Built around the ancient-site of Thebes, Luxor has been a tourist attraction since the Greco-Roman times with many splendid monuments and temples that you got to be choosy about them while visiting Luxor. There are three key places to visit during your visit to Luxor but first it’s a good idea to book an affordable cheap flights to Egypt in order to get things started.
The first of the key attractions is the city of Luxor with the Luxor temple situated in town’s center which was built by the New Kingdom Pharaoh Amenophis III. The temple is spectacular as well as so compact that you can visit it completely within an hour. You can visit it from9 in the morning till 6 in the evening. The Mumification museum there offers you everything you want to know about the mummies and how it’s done. You may be surprised to know that even the animals like birds, reptile etc were also mummified. You can see many of the relics which were found at Theban temples & necropolis (west bank) in the Luxor museum and as it will further enhance your visit with reference to other sites therefore visiting it is highly recommended.
The temples of Karnak are situated at Luxor’s north and are spectacular indeed. Karnak was called the most select of places (Ipet-isut) in ancient times. Karnak’s temple complex was built over a period of 1,500 years and was considered to be the most important worship place in the ancient Egypt. The site has a total area of 1500 x 800 meters of spectacularly built sanctuaries, pylons, kiosks and obelisks which are all dedicated to the Theban-gods. If you find it hard to visit the entire complex, make sure you don’t miss the Hypostile hall located in the Great Temple of Amun.
The Valley of the Kings and Queens is some place you’d definitely want to visit. The Valley of Kings is where the pharaohs were buried and according to their beliefs were hoped to meet “their gods” in the afterlife. The best known of all is the Tutankhamun’s tomb which was discovered almost untouched in 1920’s.
The Valley of Queens is located at the southern-end of the necropolis and the queens and their children were interred here. Presently there exist only four tombs open for public and if you have to be selective (as only 150 tickets are given per day with a 10 minute stay per person) it’s recommended to visit the tomb of Queen Nefertari.
The Colossi of Memnon consists of two giant statues and mostly the visitors get to glimpse them while on their way to the Valley of the Kings but it’s recommended to stop for a while and have a closer look. If the ancient Egypt fascinates you Luxor is definitely not a place to be missed so get ready and explore the magical city of Luxor.
That is interesting man…