If you have always wanted to see the amazing remnants of the ancient world that stand in Egypt, then you simply must visit the city of Luxor.
The modern town of Luxor is the site of the famous ancient city of Thebes, known as the City of a Hundred Gates. While many are familiar with the great Pyramids of Giza and make Cairo the first stop on their tour of Egypt, you would be remiss to skip the many gorgeous temples and tombs of Luxor.
The main tourist attraction within Luxor is the famous Valley of the Kings, as well as the equally impressive Valley of the Queens. Both are breathtaking for their size, as well as their astonishingly well-preserved condition.
While there are a good 40 tombs that are open for exploration within the Valley of the Kings, most people find that within one day they are able to explore about 4 or 5. Among the more popular tombs are those of Ramesses IV, Ramesses IX, Merneptah and Ramesses VI.
You will find a number of amazing temples and royal tombs of many important ancient Egyptian figures. Some of the area’s most famous sites are the Temple of Deir El-Bahri, a beautiful limestone temple that was built for Queen Hatshepsut; The Temple of Luxor, which was built by King Amenhotep III and dedicated to the God Amon-Re; and the Temple of Karnak, which is in fact a whole enormous city of temples.
Visiting these temples is truly an amazing experience for anyone who has an interest in the ancient civilization of Egypt, as well as anyone who has an appreciation for these terrific architectural feats. The largest temple within the Temple of Karnak is so enormous that even some of the world’s best known large religious buildings, such as the Cathedral of Notre Dame, would be lost within its spacious confines.
Truly, it is difficult to imagine its enormity until you stand before it. One cannot help but wonder how such an awesome structure was constructed more than 2 millenia ago. (And if you’re interested in finding out, the Temple of Karnak is a popular site of exploration by the History Channel.)
Continuing on your exploration of ancient civilization within the city of Luxor, you will find a handful of museums dedicated to the city’s rich past as well. The Luxor Museum overlooks the west bank of the Nile River and stands in the central part of the city.
The museum prides itself in the quality of its items rather than the quantity. Its artifacts are displayed in a clean, uncluttered way, and all possess multilingual labeling. Among the museum’s most popular displays are the mummies of two pharaohs, Ahmose I and Ramesses I, and artifacts from the tomb of King Tutankhamen.
For further exploration into the detailed practice of mummification, you can visit the Museum of Mummification. Among the exhibits here you’ll find the remains of a mummified cat, fish, and crocodile, and tools that were actually used during the mummification process.
Luxor is filled with such a great number of amazing historical sites and temples that, truth be told, you’ll probably have to pick and choose which ones you want to visit! It is rare for a city to offer such a splendid variety of artifacts. You will feel just like you are stepping back into the ancient world.
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