Luxor, Deir el-Medina and the Valley of the Dead – A Quick Look At Thebes and its Necropolis

The ancient city of Thebes, where the Nile river gently flows by the ruined Great Hypostyle Hall of yonder, is a marvelous place. After the fall of the Pharaohs, the land of Upper Egypt, the power center of the New Kingdom, lied forgotten, ravaged by time and unfortunate neglect. Once this city would have been filled with a parade of white cloaked priests, while skilled artisans would have been holed up across the river in their own village, much of their work still visible to the intrepid explorer of the modern era. It is in here that the colonial fever for all things Egypt came to a head and although the fever has abated, Luxor still retains its place on the marquis of ancient sites.

Table of Contents

• Geography
• A Brief History
  • Old Kingdom and First Intermediate Period
  • Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period
  • New Kingdom and Third Intermediate Period
  • Assyrian Occupation
  • Ptolemaic Period and Roman Occupation
  • Islamic, Colonial Era and Modern Egypt
• Transportation
• Exploring Luxor
  • East Bank (The City of Luxor, Karnak and Luxor Temple)
    • The Corniche
    • Mummification and Luxor Museum
    • Colonial Luxor (The Winter Palace Hotel)
    • The Souk
    • The Avenue of Sphinxes and St Mary Church – A look at Luxor’s Processional Ways
    • Karnak Temple
      • Visitors Center and First Pylons
      • Courtyard, Temple of Ramsesses III and the Great Hypostle Hall
      • Obelisks and Temple of Thutmosis III
      • The Sacred Lake
      • Temple Of Khonsu and Assorted Sights
    • Luxor Temple and the Abu al-Haggag Mosque (& Ahmed Negm Mosque)
    • Other Things to do!
  • West Bank / Theban Necropolis (The Valley of the Dead)
    • Crossing The Nile River and a Balloon Ride Up
    • Colossi of Memnon (Amenhotep’s Temple)
    • Howard Carter House
    • Mortuary Temple of Seti I
    • Alabaster Shops
    • Hassan Fathy Mosque and the Kurna Villages
    • Tombs of the Nobles
    • Ramesseum
    • Medinet Habu
    • Deir el-Medina
    • Deir el-Bahari and the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
    • Valley of the Queens
    • Valley of the Kings
      • KV2 (Rameses IV)
      • KV5 (Sons of Ramses II)
    • KV8 (Merneptah)
• Stay Safe
• Conclusion

Geography

The city of Luxor, along with the Karnak and Luxor temples, are located on the east bank of the Nile whereas the Valley of the Kings, the workers village (Deir el-Medina) and the associated funerary temples are located on the western bank. As a word of warning Luxor is a reference to both a city and one of the two principle temples.

To help you find the sights mentioned later in this post I have included a map with locations of Luxor’s attractions marked by pins. It can be found below:

A Brief History

Luxor is built over the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, a major center of Upper Egypt. This part of the country represents the southern half, away from the Nile delta, while the old kingdom is represented in Memphis, near modern Cairo and the Giza Plateau. Much like its previously mentioned contemporary, the city did not make its mark on the country after the end of antiquity – thus its abandonment and end has been a subject of fascination by modern scholars. The ruins of the city were made a UNESCO site in 1979 and are one of the primary draws for tourists in Egypt. Here is a brief history of this legendary city.

Old Kingdom and First Intermediate Period

Originally inhabited in 3200 BC (Yes, you read that correctly!). Little remains from this period although one can attest to the importance of the settlement when the 11th dynasty of Pharaohs set up an alternate pharaohdom in the city during the First Intermediate Period. They were in direct competition with the 9th and 10th dynasty who ruled other areas of Egypt.

Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period

In 2050 BC the Kingdom was united by the Thebian Pharaoh of the 11th dynasty, Mentuhotep I. It is under his dynasty that the Thebes we know today began to take shape. Under his rule the first tombs at Deir el-Bahri were constructed. In subsequent dynasties the capital moved back north yet Thebes remained an important religious center for the growing cult of Amun the Sun god.

During the Intermediate period, the 15th dynasty took Memphis and displaced members of the 13th dynasty who would flee to Thebes restoring it as the capital of Upper Egypt. They would become the 16th dynasty. The 17th dynasty hailing from Thebes would restore the Kingdom of Egypt and usher in the New Kingdom under the 18th Dynasty.

New Kingdom and Third Intermediate Period

The New Kingdom is considered to be the “Golden Age” of Thebes and of Upper Egypt as a whole. It is during this time that the city becomes the capital of a unified Egypt for an extended period of time. In this period there are two important developments; the first being the training of a professional civil service filed to the brim with scribes to record the Pharaohs edicts and the second is the building of grand temples to honour the gods – specifically the chief god Amun, these temples were centered at Karnak. Amun is the chief god of Thebes and the temple building dates from Thutmose I, an important figure whose life will be elaborated on later. From this time on monumental temples began construction throughout the kingdom. Two Pharaohs that helped develop the city during this period were Queen Hatshepsut (the be discussed at length later and Thutmoses III (ditto!). The former renewed Egypt’s trade networks and the later increased Egypt’s treasury through war. More importantly both blessed the city with their patronage.

