Luxor is undoubtedly the world’s greatest open-air museum.
It contains nearly one third of the world’s antiquities.
There is hardly a place in Luxor which have not been
influenced by the ancient Egyptians and their incredible
civilisation which dates back seven thousand years.
Today there is a clear view
over the Luxor Temple from both the Corniche and the new
large square in the back. The
Abu Hagag Mosque is situated on a not yet excavated part of the Temple.
In 1989 archaeologists found 26 statues from The New Kingdom
in a grave in one of the temple yards, these statues are now
exhibited at the Luxor Museum. The museum is very beautiful
with wonderful displays. In a new section the mummy of Ramses
I is on exhibition
The Karnak Temple is a large complex of buildings, that was
built over a period of 1300 years with rebuilding and
additions. The complex consists of several separate temples.
In the evening a splendid Sound and Light show is performed.
Today a great part of the Sphinx Avenue which connected the
two temples in the past, is exposed and can be followed
On the West Bank The Colossi of Memnon stand leading into
the ancient Necropolis, that includes:
The Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, with
the magnificent royal tombs from the New Kingdom, and the
West Valley with the Tomb of Ay, the Tombs of the Nobles,
the Temple of Hatshepsut, Ramasseum, the workers village
Deir El Medina with the small Ptolemaic Temple, Medinet Habu
and the Temple of Seti. I
The Coptic Monastery of St. Tawdros is situated at the edge
of the western desert, old inscriptions partly in
hieroglyphs can be found in the ajoining church.
From Luxor it is also possible to visit both Dendera and the
Abydos Temples.
With the new desert road Luxor is a good starting point for
a visit to the oases Kharga, Dackla and Farafa. |
