The ancient sites of Luxor

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David and I went to Luxor, Egypt for a week away to the heat and sunshine. And HOT it was - and the sun never stopped shining! We managed to pack in quite a lot during the week, lazing round the pool as well as a balloon flight over the river Nile, a trip into the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens on the west bank of the Nile (see Thebes Travelblog entry) and visits to Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple and Luxor Museum. The Luxor Museum was much smaller than the museum in Cairo - but more manageable and well laid out and labelled. There were chariots and bows and arrows from Tutankamun's tomb, a couple of mummies, one still with hair, and lots of great statues and figures. We walked along the cornishe a couple of times - with the Nile on one side and past by Luxor Temple on the other. Luxor Temple is really good - the two statues of Ramses II at the entrance are really huge. I particularly liked the avenue of sphinxes that once reached all the way to Karnak Temple - it must have been such a great sight to see all those thousands of years ago, walking along the avenue with sphinxes either side with the temples at each end, imposing and magnificent. I also liked the columns that are carved in stone with at the top the shape of a lotus flower opening - it looked great when lit up at night. Karnak Temple was wonderful - absolutely immense. I remembered that when I travelled to Egypt in 1989 that I went to the Karnak sound and light show at night - but I dont remember going in the daylight! David and I went in the morning - and by the time we left - about 1130 - it was getting VERY hot. Again I liked the sphinxes that line various courtyards and the entrance, as well as all the statues and the obelisks. The temple was enlarged by various pharaohs over time, adding halls and chapels. I particularly liked the Hypostyle Hall - lots and lots of huge columns close together all with engraved reliefs on, picutres and hieroglyphics. This Hypostyle Hall is the biggest in the world. It was lovely in the hall, despite it not having a roof it was cool and very impressive. Much of the temple is in ruins but is still very impressive. The whole temple was amazing and just about every surface was decorated with pictures or hieroglypics - it was amazing. When it was built they pictures and walls would have been coloured. Some of the colour still was visible, but only very faintly, at the time it must have been such a stunning sight. And technically they were amazing craftsmen and how on earth did they manage to work with such huge bits of stone and manoeuver them in to place? Apparently at one stage there were about 81,000 people working on it. We did a balloon ride that started on the west bank of the River Nile, and the wind blew us gently over the Nile and over Karnak Temple - it was so great. We had already visited Karnak on foot - and it was just so stunning to see it from the air, a sight I shall never forget, it was magical.

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Photos

Luxor Temple from the cornishe at night
These are the columns that are in the shape of an opening lotus flower at the top

The entrance to Luxor Temple
The Pylon and the two huge statues of Ramses II

Karnak Temple
If we were allowed to take photos whilst in the balloon - this is the sort of view we would have had!

Karnak Temple
If we were allowed to take photos whilst in the balloon - this is the sort of view we would have had! You can see the Hypostyle Hall really well

Comments

[Linda Mabley]

Wonderful photos
Your photos are quite stunning and your travel comments made me think about our last trip to Egypt and Luxor - what a special place it is!

[lary funte]

wow
hey ur images are amazing now i miss going there