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LUXOR |
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"Here are works in whose presence it is a task for the imagination
to overtake the eyesight"
Luxor is the world's greatest out door museum, filled with the awe-inspiring monuments of ancient civilization. During the New Kingdom (1567 - 1085) the capital of Egypt was Wesset which means "mace" to express the extreme authority of this city, then the name was changed to Thebes and Homer described it as "City of The Hundred Gates." Its recent name, Al-Oqsor, means "The City of Palaces".
The River Nile divided Al-Oqsor to two Banks. On the East Bank, in the City of the Living, Luxor and Karnak Temples greet the sunrise. The sunset on the West Bank throws shadows through the city of the Dead, the Tombs of the Nobles, the Valley of the Kings and Queen Hatshepsut's Temple.
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The Ramesseum |
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Ramses
II' marvelous funerary temple at western
Thebes.
Its murals record the renowned Battle of Qades.
That inspired Shelley's sonnet "Ozymandias".
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El Deir El Bahari |
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The
only woman to rule Egypt in Pharaonic era. The temple
is composed of three stories. Deir el-Bahari is fairly
recent nomenclature when the Copts used it as a monastery
in the 7th century B.C.
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Valley of the Kings |
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These tombs are ordered by the Kings of the new kingdom to be carved in the rock-faces of the valley, to safeguard them against grave-robbers.
King Tut Ankh Amon's Tomb
The most famous tomb at the Valley of the Kings, dates back to 1352 BC. In 1922, Howard Carter discovery of King Tut Ankh Amon fabulous treasures caused a worldwide sensation. The Valley of the kings also houses the famous tombs of: Ramses III, VI, Amenhotep II, Seti I, Horemheb and Thutmose III.
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Valley of the Queens |
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Nefertari
Tomb
The most renowned at the Valley of the Queens.
It boasts vivid murals and inscriptions. The tomb has
been recently opened to the public after restoration.
Valley of the Queens houses tombs of the Nobles and Deir Al-Medina.
" … hieroglyphic inscriptions without
end. Have I not said that it was like a dream?"
"..
undying colors.. colures that are still fresh, though
laid on by hands that have been dust since three thousand
years and more". |
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Day Trips |
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Luxor is an ideal base for day trips to Esna, Dendera and Abydos.
Temple of Esna:
Located in south of Luxor, constructed for the worship of Khnum, the god of creation, in the form of a ram's head. It is one of the Greco-Roman temples within the hypostyle hall constructed by King Ptolemy VI and completed by the Roman emperors. Near by is a Christian monastery of Hanaus and El-Shohada, constructed in the fourth century. The Monastery of "three Thousand Six Hundred Martyrs" comprises two churches, the walls of one are covered with vibrant 10th century murals.
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Dendera Temple |
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One the West Bank of Qena city 60km north of Luxor.
It is one of the Greco-Roman temples for the worship of goddess Hathor. It was built by king Ptolemy II and its construction was completed by the Roman Emperors. The ceiling of the hypostyle room has an astronomic decoration with the symbolic representation of the sky.
Abydos was the main seat of Osiris worship, "god of eternity". The temple of Seti I with its painted relief's is the best preserved among the ruins of Abydos, while the temple of Ramses II walls record the famous battle of Qadesh.
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King Tut Ankh Amon |
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It is an annual event celebrating the discovery of King Tut Ankh - Amon's tomb on the 4th of November 1922.
The festival has been inspired by the ancient Egyptian festival of Opet which was held during the season of Nile flooding, and celebrated the annual reunion of the Sacred Theban Triad: the great god Amon, his wife Mut and their son Khonsu, during the reign of King Tut Ankh Amon.
The whole ceremony was carved in relief on the processionary colonnade in Luxor Temple, where it can still be seen today. |
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