The city once again lost its title as the capital under the lean years of the rule of Akhenaten and his wife Nefertiti. The royal court in Thebes was abandoned and a new capital on the Nile, Amarna was constructed. To compound this, the cult of Aton displaced that of Amun, deeply unsettling the Egyptian peasantry. Their son, the famed boy king Tutankhamun (Yes, this guy!) would restore the temples of Thebes but would move the capital back to Memphis. The city was used as a part time residence for Seti I and Ramesses II, in a period where Egypt was once again at the height of its power. These pharaohs would enrich the city, specifically Ramesses who is known for the construction on massive granaries on the opposite bank of the Nile, thus concentrating tax revenue on the city and building massive temples such as the Ramseum. In the later years of the New Kingdom suffered tremendous financial strains and the plunder of Royal Mummies took place.

During the Third Intermediate Period, Egypt once again broke apart and the priesthood of Thebes took over the Pharaohs power, with the High Priest of Amun exerted absolute power over the South of the nation. Yet exchanges and marriages with 21st and 22nd Dynasty in the North centered in the Nile Delta at Tanis kept Thebes as an important center of influence. Finally in 750 BC, the Kingdom of Kush (Nubia – modern day Sudan) invaded and took over the throne of Egypt once again unifying it. This was the 25th dynasty of Pharaohs also referred to as the Nubian Kings of Egypt. Since Nubians and Egyptians shared similar religious practices, Thebes was able to retain its importance , once again being made the Capital of Egypt. The 25th dynasty invested heavily in the city.

Assyrian Occupation

In 667 BC, Egypt was invaded by the Assyrian Kingdom ruled by Ashurbanipal, at this time the most powerful man in the world. The Egyptians were pushed further and further south and Thebes was taken three years later. The Assyrians plundered the city and its temples and brought it back to Assyrian. Plundered the city would never truly recover but remained a religious center.

The Assyrians were displace in 525 BC when the Persians under Cambyses II invaded Egypt and became pharaoh. The Persians were strongly disliked for their centralized rule.

Ptolemaic Period and Roman Occupation

By the time Alexander the Great took Egypt (and visited the priesthood of Thebes), the country had been under foreign occupation for quite some time. While lower Egypt and the delta readily accepted the Greeks, Upper Egypt and Nubia longed for a native born Pharaoh. Thus Thebes was a major center of dissent. The city was the center of three revolts, the first in 185 BC pardoned by Ptolemy V who wished to maintain the support of the priesthood, the second in 132 BC and a third in 91 BC which resulted destruction as well as the abandonment of the city.

Egypt came under the thumb of Rome in 30 BC after the suicide of the last Ptolemaic ruler Cleopatra and her lover the Roman Marc Anthony. During the Roman Campaign against Nubia, the temple at Luxor was used as a garrison for the troops. What little was left of the city turned into a village before its abandonment to the sands of time.

Islamic, Colonial Era and Modern Egypt

Little of interest happens in Luxor during the Islamic Era, as mentioned previously the city had been in a prolonged tailspin and no force could take it out of its despondent condition. There is one exception however that would see the construction of a curiously placed mosque in the Luxor Temple ruins, during the Fatimid Era.

The colonial Era would signal the revival of the city, something that would continue into modern times. Famous Egyptologist began to stop here and with the construction railways and port facilities, Luxor became an important stop for tourists during the Golden Age of Travel. Tourism and the research on antiquities continue to be large employers and drivers of revenue for the city to this day!

The Modern Era has continued to see the influx of tourists. This trend has only continued with the construction of a new airfield and Luxor has become a hub of Upper Egypt, a position it shares with the stunning and much larger city of Aswan to the south. Like many towns along the Nile, Luxor has its far share of industry especially in the refining of sugar cane. The town is a city once again, centered around the old Luxor Temple and having grown in all directions.

A rather serious setback occurred in 1997 in an event called the Luxor massacre when 58 tourists and four Egyptians were were killed at Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple by Islamist terrorists from Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya.

Transportation

There are four ways to get in and out of Luxor the first is by flying from the Luxor International Airport, the second is by Bus, the third by way of the railway (much more comfortable then the bus) and lastly by boat! Luxor is a well known cruising port for those leaving to Aswan. These boat rides will take you to famed temples such as those at Edfu (Temple of Horus) as well as Kom Ombo (the Temple of Sobek).

The vessels usually have modern facilities on board but you may want to make a quick run into town to pick up some cheap snacks and more importantly some liquor/wine/beer since the markup on beverages on the vessel is steep. Although meals are provided on the river boats, alcohol is not, but can be bought at a steep markup. As will be described later in this post, there is an alcohol shop in Luxor, right by the train station. One of the few you will find in the more conservative parts of Egypt.

The bus station can be found directly adjacent to the train station.

The learn more bout these river cruises click here.

Exploring Luxor

The charm of Luxor mostly lies in the antiquities found on each side of the River. However there is still a few charming things to do in the city of Luxor itself. In this section below I will run down what to do in Luxor.

