luxor Sightseeing

This is the great, ancient city of Thebes, capital of the Egyptian empire for almost one thousand years, which Homer referred to in the IX canto of the Iliad as “Thebes with one hundred gates” and for which “only the grains of sand in the desert surpassed the abundance of wealth contained therein”. The Copts called it Tapé, hence the Greek Thebai, but for Egyptian inhabitants it was Uaset, meaning “the chief town” and Niut, “the City” it was later on called Diospolis Magna. Its present name of Luxor comes from the Arab El Qousour, translation of the Latin “Castra” with which the ancient Romans indicated the city where they had installed two encampments.

 karnak Temple It is the largest temple with columns in the world and according to distinguished historians, it could contain Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris in its entirety; Leonard Cottrell affirmed that it was such a vast monument that “it could cover almost half of the Manhattan area “! Not only, but on account of its architectural .

It is amazing that man could have built such a large, imposing building complex; on the other hand, we know that under the XIX Dynasty, 81.322 people worked on the temple of Amon considering priests, guards, workmen and peasants. Moreover the temple benefited from income and a large number of plots, markets and yards, enhanced by all the wealth and booty that the Pharaoh brought back from his military victories   

 Luxor temple

In Luxor, all that remains of its glorious past is the temple that the ancient Egyptians built to the glory of Amon ra king of the gods, and which they called “Southern harem of  Amon ".  

 Tombs in the Valley

The Egyptian belief that "To speak the name of the dead is to make him live again" is certainly carried out in the building of the tombs. The king's formal names and titles are inscribed in his tomb along with his images and statues.

The Valley contains 62 tombs to-date, excavated by the Egyptologists and archaeologists from many countries. Not all of the tombs belonged to the king and royal family. Some tombs belonged to privileged nobles and were usually undecorated. Not all the tombs were discovered intact, and some were never completed Nowadays access is gained to the valley by means of a comfortable carriage road that largely follows the old tracks of the funeral procession. The tombs have kept their ancient charm intact: the countless graffiti on the walls show that since Greek and Roman times they were the destination of visitors and pilgrims who left a souvenir of their visit in this way. One of them, the English Dean Stanley, left an account of his journeys in 1856, affirming that “he had seen the tombs of the kings and the entire religion of Egypt revealed as it appeared to the most powerful Egyptian rulers in the most salient moments of their lives”.

Valley of the Queens

The Valley of the Queens is located on the West Bank at Luxor (ancient Thebes). There are between 75 and 80 tombs in the Valley of the Queens, or Biban al-Harim. These belong to Queens of the 18th, 19th and 20th Dynasties.

Nefertari's Tomb
This tomb, discovered in 1904 by the Italian Ernesto Schiaparelli, was excavatd to the west of the valley for Nefertari Mery-en-Mut, the best-loved of Ramses II's numerous wives; it was in her honor that he built the beautiful temple of Abu Simple. The 27 and a half meter long tomb is to be found eight meters under ground level; it was dug in a very friable layer of rock so that the walls were covered by a thick layer of plaster, on top of which the pictorial decoration takes on the appearance of a relief. When discovered, the sepulcher seemed to have been broken into since ancient times: all the objects had disappeared and the mummy of one of the most famous Egyptian queens had been reduced to a sunder. Only the magnificent paintings bear witness to the fact that this was one of the most important and beautiful tombs in the entire Valley of the Queens.

