Luxor Things to Do Tips by Blatherwick

This place impressed me the most in Egypt. The Temple of Amun is the main temple here but there are numerous others that have been added. This place did not have anything unique but it had a little bit of everything on such a massive scale. It is huge. The entire site covers 75 acres and was connected to the Temple of Luxor by the Avenue of Sphinxes. Check out the 134 columns 23 m high and the obelisk of Hatshepsut 30 m high and weighing about 200 tons. Everywhere on the wall are hieroglyphs telling stories from thousands of years ago.

For many centuries Karnak temple was the main religious centre of Egypt, with each Pharaoh adding to or altering the complex. It was the main temple for the cult of Amun, but like many other Egyptian temples, other gods and goddesses were worshipped there, including Ptah and Sekhmet. The key difference between Karnak and the many other temples and sites in Egyptology is the length of time over which it was developed and used. Approximately 30 Pharaohs contributed to the buildings, enabling it to reach a size, complexity and diversity not seen elsewhere.

Admission was 20 Egypt Pounds for foreigners, 10Egypt Pounds for foreign students.

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Directions: About 3km north of Luxor Temple.

Although it is no Temple of Karnak, the Luxor Temple is very impressive. The temple was dedicated to the Theban Triad of Ammon, Mut, and Khonshu and was, during the New Kingdom, the focus of the annual Opet Festival, in which a cult statue of Ammon was paraded down the Nile from Karnak Temple which it connected to by the Avenue of Sphinxs.

The temple begins with the 24-metre high First Pylon, built by Ramses II. The pylon was decorated with scenes of Ramses's military triumphs (This main entrance to the temple complex was originally flanked by six colossal statues of the Ramses but only two seated have survived. The 25-metre tall obelisk is one of a matching pair of which the other one sits in Place de la Concorde in Paris.

Inside the courtyard, also built by Ramses II, has seen the Abu Haggag mosque built. After the courtyard comes the processional colonnade built by Amenhotep III – a 100-metre corridor lined by 14 columns. Friezes on the wall describe the stages in the Opet Festival. Interestingly there are Roman stuccoes than can still be seen atop the Egyptian carvings inside the temple. In Roman times this area served as a chapel, where local Christians were offered a final opportunity to renounce their faith and embrace the state religion. Moving further in stands a Barque Shrine for use by Ammon, built by Alexander.

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Address: Sharia al-Karnak & Sharia al-Bahr
Directions: Head West to the Nile River from the Train Station.

21 tombs of pharaohs who reigned during the 18th - 20th dynasties are located in the Valley of the Kings . Theban pharaohs tried to protect their bodies and treasures and the pyramids were too obvious a target for thieves All the royal tombs except for the Tomb of Tutankhamun were robbed. The hieroglyph paintings in the tombs are spectacular to look at and should not be missed

Tickets can be purchased either at the ticket office near the Colossi of Memnon or at entrance to the site. It costs 55 LE to see 3 tombs, excluding the tomb of Tutankhamun, which is purchased separately for 70 LE, just before entry to the Valley.

I purchased the 3 tomb pass and managed to see Ramses III, V/VI, and IX. The best of these was the tomb of Ramses VI that was built as an addition to Ramses V. Apparently Seti I is still the best one to see but it was under renovation.

Photos are not allowed in the tombs but with a little baksheesh and no flash the crypt keeper will let you take a couple.

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Address: West Bank of Luxor

King Tutankhamun's Tomb is located right by the front entrance to the Ramses V/VI tomb in the Valley of the Kings. The price to enter now is 70 LE but it is less impressive than some of the other tombs.

The reason that this tomb is so famous is that it was the only one that was found intact. It was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter with all sorts of treasures. Almost all of these treasures are now at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo so I would recommend skipping the tomb and just visiting the museum.

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Address: Valley of the Kings

You can't miss this temple if you go to the West Bank of Luxor. This funerary temple was constructed for Maatkare Hatshepsut (1504 BC - 1458 BC), who was the fifth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt. She was the first woman to take the title of Pharaoh.

The focal point of the temple was the Djeser-Djeseru or "the Sublime of Sublimes", a colonnaded structure of perfect harmony nearly one thousand years before the Parthenon. Djeser-Djeseru sits atop a series of terraces that once were graced with gardens.

After her death, many of her monuments were defaced or destroyed. You can see this at the temple as many of the images of where Hatshepsut was are scratched out. The traditional belief among historians is that her son, Thutmose III, was responsible because he was jealous. Talk about a bitter son!

Hatshepsut was the daughter of Thutmose I and Queen Ahmose. After the death of her father in 1492 BC she married her half-brother Thutmose II and assumed the title of Great Royal Wife. Thutmose II ruled for only a few years, during which it is believed Hatshepsut exerted tremendous influence. Thutmose II had only two daughters with Hatshepsut, Nefrure and Meritre, but managed to father a male heir, Thutmose III, by a lesser wife named Isis before his death.

As Thutmose III's aunt and stepmother, Hatshepsut was selected to be regent until the boy king came of age. At first it seemed that Hatshepsut was patterning herself after the powerful female regents of Egypt's then recent history, but she had herself crowned Pharaoh which was an exclusively male title at this point in Egyptian history. Over time all depictions of her only showed her in a masculine form.

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Directions: On the West Bank of the Nile in between the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Kings.

Although there is nothing to tell you about it, it was here at the Temple of Hatshepsut that 58 tourists were killed by Extremists in 1997. Keep this in mind that the temple is not only dedicated to an ancient queen but also to people who gave their lives to a supreme act of intolerance.

The temple (and all of Luxor) is very safe now as there are checkpoints and guards everywhere. Check out my Temple of Hatshepsut tip to find out about the history of this amazing place

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Directions: On the West Bank of the Nile in between the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Kings.

The Valley of the Queens is the site of over 90 tombs of royal wives, sons, and daughters from the 18th, 19th, and 20th Dynasties. The tombs are elaborately decorated and at times are better than the ones in the Valley of the Kings as there are far less people.

The most sought-after ticket in the valley is the tomb of Queen Nefertari. This is supposed to be the most beautiful tomb in the valley but it was closed to the public when I went there. In fact, only 3 of the tombs were open so I didn't have much choice in what I would see with my 3 tomb ticket (20 LE). I first saw the Tomb of Prince Khaemwaset and then the Tomb of Queen Titi.

The best tomb included on this ticket was that of Prince Amunherkhopshef, who was Ramses III's son. He died at the age of 15 . His tomb is well decorated and you can even see a mummified fetus there.

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Address: West Bank of Luxor
Directions: SW of the Valley of the Kings
Website: www.touregypt.net/queens.htm

Less touristed than the more famous Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens, are many tombs of the nobles of the New Kingdom (in particular the 18th Dynasty). It is well worth a look to check these out if you have the time to do it.

The tombs usually consist of two or more chambers cut into the rock which were then painted. The deceased may of been buried in a well which was dug down either in the tomb or in the courtyard in front. The tombs date from the 6th Dynasty to the Graeco-Roman Period, although the vast majority date from the New Kingdom.

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Directions: In between the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Kings

These are all that are left of a temple built by Amehotep III. The Greeks believed that these 18m high statues were of Memnon who as slain by Achilles in the Trojan War. They are really big but basically they are worth only a brief stop to take a picture.

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Address: West Bank of Luxor
Directions: On the road as you head West to the Valley of the Queens. Likely they will be the first monuments that you see.