East Bank (The City of Luxor, Karnak and Luxor Temple)

The Corniche

This Riverfront Promenade may seem quaint but is populated with endless peddlers trying to sell you there wares. It become more and more relaxing the further way you get from the ships, when the crowds grow smaller and you have space to yourself. Both the Luxor Museum and the Mummification museum are located on this riverfront promenade.

Mummification and Luxor Museum

Both of these riverfront attractions are located within walking distance from the Luxor Temple. The Luxor Museum is the largest of the two while the mummification museum is rather diminutive in size. The Luxor museum is renowned for the quality of its pieces and the presentation of those objects. Expect to see lots of Pharaonic statues!

Colonial Luxor (The Winter Palace Hotel)

The heart of colonial Luxor can be found at the Winter Palace Hotel. This yellow painted marvel is built along the river, joust south of Luxor palace. The five star hotel is a sprawling marvel. Built in 1886, it is home to a beautiful bar, Oasis Café Restaurant and an amazing backyard garden. The interior has hardly changed since the construction of the building and it has retained an authentic, if not slightly outdated feel. Just a reminder pack a nice pair of pants as you need to be well dressed to access the libations lounge at the palace. Both the Cafe and the bar are a time capsule of an era long gone are are a must see, at lest to sneak your head in!

Notable guests to the hotel include the famed archaeologist Howard Carter and Agatha Christie. Carter the man who discovered Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922. Although the king Tut collection is now located in Cairo’s Egyptian Museum, it was fact displayed for the first time for public viewing at this location. Agatha Christie for her part is a well known crime novelist both her novels Poirot novel and Death on the Nile were written at the hotel.

The backyard is fenced off from the rest of the city, thus keeping out peddlers and offering a bit of peace to their guests. The space features a palm garden and a rear yard pool.

It feels quite exotic to observe nearby minarets from the garden.

The Souk

Located opposite the Luxor Temple, this often crowded and narrow pedestrian street can be a tad overwhelming at first. The vendors can be quite aggressive and are looking to turn a quick buck… don’t get roped in.

Visit all the shops and get a handle on the real – non tourist – prices before you purchase anything and don’t be afraid to walk away feigning indignation is just about the only way for them to drop the price down. Finally don’t bargain for an item you do not wish to buy, it is considered rude to do so.

The Avenue of Sphinxes and St Mary Church – A look at Luxor’s Processional Ways

Linking Karnak to the north, and Luxor temple in the heart of the city, is an excavated Human headed Sphinx lined 3 kilometer (1.86 mile) prepossession way (dromos). In fact the Estate of Amun – the four temples dedicated to the sun god- were connected by a series of walkways such as this. The four temples are of course Karnak, Luxor, Medinet Habu, and Deir el Bahri, and the rectangular grid even crossed the river twice. Festivals and religious parades were celebrated along these points. The Karnak to Luxor bout was used for Feast of Opet, from Luxor to Medinet Habu was used for the Feast of Amunemopet and from Karnak to Deir el Bahri the Feast of the Valley. A second processional way, that once crossed over the river heading west, can be found at Karnak temple.

If you are interested, the roadway is bisected by St Mary’s Church, a beautiful Coptic structure with twin belfry’s.

Karnak Temple

Visitors Center and First Pylons

After passing though the Karnak visitors center, tourist will be greeted by a massive riverfront square with access to the main temple. The site is located in the northern part of the city and was once considered to be the main temple of Thebes throughout the New Kingdom. This is the second most visited site in Egypt after the pyramids.

Curiously you will find some later additions to the temple on your way in including this mosque.

The front (west) side of the temple will lead you through the outer pylons of the temple where you will find a sphinx line Pylons prepossession way, as mentioned earlier.

If you look closely at one of the ruined obelisks you will see oval circled cartouches, these ovals indicate that hieroglyphs inside contain a royal name.

You may notice that some the sphinx’s have a ram-head and a small pharaoh figure between their paws. The Ram represents the god Amun, protecting the king between its paws.

The first round of pylons is absolutely massive and looms above the inner courtyard. In this courtyard you will find a small shrine dedicated to the god Seth (third picture in slideshow). Off to the southern end of the courtyard you will find a statue lined temple dedicated to Ramesses III.

Courtyard, Temple of Ramsesses III and the Great Hypostle Hall

From the courtyard you will see the Hypostyle Hall, the inner sanctum of the temple. Here massive statues of Pharaohs guard the entrance. You may noticed crossed arms on the statue. This is the sign of Osiris meaning the person depicted by the statue was deceased by the time of its creation.

Although some archaeological ruins on this site date back from the 11th dynasty, yet the true build-out of the site began during the 18th dynasty when Thebes was capital of Egypt. The site was constructed over the rule of over thirty pharaohs all of whom left their mark on the temple making it one of the most complete in Egypt. In fact construction on the temple continued into the Ptolemaic Greek occupation.

Past the first courtyard you will see the Great Hypostyle Hall. This interior space was held up by 16 rows of columns for a total of 134 columns overall.

Looking up at the ceiling you can still see painted hieroglyphics painted into the ceiling while the floor for its part was also just as detailed. One scene from a floor stone shows Nubian and Assyrian captives. The roof has otherwise collapsed so once can imagine that this was once an even more impressive space.