Hatshepsut Hatshepsut is one of the more mysterious figures of ancient Egyptian history. Much is known of her reign as King, yet so many questions remain unanswered. Questions such as why late in the reign of her successor Tutmosis III, 40 years after her death, did he suddenly seem to embark on a campaign to erase her name and memory from the lists of Kings. In any case, Hatshepsut has left a legacy of architectural and statuary elegance. Her temple built in the area of Thebes, at modern Deir el-Bahri, stands as a beautiful monument to her reign.
The temple of Hatshepsut is the best-preserved of the three complexes. Called by the people Djeser-djeseru, "sacred of sacreds", Hatshepsut’s terraced and rock-cut temple is one of the most impressive monuments of the west bank. Situated directly against the rock face of Deir el-Bahri’s great rock bay, the temple not only echoed the lines of the surrounding cliffs in its design, but it seems a natural extension of the rock faces. The temple was little more than a ruin when first excavated in 1891, but it has led to a great deal of successful reconstruction. The temple took 15 years to build and was modified throughout that time. The approach to the temple was along a 121-foot wide, causeway, sphinx-lined, that led from the valley to the pylons. These pylons have now disappeared.
habu     The temple itself is a slightly smaller copy of the Ramesseum built by Ramesses II. Its massive outer pylons are the most imposing of any temple in Egypt, and are decorated with colossal  images of the king destroying captured enemies before the gods. The temple’s outer walls also depict important battle and victory scenes over the Libyans and Sea Peoples. The Temple of Medinat Habu is one of the largest memorial Temples in Egypt. It measures 320m in length (east to west) and about 200m in width (north to south). It was built to commemorate Ramses III, after his death, by orders of the King himself.
Deir elmedina       Deir el-Medina, which in Arabic means "monastery of the city", was called Pa-demi by the workmen, simply, "the town," though it was also called Set Maa, "the place of truth." is one of the most well-preserved ancient settlements in all Egypt. It lies near Thebes and was a highly skilled community of craftsmen who passed their expertise on from father to son. The community included the workmen and their wives, children and other dependents, as well as coppersmiths, carpenters, potters, basket-makers, and a part-time physician. The workers belonged to what we today would call the middle class, having no royal or noble connections, and much of their work was unglamorous. ramsseeum       built his fabulous mortuary temple on the site of Seti I's ruined temple, where he identified himself with the local form of the God, Amun. It was begun early in his reign, and took twenty years to complete. It was described by Diodorus as the 'tomb of Ozymandia' which inspired a verse by the great poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Diodorus also mentions a 'sacred library' at the temple, though modern Egyptologists have found no evidence to support this claim. This great temple reportedly rivaled the wonders of the temple at Abu Simbel, and is very similar both in reliefs and architecture to Ramesses III's mortuary temple at Medinet Habu. However, Ramesses built the temple too close to the Nile and the flood waters took their toll. Only a single colonnade remains of the First Courtyard.       Sightseeing Tours in Luxor Transfer from luxor Airport Warmest welcome upon arrival to Luxor airport, smoothing and speeding up all arrival procedures to protect you from being hassled or confused at any point in Luxor international airport. Moreover; we can help you to get your visa upon arrival at Luxor airport.   Air Balloon ride in Luxor Early morning pick from your hotel in Luxor to the West Bank to start your balloon ride. Some refreshments (tea, coffee, cake and sweets) will be served before starting your balloon ride in the skies of Egypt's biggest open-air museum, Luxor having such a wealth of antiquities.Take home the memories of this truly unforgettable experience   .fly at sunrise over the west bank in a hot air balloon enjoy the peace, the morning colors &the incredible view   Luxor tour to the East bank A day's sightseeing to discover the East bank of Luxor where you will see karnak and Luxor Temples. Karnak Temple is the greatest example of worship in history and was dedicated to the God Amon, his wife Mut and their son Khonsu.   Daily Trips to the West Bank Luxor Get excied by our daily excursions to the West Bank Luxor to see th magnificence of the pharaohs. You will visit valley of the Kings, Valley of The Queens, Hatshipsut Temple daughter of Thutmosis I, who ruled Egypt about 20 years during the 18th Dynasty.   