built by Tuthmosis III. Beyond this pylon, Tuthmosis III built his famous hall, the Ancestral Room. The original Sanctuary was built by Tuthmosis III, but Philip Arrhidaeus later rebuilt it.
Behind the sanctuary, you will see a court, dating back to the time of the Middle Kingdom. It is a wide-open courtyard that is badly damaged now, Most probably this spot was the site of an old Temple, dating back to the time of the Middle Kingdom: the origin of the Karnak Temple.
The 7th Pylon, which is badly damaged, was built by Tuthmosis III.Crossing the 7th Pylon to the court beyond, you will see 2 statues of Ramses II and Tuthmosis III,The 8th Pylon was built by Hatshepsut, decorated by Tuthmosis III, and restored by Seti I. The scenes on the façade of the Pylon represent Hatshepsut with different deities, and a religious scene featuring Tuthmosis III, The 9th Pylon, which was built by Horemheb, is badly damaged. A large number of bricks were found inside, which were being used as filling. They belonged to the Aton Temple, Finally, we reach the 10th Pylon, damaged as well, and again built by King Horemheb. In front of this Pylon, there are the remains of an avenue of Sphinxes, built by Horemheb, and extending to the gate of Ptolemy II in front of Mut Temple.
The Egyptians believed that towards the end of annual agricultural cycle the gods and the earth became exhausted and required a fresh input of energy from the chaotic energy of the cosmos,To accomplish this magical regeneration the Opet festival was held yearly at Karnak . It lasted for twenty-seven days and was also a celebration of the link between pharaoh and the god Amun. The procession began at Karnak and ended at Luxor Temple, one and a half miles (2.4 kilometres) to the south.
Everyday the idol of the god Amun was ritualistically bathed with holy water, dressed in fine linen, and adorned in gold and silver jewellery.
You have to attend marvelous Sound and Light show at the Temple of Karnak while you are in luxor
The Valley of the Nobles located on the north side of the western Bank in Luxor, also includes nearly 500 tombs of Theban nobles and high officials, While the royal tombs were hidden away in an isolated valley, the Tombs of the Nobles were dug in the mountain overlooking the river Nile.
The Tombs includes a number of distinct areas on the West Bank at modern Luxor (Ancient Thebes). And also there is an area known as el-Tarif in the north side, where large, row tombs were dug during the late Second Intermediate Period and early Middle Kingdom. At the north of El-Tarif there is a hillside with about 80 numbered tombs most belonging to priests and officials of the 17th through 20th dynasty, which is called Dra Abu El-Naga, Just southwest of Dra Abu El-Naga there is an area that is called El-Assasif, where you will find 40 tombs mostly from the New Kingdom and later. to the south of El-Assasif is El-Khokha tomb, there is a hill with five Old Kingdom tombs and 53 numbered tombs from the 18th and 19th dynasty.
Tomb of Sennefer
One of these impressive tombs must be that of Sennefer, As mayor of Thebes, and the overseer of the gardens of Amun during the reign of Amenhotep II (1427 to 1400 BC.), his tomb is one of the most beautiful and best preserved burial chambers in the area, The walls and the ceilings of the tomb contain many colored scenes of Sennefer with his family members and many other scenes of daily life.
Tomb of Rekhmire
Another fine example of ancient burial chambers to be seen amongst the tombs at the Valley of the Nobles is the tomb of Rekhmire. Rekhmire was a Vizier, and a great landowner during the period of Tuthomose III of the 18th dynasty, Scenes in his tomb represent him collecting taxes from the people and receiving gifts from foreign ambassadors that visited Egypt.
Medinet Habu is the Arabic name for the mortuary temple of Ramses III, Located on the west bank of Luxor, In ancient times Medinet Habu was known as Djanet and according to ancient belief was the place were Amun first appeared.
Medinet Habu Temple is located at the southern tip of Luxor necropolis, the Temple is surrounded by a thick wall containing a large space of 66150 square meters, Medinet Habu is the second largest ancient temple ever discovered in Egypt, The temple was built specifically as a mortuary temple by Ramesses III who was the second pharaoh of the 20th dynasty, and also the last great pharaoh of the New Kingdom. While the temple was built for Ramesses III to practice mortuary rituals, it was also used as a place for worshipping the god Amun.