The columns are just as detailed but as you can see there has been ancient graffiti left on some of the cartouches, like the Mr. Wroblewski in 1850.

Construction on this hall began during the 19th Egyptian Dynasty (c. 1290–1224 BC). The building began to take shape under Queen Hatshepsut and one will see that she has left her mark all over the place.

On the walls you will find reliefs completed by Ramesses II – VI and Seti I. The Great Hypostle Hall was the most impressive of its kind in ancient Egypt and wowed early European travellers to this area.

Just to fill you in on the origins of the name Karnak, it comes from the nearby village called El-Karnak only a few kilometers away.

Obelisks and Temple of Thutmosis III

When you exit the hall you will be confronted with two massive obelisks, these are the last two standing at Karnak. Many of these structures were erected under Thutmose I, Queen Hatshepsu and Thutmose III.

The most famous of these Obelisks is that of Queen Hatshepsut, erected in 1457 BC, it is the second biggest obelisk in ancient Egypt. The granite slab is nearly 30m high and is carved from a single block! The other structure belongs to Thutmose I, her father.

Now you wonder why this beautiful obelisk appears to be walled in and I will try to simplify this story for you. Hatshepsut was married to a man called Thuthmosis II, the son of Thutmosis I and a minor wife (hence Hatshepsut and Thutmosis II were half-brother and sister). Together they had a daughter called Neferure, yet a son was also born to a minor wife – the boy would become the famous Thutmose III. Hatshepsut was the most powerful person in court and after the death of her husband took over the throne of Egypt, that was supposed to belong to Thutmoses III by birthright. She has him exiled from court and erased mention of Thutmose II on monument, fabricating a lie that the was in fact her father’s intended heir. The usurper would be overthrown by a grown Thutmose III years later and as a retribution smashed much of her imagery and monuments to pieces. Now this being said, Thutmosis wanted to do the same to her obelisk but it couldn’t be taken down without destroying other buildings, in response he just walled it in. Tutmose would go on the be a great Pharaoh and military commander, much like Tutmoses I.

Speaking of which the next set of ruined buildings to the east belong to the realm of Thutmose III! Here you will find plenty of ruined statues, passageways and assorted stonework.

At the back of the site is a large stone temple, that in many ways is mostly complete. Behind it you will also find a Temple dedicated to Ramesses II with a few statues left in good condition. You will also find a chapel dedicated to Osiris.

The Sacred Lake

On the south side of the obelisks you will find a plaza and one of the most important artifacts in Karnak the Sacred Lake!

If you walk over to the far end of the lake you will find the sound and lights platform that offers a great overview of the site.

This is the sanctum of the priests and Pharaoh, who would come bath in its sacred waters to purify themselves before entering the inner halls of the temple. It was once surrounded by the priests living quarters. The lake was dug by Tuthmosis III and measures a staggering 120m (393 feet) by 77m (252 feet).

Temple Of Khonsu and Assorted Sights

The rest of the site is composed of assorted ruins, the most prominent of which is the Temple of Khonsu.

Continuing south past the sacred lake you will walk through many ruined pylons, some which are being restored.

These pylons lead to the procession road, a thoroughfare heading directly towards Luxor Temple. From here the ruins are closed off to the public. You will find a the road closed off as archaeological excavations are still ongoing in this area. This is called the Precinct of Mut and contains an ancient temple, from here the road bifurcates towards Luxor Temple.

In the south west corner of Karnak you will find the Temple Of Khonsu. This is an excellent example of a complete New Kingdom temple and was constructed by Ramesses III. This temple is usually devoid of tourists and may be worth a stop for some non-crowded photo opportunities.

Additional work was done on the temple in Ptomelaic times such as this doorway constructed under the rule of Ptolemy III.

There is another outlying building on the south east corner, near the procession way but I am not quite sure what the building is

When you are done looking around proceed back towards the visitors center.

Luxor Temple and the Abu al-Haggag Mosque (& Ahmed Negm Mosque)

Back down the procession way toward the center of the city you will find the Luxor Temple. In the Egyptian language it the name of the temple could roughly be translated to “the southern sanctuary”.

In the square outside of this temple, you will find the Ahmed Negm Mosque, known for its distinctive tower.

In front of the temple, near the first Pylon, you will find a tall obelisk. This one belongs to Ramses II (“the Great”), a man that erected more obelisks than any other pharaoh. There were once two, in front of the temple but the second was shipped off to Paris in the 18th century where it still stands today Place de la Concorde. It features inscriptions of Ramses making offerings to the god Amun-Ra.

The temple construction took place in 1400 BC, being started by Amenhotep III (18th Dynasty) with extra parts of the temple completed by the boy king Tutankhamun and Ramesses II.

This temple is peculiar, in the first courtyard you will find a later addition to the building, the Abou al-Haggag Mosque built into the temple wall.

The mosque dates from 640 and was built over a Coptic church established in 395 AD. This occupation indicates that the Luxor Temple is the oldest building in the world that has been active for purposed other than archaeological and/or touristic. The mosque celebrates a man called Sheikh Yusuf Abu el Haggag. He was an Ashraf, which means that he was a descendant of the prophet Muhammad. He was born in Baghdad, moved through Mecca before settling in Luxor. A devout man he is celebrated in town with yearly celebrations.

