Luxor

A Glance at Luxor:
Where does the name ‘Luxor ‘ come form?
Luxor is part of ancient Thebes: ‘The Hundred-Gated City’ as it was called by the renowned Greek historian, Homer, because of its buildings and large gates. The city grew over the years, and the Arabs, impressed by its beautiful palaces and huge edifices, re-named it ‘Luxor’: City of Palaces. Luxor remained the seat of power from 2100 to 750B.C.That is why the visitor is awed by the city, made immortal by its huge pillared-monuments along both banks of the Nile.

On the east bank of the Nile, in the City of the Living, Luxor and Karnak Temples greet the life-giving 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, Queen Hatshepsut’s temple.

On the East bank of the Nile, in the city of the living, are found the Temples of Luxor and Karnak, the largest worship place ever built. On the West Bank are the Colossi of Memnon, the tombs of the Valleys of the Kings and Queens, and a number of commemorative temples and tombs of important officials.
Today, you can walk through history; past statues with heads of gods and animals, beneath pillars carved with lotus buds and papyrus.
Ride in a horse-drawn cart, sail in a felucca, take a sunset cruise or see the city from a hot-air balloon.

KARNAK TEMPLES:
KARNAK,a group of temples and the religious quarter of Thebes, the temple of Amon with its Hypostyle hall of 134 columns, Obelisks and Sacred lakes was linked to the Nile by a canal through which moved the famous Sacred boats . Other buildings include the chapel of Seti II, the temple of Ramses III and temple of Khonsu.
LUXOR TEMPLE:
The temple was constructed by Amenophis III and Ramses II and was once linked with Karnak by Avenue of Sphinxes.

VALLEY OF THE KINGS & QUEENS :
Cross the Nile by ferryboat where lies the city of the Dead, the Necropolis of Thebes. Visit some of the most interesting tombs such as set I, Ramses VI, Amenophis II and Tutankhamen. See also the temple of queen Hatshepsut, the twin Colossi of Memon erected on the fringe of the desert with their heads facing the Nile. Both represent king AmenophisIII. Visit also the Ramesseum courtyards, pillars and statutes. One the way back visit the valley of queens and Nobles which shelters the tombs of the queens and young princess. it is located on a very picturesque mountain site.
Testaments to a desire for immortality, built for eternity in sandstone and granite, the temples, tombs and palaces still stand, surrounded by “souks” and luxury hotels.
More than 80 percent of Egyptian artefacts are in the Thebes area and plan your visit accordingly. Many tours devote only four days to the area, with one of those days being a side trip to Abydos and Dendera.

Elsewhere in this region, we find not only some of the oldest remains in Egypt but also the history of trade and agriculture, of vast camel caravans and the cities that grew from that.

Luxor Today:
Within Luxor, there are only three main streets consisting of Sharia Al-Mahatta, Sharia Al-Karnak and the Corniche, next to the Nile. The street in front of the train station is Sharia Al-Mahatta and runs away from the Nile where it meets the gardens of Luxor Temple. Sharia Al-Karnak or Maabad Al-Karnak (which means Karnak Temple) Street runs along the Nile from Luxor Temple to Karnak Temple.

However, Sharia Al-Karnak is known as Sharia Al-Markaz where it meets Sharia Al-Mahatta Street, and to the south around the temple, it is known as Sharia Al-Lokanda. Along this street, one will find the colourful signs of restaurants and cafes, as well as bazaars where the usual variety of Egyptian souvenirs can be found.

Of interest is the alabaster, which is plentiful along the west bank and miles not far from here. Also look for the clay pots used by the locals for cooking, which are more unusual.
Luxor today is a city of some 200,000 people and is governed by special statues that allow it more autonomy then other political areas of Egypt. One thing you might notice is that various government and other buildings confirm to an “ancient” building code