This building consists of a huge gate in the shape of a Syrian fort and is decorated with battle scenes depicting the king's wars in Syria. Through the gate to the right is a shrine dating back to the 18th Dynasty, There is also a wide-open court that leads to a huge pylon, with both towers decorated in battle scenes, On one tower the king wearing the red crown with his "Ka" or "double", smiting his enemies in front of Re-Horakhty, On the other tower, the king is represented with the red crown of Lower Egypt, smiting his enemies in front of the god Amon Ra.
Temple of Ramses III at Medinat Habu:
Temple of Ramses III is not less important than the temple of Habu, as it was constructed during the 18th dynasty, it also includes the chapels of Nitoket, Amenirdis I and Shepenwepet II, who are considered to be the wives of the ancient Egyptian god Amon, and moreover these chapels were added to this temple by Tutmose II and Hatsepsut, as well as it had had some renovations by Ptolemaic kings during the 25th dynasty.
Luxor Temple is the most stunning temple in Egypt, It is strongly believed by historians that before the New Kingdom Period, The temple was consecrated to Amun in his form as a fertility god and was used during the annual Opet Festival of royal renewal.
Luxor Temple located on the east bank of the River Nile in Luxor (or Teba as it was called in the past), it was known as the southern shrine, Luxor Temple famous with its soaring columns, chapels, The primary structure was built during the reigns of Amenhotep III and Ramesses II, (the outer part) but most structures and monuments of the ancient world, it was added to and developed by later rulers.
The luxor temple is huge temple built from huge sandstone blocks. With Two red granite obelisks originally stood in front of the first pylon at the rear of the forecourt, but only one more than 25 meters (75 feet) high now remains. The other was removed to Paris where it now stands in the center of the Place de la Concorde, two gigantic statues of Ramesses II flanked the entrance, though today only the two seated ones have survived. The one to the east was known as "Ruler of the Two Lands".
Once you visit Ramses II courtyard you will find different positions for King Ramses II statues, and a large statue of the king built of pink granite, You will find also statue of the King as he sat on the side door of the courtyard, In the entrance you will see a statue of Ramses II and a small statue of his wife Nefertari.
luxor temple was linked to another legendary site, the karnak Temple, by a grand avenue lined with sphinxes.
The temple at Luxor is brilliantly lit to highlight and enhance the relief carvings. The superb lighting and the rays of the mighty sun makes the entire place very mystical and attractive, summer in this area is simply scorching. Winter has a far more favorable climate for exploring the sites. At any time of year it’s likely best to explore in the morning and evening hours.
Valley Of The Kings, called also Valley of the Gates or wadi El Pipan”in Arabic, Located at west bank of Luxor , the Valley of the Kings is divided into two valleys, the East Valley (where most of the royal tombs) and the West Valley, During Egypt's New Kingdom (1539-1075 B.C.), the valley became a royal burial ground for pharaohs such as Tutankhamun, Seti I, and Ramses II, as well as queens, high priests, and other elites of the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties.
Recent discovery of the burial chamber in 2006 (known as the tomb of 63) in addition to the discovery of other entrances to the same room during the year 2008, makes The number of tombs discovered so far 63 tombs varying sizes ranging from a small hole in the ground and even the complex cemetery composition containing more than 120 burial chamber inside.
Modern pharaonic dynasty were following a same pattern tombs, which were cut into the limestone, three corridors, an antechamber and a sunken sarcophagus chamber. These catacombs were harder to rob and were more easily concealed.
Not all the tombs were robbed though, there are intact tomb, such as The tomb of King "Tutankhamun" which astonished the world, Tutankhamun reigned for only nine years, After Akhenaten’s death, the young Tutankhamun became king, On November 4, 1922, What lay within King Tut's tomb astonished the world, Howard Carter discovered this tomb, Carter was astonished when glimpsing the antechamber for the first time, he found a vast number of objects remained, including life-size figures, golden beds, alabaster cups, chariots, and a richly decorated throne. It is the tomb No. 62.
Valley of the Queens is located on the West Bank in Luxor, also known as Biban el-Harim, Biban el-Sultanat, and Wadi el-Melikat, In ancient times, it was known as Ta-Set-Neferu.