It is a pretty interesting experience to hear the call to prayer blasting through the ancient building.

In the courtyard you will find several statues. One of these belongs to Ramesses II. On its pedestal you will find inscriptions detailing Nubian slaves taken from some of his military campaigns.

Another fascinating piece is a statue of the boy Pharaoh, the il-fated king Tutenkamun and his bride Ankhesenamun.

From the first courtyard you will enter the Grand Colonnade leading into the Sun court of Amenhotep III. Before you do anything else in the temple, make sure take a look at the grand colonnade. Its pillars are topped with the shape of a Lotus, the symbol of Upper Egypt whereas the columns of the Sun courts are topped with papyrus shapes, the symbol of lower Egypt. This shows that the Pharaoh was the ruler of both Egypts.

The role of Luxor is greatly associated with that of the Theban Triad of Amun, his consort Mut, and their son Khonsu. During the Opet Festival, a statue of Amun was paraded down the Nile from Karnak Temple to be with his consort Mut at the Luxor temple, thus helping to bring fertility to the Pharaoh and the land.

The sun court is composed of a large colonnaded courtyard with an interior sanctum filled with more papyrus topped columns.

From here the temple retreats back to the old chapel of Amenhotep III containing the Holy of Holy’s as well as a Hellenic shrine built during the reign of Alexander the Great. This Alexandrian chapel is easily recognizable due to its distinct Ptolemaic features.

During the Roman era, the temple was transformed into a fortress that served as a home for the Roman government and the legionnaires themselves. Thus chapel in this part of the temple dedicated to the goddess Mut was transformed into a Tetrarchy and later into a church with the advent of Christianity. It is recognizable by its distinct Corinthian columns, a rarity in this part of Egypt.

Inside the chapel you will find some defacement initiated by the early Christians on the temple walls.

Inside the chapel you will cross through a series of doorways to find the Holy of Holy’s

The inside of the temple still has a few painted hieroglyphs carved into the wall and they are rather stunning.

The temple posses a few colonnaded halls that you may walk through.

For those curious about the transformation of the space, one can see it best in the repurposing of doors. As you can see below this massive portal has been reduced and its capstone above the door removed.

In this case blocks were chiseled to remove or deface inscriptions and were repurposed to build this doorway. You can see this by the mishmash of blocks, including some with hieroglyphs still on them.

Outside of the temple you will find little else but disorderly rubble amid the palms. This temple is beautiful at night if you get a chance to walk by it.

Other Things to do!

There is little to do in Luxor outside of the Souk and the antiquities themselves. Still if you persist in looking around there are a few Coptic churches and mosques that may be worth a look as well as some beautiful Nile scenery. Outside of the city you may see how the ordinary people of Egypt live. The region is rather agricultural and relies on irrigation canals and heavy industry for most to make ends meet.

I feel it important to mention that the train station has a liquor store nearby that will see you quite a few products. This can make drinking a much more affordable experience!

West Bank / Theban Necropolis (The Valley of the Dead)

The west bank of the Nile river is associated with the dead. It is littered with mortuary temples and tombs. Without further ado welcome to the Valley of the Dead.

Crossing The Nile River and a Balloon Ride Up

To go up in the balloons, one must cross the Nile early (5am ish) in the morning. Still a little groggy from the early morning wakup call, I grab some food to go, struggle down to the waterfront and hop in a boat across the river. From the water you can see the temple of Luxor lit up and glowing!

From the opposite shore I got on a bus and was driven to the launch site, an empty field surrounded by agricultural land.

For someone that has never flown up in a balloon this was a once in a lifetime experience.

Seeing the flame of the balloons light up the early morning sky was spectacular.

And before you know it I was up in the air. Talking to the captain I found out that the Egyptians pilots train in Cappadocia before coming back with their knowledge to Luxor.

From the balloon you will get to peer down at the housing below.

From the edge of the desert you will have a fantastic view of the morning sunrise.

This sunrise is most pronounced when you hit the edge of the desert!

From here the balloons will take you up into the desert range, surveying tombs below

These tombs must surely range in the hundred and surely include the below mentioned “Tombs of the Nobles”.

From here you will get to see the tombs of Deir el-Bahari and the famous mortuary temple of Queen Hatsheput.

From here the balloon will lift up in the air to give a panoramic view of Deir el-Bahari and the mountain range behind it.

Here are several more pictures of the tombs at Deir el-Bahari.

At the base of the desert stands the massive Ramesseum, one of the most impressive mortuary temples in Luxor.

At the south of the Kings Valley, you have the Medinet Habu temple, again, mentioned below.

From its highest elevation the balloon will give you a final view of both the valleys of the kings and queens.

You will aslo get a great view of the Nile river and the agricultural plain.

From below you can see the footprint of the Colossi of Memnon (mentioned later). The full extent of its temple ruins can be evaluated from this height.

From above you will get a chance to see a rather new part of the Luxor agricultural diet! The red fields are actually Nile sun dried tomatoes, a recent introduction to Luxor.

