Susan Serven

A visit to Egypt is not complete without a visit to Luxor, many sites of which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage sites including:

• Luxor Temple
• Karnak Temple Complex
• The Valley of the Kings
• The Valley of the Queens
• Hatshepsut's Mortuary Temple and
• The Colossi of Memnon

The city of Luxor is famous due to its role as the ancient capital of the New Empire during the Middle Kingdom (2055–1650 BCE) and through the height of the New Kingdom (approximately 1550–1070 BCE), where it flourished as the political and religious center of the empire.

The two primary temples are the Great Temple of Karnak and the Temple of Luxor. Both are about 2 miles (3km) apart, with the remains of the Avenue of Sphinxes between them.

The Great Temple Complex at Karnak

Karnak is more than a large ancient temple, it’s a vast temple complex, made up of four main parts built over 2,000 years and covering more than 200 acres. The history of the Karnak complex is largely the history of the rise and fall of Thebes (later Luxor) as a major center of Egypt.

It is believed to be one of the most-visited historical sites in Egypt, second only to the Giza pyramids.

Besides the main sanctuary, there are several smaller temples and a vast sacred lake – 423 feet by 252 feet. The sacred barges of the Theban Triad once floated on the lake during the annual Opet festival.

The primary difference between Karnak and most of the other temples and sites in Egypt is the length of time over which it was developed and used. Construction of the temples started in the Middle Kingdom and continued into Ptolemaic times. Approximately thirty pharaohs contributed to the buildings over the centuries, enabling it to reach a size, complexity, and diversity not seen elsewhere.

Luxor Temple

The Temple, located on the east bank of the Nile River in Luxor (ancient Thebes), is a large ancient Egyptian temple complex dating back to around 1400 BCE.

Luxor Temple remains one of the best-preserved and most important archaeological sites in Egypt, offering a glimpse into the grandeur of ancient Thebes and the religious practices of ancient Egyptians.

It is considered the largest temple in Egypt, after Karnak.

Unlike other temples in Thebes, Luxor Temple is not dedicated to a cult god or a deified version of the pharaoh in death. Instead, it is dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship; it may have been where many of the kings of Egypt were crowned.

The Temple of Luxor was not built by a single ruler; it was constructed and expanded by several pharaohs, most notably Amenhotep III, who began the project, and Ramses II, who added the grand entrance and pylon. Other rulers like Tutankhamun and Horemheb also made additions, and even Alexander the Great made modifications later on.

One of the most spectacular ways to see it is at night. It’s very moving to go before sundown and experience it as the day is waning and night is descending.

Avenue of Sphinxes

The Luxor Dromos, or Avenue of Sphinxes, is a 1.7 mile (2.7 km) long avenue (dromos) of human-headed sphinxes which once connected the temples of Karnak and Luxor (and is still partially in place, undergoing restoration when we were there).

You can still see remains of the Avenue of Sphinxes when you tour Karnak and it’s a great idea to walk the entire avenue (2.7km) in the early morning or at night. (You will likely need to purchase tickets to both sites, and guided tours are available especially online.) 

The Luxor Winter Palace Hotel

This historic hotel was built in 1886 by Italian businessman J.S. Crozzo.The hotel is situated right on the Nile, across from the Valley of the Kings, and combines colonial design with the glory of ancient Egypt.

It was built as a grand palace and hotel and later became a famous winter retreat for Egyptian royalty, with Egypt’s last king, King Farouk being a notable guest.

Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings is an area in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the Eighteenth Dynasty to the Twentieth Dynasty, rock-cut tombs were excavated for pharaohs, powerful nobles, and their consorts and family members under the New Kingdom (approximately 1150 to 1070 BCE) of ancient Egypt.

Probably the most-recognized pharaohs interred there include Tutankhamun, Seti I, and Ramses II. Other notable pharaohs interred there are Hatshepsut (the female pharaoh), Thutmose I, and Amenhotep I.

Valley of the Queens

The Valley of the Queens is an ancient Egyptian necropolis near Luxor, where royal women, including queens, princesses, and their children, were buried during the New Kingdom era. Also known as "Ta-Set-Neferu" (The Place of Beauty), it contains over 90 tombs, many of which include vibrant, well-preserved wall paintings depicting scenes of their journey to the afterlife.

It is a major archaeological site and tourist attraction, famous for tombs like that of Nefertari, the favorite wife of Ramses II.

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