Valley of queens is isolated cemetery belonging to queens, princesses, princes, and nobles, these tombs usually consist of a small antechamber, a long narrow corridor with several side chambers, and at the end - the burial chamber
This necropolis is said to hold more than seventy tombs, most of them are stylish and decorated, An example of this is the resting place carved out of the rock for Queen Nefertari (1290-1224 BCE) at the 19th Dynasty. The polychrome reliefs in her tomb are still intact.
The Tomb of Nefertari (Tomb 66), One of five wives of Ramesses II, Nefertari was his favorite, and the tomb is said one of the most beautiful in Egypt, The tomb is completely painted with scenes though out., Nefertari known as 'the most beautiful of them', accompanied by gods. She is usually wearing a golden crown with two feathers extended from the back of a vulture and clothed in a white gossamer gown. Be sure not to miss the side room where one scene depicts the queen worshipping the mummified body of Osiris.
Near the stairs to the burial chamber is another wonderful scene with Nefertarti offering milk to the goddess Hathor.
Colossi of Memnon Known as the singing statues or “The Vocal Memnon”, the Colossi of Memnon are two great seated stone statues representing King Amenhotep III, also believed they have been so popular during the Roman period as it is said that the statues sang. This was probably due to the expansion of the stone which warmed up during the day and cooled off at night.
it is believed that tourists from around the Greco-Roman world were trekking across the desert to witness the sunrise acoustic spectacle with these statues, Greek scholars said the reason of this phenomenon that the morning air crossing those cracks saturated with dew, it makes a roaring sound similar to singing prompting to claim that the statue is singing with Sunrise and write this strange phenomenon on the leg of the statue and its base
The two statues were previously located in front of the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III which was destroyed. originally the two statues were identical for each other, They made of sandstone and each one consists of a pedestal and the crown of about 21 meters in height. The statue now represents the pharaoh seated on the throne wearing the royal headdress of the Nemes, protected by the divine cobra. The sides of the colossi have a representation of the god Hapi of the Nile bending together the papyrus plants and the lotus.
unfortunately earthquake in Luxor damaged to both statues, cracks appeared in both statues sides.
the twin statues called (Memnon) because of Greek legend stating that the statues were given their names after a great Ethiopian hero, who participated in the Trojan War called "Memnon" and was killed by "Achilles", one of the Greek heroes of that war. They claimed that this hero who was murdered was conversing with his mother every morning in a sad voice, and claimed also that the dew which was falling at the time, is the tears of the bereaved mother.
The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut is one of the most beautiful temples of Ancient Egypt. It is located at El Deir El-Bahri at the head of the valley beneath the peak of the mountain.
Hatshepsut is the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty, Hatshepsut is an intriguing character. She initially ruled as regent for her step-son Thuthmosis III. After the death of her husband, Thutmose II,The roughly 22 year reign of Hatshepsut is generally regarded as one of Egypt’s most prosperous.
Her temple is one of the most striking monuments in Ancient Egypt, It was designed by Senenmut, as a "garden for her father" (Amun) and exotic trees and shrubs from Punt (possibly Somalia) were planted the lower courtyard.
The Temple consists of three imposing terraces, The two lower ones would have once been full of trees. On the southern end of the 1st colonnade, there are some scenes, among them the famous scene of the transportation of Hatshepsut’s two obelisks.
The 2nd terrace is now accessed by a ramp, The famous Punt relief is engraved on the southern side of the 2nd colonnade. The journey to Punt was the first pictorial documentation of a trade expedition recorded, The scenes depict in great detail of the maritime expedition that Queen Hatshepsut sent to punt, This famous expedition was exchange Egyptian merchandise for the products of Punt, especially gold, incense and tropical trees.
The 3rd terrace is also accessed by a ramp! It consists of two rows of columns, the front ones taking the Osirid form (a
mummy form) unfortunately, Tuthmosis III damaged them.
Entertain your eyes and mind by watching the beautiful monuments of the Temple of Hatshepsut and its fancy inscriptions, also visit valley of the kings, Valley of the Queens, colossi of memnon with plan egypt tours