Of of my most cherish scenes from the balloon ride is when it flew over the Hassan Fathy mosque (will be discussed later)

After having completed out trip, the descent will take you into an empty field so that you may exit the craft.

Colossi of Memnon (Amenhotep’s Temple)

My first stop after the balloon ride was the Collossi of Memnon, a collection of two massive stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III sitting down. The two sandstone statues were erected as part of Amenhotep’s memorial temple sometime around 1350 B.C, and are badly damaged in an earthquake in 1200 B.C. The temple is long gone leaving the statues to remains. The name comes from the Roman tradition, where it was referred to as the Temple of Memnon during their occupation (Memnon was a hero of the Trojan War).

Howard Carter House

This domed house on road from Deir Al Bahri to the Valley of the Kings is built into the arid rock covered landscape of the Luxor necropolis desert and it certainly blends into the inhospitable landscape making it easy to miss. Yet it was once the home of Howard Carter, the legendary archaeologist. Now restored to its former condition it houses pictures and tools from the expedition as well as surprise garden, an oasis in this windswept slope. In the garden you will find a replica of Tut’s tomb.

Mortuary Temple of Seti I

Not far from the town of Kurna (Querna), you will find the Mortuary temple dedicated to the 19th dynasty pharaoh Seti I. His father Ramesses I, the founder of the 19th dynasty, has his own shrine in the temple as he does not have a mortuary temple of this own. The temple consists of a large pillared hall but may be of lesser interest then some of the other temples nearby.

Alabaster Shops

The west bank of the Luxor river is littered with alabaster stone carving shops and other handicrafts. Some shops have a good reputation and can be trusted. Do ask around before shopping.

Hassan Fathy Mosque and the Kurna Villages

This mudbrick mosque is named after the Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy. He is known for his adaptation of architectural styles and material to the economic environment they are being built for. Thus he pioneered the construction of modern mudbricks buildings that would be less costly than concrete and steel structures in the poorer parts of Egypt. His work was widely praised with some calling him a modern Imhotep! The mosque in west Luxor bears his name and is a fantastic structure. Much of his work can be found in Luxor, including the village of New Gourna (Kurna), built in the 1940’s to replace the loss of Kurna. Speaking of Kurna, once most mention old Kurna. This ancient village is built right near the Temple of Seti I, at one point even occupying the temple itself. The properties were expropriated and the villagers relocated on the 1940s and 50’s so that they would stop robbing the ancient tombs of Luxor.

Tombs of the Nobles

It is not only Pharaohs that are buried in the Theban Necropolis. The region also has a long list of important dignitaries, administrators and high ranking courtiers that have had their tombs etched into the Luxor sandstone. There are over 415 catalogued tombs discovered on site. I did not have a chance to see any of these tombs but I remember seeing pictures in a national geographic (or something similar) of one of these that looked particularly stunning and that is that of Pashedu (TT3).

Ramesseum

Possible the most impressive of the mortuary temples on the west bank of the Nile river, the Ramesseum is dedicated to king Ramsses II, better known as Ramsses “The Great”, Ram-the-man or the man with 100 children. Like many of his temples he included scenes of his military victories such as that at Quadesh. The massive complex must have been something to gaze in awe at the time of its construction but due to many floods (it is built on the very edge of the Nile floodplain) it has degraded significantly. Outside of its connection of Ramesses it is a fairly typical temple.

Medinet Habu

This temple dedicated to Ramesses III is a well known addition to the Theban collection. It consists of an front pilon and a long corridor. It is in fairly good condition and is host to one of the few depictions of the mysterious Sea Peoples and their defeat during the reign of Ramesses III.

Deir el-Medina

The most underrated attraction in Luxor, this ancient workers village has taught archaeologists most of what they know about daily life in ancient Egypt. The village was occupied from the 18th dynasty (beginning to Thutmose I) to the 20th and the workmen that once occupied the village lived in solitude from the rest of Egyptian society. This is largely due to the fact that the workmen knew the secrets of the Pharaohs tomb locations and they didn’t want the word of the locations of these tombs getting out. As such they lived here detached from the world in the harsh conditions of the rocky desert soil, ferries in to the valley of the kings to work on the tombs. As a trade off the Pharaohs guaranteed them safety and payment in the forms of food and water. As such this was somewhat of en enviable life. However boredom must have been constant for some of these workmen and their families. As such they carved their own tombs beneath their homes and they paintings found inside of them often represents scenes from their lives, filling us in on the lives of the village inhabitants. It is also believed that some tended meagre gardens in their yards. When the Pharaohs would (or could) not provide resources for the worker due to either social disorder or crisis, the workers would devolve into grave robbing if necessary since they knew the layout of the valley of the kings.

The name of the village was once Set maat or the “The Place of Truth”. The larger structure at the back of the complex is the temple of Hathor along with a Ptomailaic temple, a building that was converted into a church from which the Egyptian Arabic name Deir el-Medina (“the monastery of the town”). It was examined in 1922, by a team led by Bernard Bruyère around the same time as the discovery of King Tut, thus allowing the discoveries on site to fly under the radar which are some of the oldest documented accounts of community life in the ancient spanning almost four hundred years. Some consider it the best example of such a community in term of the wealth of its archaeological evidence.