Full day Tour in luxor Enjoy a day tour in Luxor where you will see the East and West bank monuments like Karnak Temples, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings and and the Temple of Queen Hatshipsut daughter of Thutmosis I, who ruled Egypt about 20 years during the 18th Dynasty.   Sound & Light Show At Karnak Temples Have you ever wondered what life have been thousands years ago? You will enjoy that through the splendid Sound and Light Show at the Karnak Temples, the greatest example of worship in history and was dedicated to the God Amon, his wife Mut and their son Khonsu.every night an enchanting & moving son et lumiere presentation follow in the in the foot steps of the shadows of the gods as each part of the temple is dramatically lit around you . The final illumination of the temple is mirrored in the stillness of the sacred lake   Full day cruise on the Nile to Dandara Live your dream and join a cruise sailing to Dandara, enjoying the peaceful river and viewing the farming villages along the river banks. Arrive at Dandara, visit Temple of Hathor, goddess of love and joy.you will join us on a voyage through time to the temple of goddess hathor at denderah .watch as scenes of local Egyptian life pass you by as you lounge on the sun deck or cool off in the plunge pool .one of our Egyptologist will accompany & guide through & up onto the roof of this unique temple .on the way back to luxor lunch & tea will be served     Luxor Tours To dandara & Abydos A day's sightseeing to Abydos, the ancient Egyptian believed of god (Lord of the underworld) to be buried there. Then continue to Dandara to visit the Temple of Hathor, goddess of love and joy. Enjoy the peaceful river and landscapes of the farming villages.you will join us on a voyage through time.                        one day desert safari  the tours starts in the early morning from the new road the ancient caravan tracks .this is a short cut between luxor & kharga where you are free to wander in desert ,see a real oasis ,met local people & see places of beauty. The route takes you  via the black valley, crystal quarry ,dears valley ,alabaster valley ,sand dunes & the temple of isis at duch .visit one of the oldest Christian necropolis in the world at bagawat  home of the oldest basilica church ,the exodus chapel& peace chapel .then onto the hibis built the Persian king darius in the 26th dynasty .the best preserved temple in the western desert built for god amun  .you will see many different types of sand & rock formations with plenty of wild life birds  & reptiles together with a hit spring swim.      a city tour in modern luxor  by horse & buggy (horse carriage ) to meet local people in the the souq ( luxor market ). A wonderful experience you will never forget it.   the fellahs tent     a taste of modern Egyptian entertainment .we will provide you with your very own galabiya (yours to keep)as we set sail down the nile on a felucca to the feast tent here you will indulge on sumptuous Egyptian buffet with unlimited local wine & beer. entertainment will normally include a belly dancer ,camels & snake charmer   Felucca want to cruise the Nile on traditional sailing boat .from backpackers to luxury romantic cruise, from sailing to photography via bird watching you have it all peace, quite & total absence of stress .time to pursue your favorite side of Egypt be it sites like gebel  silsila that can only visited by sailing boats or capturing that rare bird on camera at last .sailing the Nile just got affordable      Fun & leisure tours     Horse , camels& donkey ride  When u think desert you think camels and what better way to see the west bank villages & desert than by camels (the ship of the desert) ,horse or donkey & if you like the idea of a donkey ride in luxor  then you are going to love our special tour .the donkey ride over the edges. A great way of orientating yourself on the west bank for later independent touring or just for interest .you get most of the west bank from a distance & the views are marvelous it is the poor mans hot air balloon. Very popular with children& families although those under 4&5 might prefer to share a donkey with an adult .the oldest person we have had take the tour was   80 so no worries there . Our donkey man has been leading this tour for many years & will happily help those less agile.    Sport  tour   one day trip for golfers Proceed to the Royal Valley Golf Course to spend some time putting in the18 hole golf greens     one day trip to Cairo You will be transferred from your hotel in Luxor by A Private air conditioned deluxe vehicle for luxor  airport to fly to cairo . where you can enjoy Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinus, in addition to the Egyptian Museum.   one day trip to hurghada Hurghada is beautiful resort on the red sea coast where you can enjoy all different kinds of water sports.   one day to Aswan when you visit aswan you will visit abeautiful  granite city ,philla  temple , granite quarries , the unifinished obelisk, the komombo temple& edfu temple.