The highlight of the village is of course the workers tombs.

Inside you will find scenes of daily life from the collection crops, hearing of animals, death, modification, as well as tribute to the gods and scenes of the afterlife.

The colourful interiors are in remarkable condition and are remarkably detailed. It is clear that the workers had a lifetime of boredom to prepare for death.

Here are a few more…

Some vary in quality and states of repair.

And this hilarious painting of the Jackal god Anubis with a scarf.

Deir el-Bahari and the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

One of the most impressive sights in the Theban necropolis is the collection of mortuary complexes called Deir el-Bahari. From the air you will get a glimpse at the scale of these tombs and temples.

The area got its start when Mentuhotep II, pharaoh of the Eleventh Dynasty built his mortuary temple here during the 15th century BC.

The most impressive of the temples is the of Hatchepsut but a Temple of Thutmose III and Mentuhotep II exist beside it. You will also find caves, some (tomb (TT320)) that once housed 40 royal mummies including that of Ahmose I, Amenhotep I, Thutmose I, Thutmose II, Thutmose III, Ramesses I, Seti I, Ramesses II, and Ramesses IX. High Priests and pharaohs such as Pinedjem I, Pinedjem II, Meketre and Siamun were also buried nearby. In fact hundreds of mummies have been found on site.

When entering the grounds of the temple, look up over the washrooms to find tombs in the hill behind it. This is marked as TT 353 of Sen-en-Mut (Senenmut tomb). Senenmut, an important courtier and was the architect of Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple. It is believed that he may (or may not) have been Hatchepsut’s lover, this has been speculated by the fact that this cheeky architect engraved some figures indicating that his relation with the queen may have been more then just “close” (eg: sexually suggestive). We do know that Senenmut declined in influence at the end of Harchesputs rule. Theories range from the fact that he was reduced in stature by the queen for his growing indiscretion or killed by agents of Tutmosis III, seeking to reduce the queen’s power a subject that will explored later in this post.

The multi-tiered temple itself is accessed via a a massive ramp, almost as if it was a step pyramid. The shape was made to march that of the nearby temple of Mentuhotep II, (2050 BC), built to meet the cliff face. You will also find a single sphinx left over on the walkway in. There are three layered terraces, each as impressive as the last.

On your way in you will find a tree stump with a sign sticking out of it. In essence this tree represents the Queen’s greatest achievement, improvements in the realm of trade. The plant is one of 31 myrrh trees belonged to the Land of Punt (Sudan) and was acquired by the Queen on one of her foreign expeditions. Thus, the stump is over 3500 years old!

Much of the archaeological work done here belongs to the Polish mission, a particularly interesting place to see the Polish flag, and something new I learned during my trip.

On the temple walls you will find details of the Queen’s trade delegations, yet curiously there are no depictions of her in her temple. This is due to the fact that she had usurped the throne from Tuthmosis III when he was a child. As an adult he returned and overthrew her in turn. Angered by her betrayal he destroyed most of her depictions, although one famous one resides at the Egyptian museum in Cairo.

The courtyard is known for its colonnaded arcades. Yet much of the statues and carvings that once adorned it have been smashed posthumously. Tuthmosis III and his allies did what Hatchesput herself did to her enemies, they erased part of her history.

One thing that is interesting is that even though she was a woman, the lady pharaoh’s beard she made look like man

Before you leave cross over into the sanctuary doorways sanctuary doorways and check out the beautiful painted vaulted ceiling.

Valley of the Queens

As the name would suggest, the “Valley of the Queens” is the location where the wives of the Pharaohs were buried, It is the equal half of the Valley of the Kings and was known in ancient times as Ta-Set-Neferu, meaning “the place of beauty”. The “valley” is in fact a mountain canyon and in the main wadi you will find over 91 tombs while in the subsidiary valleys add another 19 tombs. Burials at this location begin in the 18th dynasty but some burials continue throughout the 19th and 20th dynasties.

If one is interested in the site they should check out Nefertari’s tomb QV66. Nefertari was the principle (and favourite) wife of Ramsses and even her name translates as “beautiful companion – needless to say she was a stunner.Since he loved her so much, he built her a beautiful tomb, willed with elaborate paintings. The tomb itself is unfortunately severely restricted to tourists unless you purchase a luxury pass. Despite years of restorative work, the tomb is still susceptible to damage and is monitored by the department of antiquities.

Valley of the Kings

Finally we come to the main attraction on Luxor’s west bank, the Valley of Kings! This opening in the mountain range would have been difficult to access in Pharoanic times and heavily guarded. Today you will be transported from the main parking lot to the valley itself via shuttle bus. The mountain valley was used for a period over nearly 500 years (16th – 11th century BC), from the the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Dynasties.

When you arrive, you will be greeted by the pyramid like peak of al-Qurn, known to the Ancient Egyptians as ta dehent, – “The Peak” – a nod to the pyramids of old. It is a staggering 420 m overlooking the Theban Hills and may have been a reason this area was chosen. The hill is associated with the cobra goddess Meretseger.

With your admission to the site you will have access to three tombs but additional tombs can be purchased. There are over 64 tombs in total and what tombs are open to the public in a given year may change. I visited 3 tombs KV2, KV5 and KV8. The most impressive tomb here is that of Seti I a magnificent structure with rich paintings. Unfortunately it is a very expensive visit, although I think I will pay for it upon my next voyage to Luxor. You can also pay to see the tomb of Tutankhamen. I would recommend against it. Since he died as a boy, his tomb had to be completed rapidly and does not have the sophistication and depth of some of the other tombs. Most of the tombs have been ransacked by grave-robbers, with the exception of KV62 (and the King Tut tomb of course along with a few others). KV62 as well as WV23 (the tomb of Ay, the only tomb open in the west valley) require separate tickets. To protect the royal mummies from any more disturbings many were moved to a previously mentioned royal cache at Deir el-Bahari. The construction of the tombs usually began at the ascension of a king. Thus the longer the rule, the larger the tomb!

I will quickly run down the tombs that I have visited below. For those of you craving a drink, a terrace exists on site!

KV2 (Rameses IV)

My first tomb visit was to that of Ramesses IV. It was completed for an ageing pharaoh who ascended to the throne late in life and needed to accelerated the project, doubling the work gangs.

This tomb has amazingly been opened since antiquity and as such contains much ancient graffiti. In fact the Coptic Christians have left over 50 instances of graffiti!

A long passage will take you underground to begin your journey. The tomb reaches a maximum length of 88.66 m.

On the sides of the tombs you will find beautiful hieroglyphics. Please not that a cartouche encircling a symbol means that it is a royal name!

Even the ceiling are still painted in this tomb and I was amazed at the level of detail. This being said this is a straightforward tomb and you will soon be at the sarcophagus. Despite the level of detail i felt I had seen the tomb has been described as simplistic by some. I was still amazed! I think it may actually have been my favourite!

The sarcophagus room is magnificent, yet the sarcophagus was damages, probably sustained in antiquity. This was one of my favorite burial chambers due to the rich tones of yellow and blue used on the walls! It is amazing that something could retain this color after all these years.

Here are a few pictures of the pictograms contained in this main chamber.

KV5 (Sons of Ramses II)

KV5 is a legendary Valley tomb. First excavated in 1825, its full extent would not be revealed until 1995. It was a burial ground for the Pharaohs many children (he had over 100, its good to be the king!). He lived till he was 90 and as such many of his kids died during his lifetime.

As you can tell from the design below, it is quite spacious for a tomb. In fact it is the largest in the valley of the kings and its re-discovery in 1995 is considered the most important find since Tutankhamen in 1922.

And now down we go!

Right off the bat you will find carvings, including this one of Horus.

The passageway down is faily larger then the last one.

This to,b was also robbed in antiquitn antiquity and even filled with rubble due to its low lying position.

The tomb was first examined first in 1825 by the legendary British egyptologist James Burton, and later in 1902 by Howard Carter, yet they never made it past past the first few rooms.

At least 130 rooms or chambers have been discovered as of 2006. This number is minuscule as only about 7% of the tomb as been cleared), and work is still continuing on clearing the rest of the tomb.

Despite its size I found this tomb to be a bit o a letdown. It is in rough shape yet some of the engravings are fascinating!

KV8 (Merneptah)

This tomb dedicated to Merenptah contains my favourite sarcophagus!

Like all of these things, you will descend underground. This time the central passageway is large. This is due to the fact that they had to fit in massive sarcophagi, some columns have even had to be relocated! In fact two columns may have been stolen by Paneb, a worker in the Deir el-Medina, for use in his own tomb. The length of this tunnel is of a 160 metres corridor.

Inside the tomb you will find the bottom of the coffin.

Around the chamber you will find columns and a vaulted ceiling.

Along with its magnificent top.

IT does seem that some parts of the tomb never completed construction.

Stay Safe

Although Luxor is a tourist town, it is also a hub for some less savoury activity. For young women, do not under any circumstances accept a drink from a local unless you see them pour it or it is sealed – even if it is from your hotel host (in the case of smaller guesthouses). There have been many unfortunate stories that can be found on the internet. Furthermore, be wary of pickpockets or in the case of women, young boys that will stalk you though the streets. This city is one where touts and scammers will be in full force, especially in the Souk. Don’t be afraid to be impolite if necessary and keep moving, avoiding interactions that you don’t feel comfortable with. Alternatively duck into a civic building if needing to escape a particularly annoying young man. Don’t forget that Egypt is a deeply misogynistic and religiously conservative society, especially outside of the more liberal centers. Otherwise have a great stay!

Conclusion

Luxor may have long abandoned any pretense of being an Egyptian capital, like in its Thebean days, but it still projects an air of regal glory. From the grand temples of ancient Egypt, the palace like tombs of the valley of the king and the luxury of colonial era hotels, Luxor has a pedigree that cannot be so easily replicated. It is from this destination that many begin their journeys down the Nile and I do not blame them, you have not seen Egypt until you have been to Luxor!