A trilogy of Egypt: Part 2 - Spectacular Luxor

The southern region of Egypt is an awe-inspiring travel destination. With the Nile as a lifeline, a number of cities situate along the river banks interspersed with local agriculture. Luxor forms a major arterial centre approximately 300 miles south of Cairo. Although there are traditional trades and industries, Luxor relies heavily on tourism to fuel its economy. This article offers an insight into some of the attractions to visit and tourist activities available in spectacular Luxor.

Luxor can be reached through a number of means including a Nile cruise, felucca sailing ship, train from Cairo and of course by car or plane. Luxor is much smaller in size than Cairo with a population of around 370,000 and it is made up of 2 towns and 8 villages sprawling on both sides of the Nile river. Out of all the places to visit in Egypt, Luxor perhaps offers the most in terms of well-preserved, diverse historical sites of the Ancient Egyptians.

Since tourism is vital to the economy of the city, there are many hotels to choose from particularly on the east bank of the Nile. Luxor is extremely hot in the summer months, with temperatures frequently in the mid to high 40s, so if possible,it is best to avoid visiting during June, July and August. Even in spring and summer, Luxor can frequently exceed temperatures of 40C so be prepared to visit sites early in the morning or in the evening when the sun is more bearable.

In Egyptian mythology, the Nile was the great divide, with the west and east banks having very different associations and roles connected to the rising and setting of the sun. Since the sun rose in the east, the east bank symbolized life and the west where the sun set, symbolized death and the ever-important after life. Ruins from ancient Egypt demonstrate these beliefs with the Pharaohs places of rest on the west bank and temples on the east.

On the east bank of the Nile, breathtaking temples can be found within the city parameters. In comfortable walking distance from many of the hotels lies the spectacular Luxor temple. The Luxor temple was thought to have been originally created in Dynasty XIII but was later added to by Ramses II. It comprises of colossal columns, 3 huge statues of Ramses, an obelisk and various courts in honour of the different contributors to the Temple complex. Incredible reliefs are found on all of the columns and walls of the courts depicting scenes of processions and battles of the time and tributes of course to the ruling Kings.

Leading up to the temple is an impressive avenue which originally linked Luxor Temple with the temple of Karnak. Lining both sides of the avenue are human-headed sphinx to mark the processional route. At night Luxor is lit up and this can be a good time to visit to not only escape the fierce sun, but also to view more clearly the reliefs on the structures. It is best to see Luxor temple prior to visiting Karnak temple as the later is perhaps the most impressive existing temple in Egypt, and it can overshadow Luxor temple which is still an incredible site.

Approximately one mile north of Luxor lies the vast temple of Karnak. An amusing way to reach the temple is to travel by calesh, a form of horse-driven carriage abundant in Luxor. It is not hard to find an available carriage and after a couple of hours in Luxor, you will already be in tune with the familiar cry of "Calesh" "Calesh" to which you frequently have to spend 5 minutes convincing tenacious drivers that you can walk for 100 metres without needing a ride.

Karnak itself is a vast, almost overwhelming ancient Egyptian site. It spans over 100 hectares and if you are interested in the history and making the most of your time at the site, a guide is recommended to alleviate confusion of the extensive complex. The construction of the temple began in the Middle Kingdom but was not completed until approximately 1600 years later in the New Kingdom. Each Egyptian King added their own mark to the site over this long time period, leading to the final temple complex which consists of a lake, 4 courtyards, numerous columns and buildings. There are also a myriad of pylons which are huge walls marking the entrance of Karnak's temples. Beautiful engravings divulge across the various edifices.

Due to the size of Karnak, it is difficult to take in the site in one visit and dedicating a number of days to the complex helps do the amazing construction justice. For a further explanation of the history of Karnak, a spectacular sound and light show takes place every evening and is well worth a visit.

For shopping and eating, Luxor centre offers the most variety alongside the greatest challenges. Out of all the places visited in Egypt, Luxor's clientele are by far the most persistent in terms of trying to get you, the tourist, to buy or take part in whatever the seller has to offer. It can become a little tiresome especially if you are not interested in buying souvenirs, and at times a little intimidating if you are not used to the custom of haggling or asserting your rights as a buyer. However simply remember that the person trying to sell you something is just trying to make a living in the way they know best. If you do not wish to buy anything, a firm and consistent no will suffice. For a break from hassling sellers, check out the souvenir shop close to Luxor Temple on the road next to the Nile which advertises in its window, a hassle-free shopping experience. Needless to say, the owner seemed to be doing very well with his opposing strategy.

The west bank of the Nile offers a quieter, more traditional insight into Luxor. Local settlements are interspersed with the magnificent ancient sites. The Valley of the Kings and Queens are some of the highlights of this region.

Once across the Nile via one of the many boats that traverse the river, an exhilarating way to reach the Valley of the Kings is on a donkey. There are a number of local specialists who cater for groups wishing to travel to the Valley by this means. When you arrive, the local guide matches a donkey to each member of the group. Our leader clearly had specific criteria, whether they were based on confidence, personality or weight remains a mystery but he seemed to do a decent job of matching appropriate animals to people.

Perhaps due to my ghostly white appearance, I was given the slowest animal. At first this seemed to be a blessing until I realized the donkey was so slow that we quickly became 100 metres behind the rest of the group. The donkey appeared to notice this at the same time as I, and after little deliberation, bolted hell for leather to catch not just the group, but the lead donkey. The closest analogy would be to imagine getting stuck sitting on a pneumatic drill tied to a skateboard rolling downhill.

"Pull the reins" cried our leader, "Lady, the reins". Following the instructions, I yanked hard at the straps and ignored the fearful white knuckles. The donkey took no notice but then, suddenly, as if he decided he had reached where he wanted to be in line, he slowed back to the comforting lollop pace. I regained any poise I had left and managed a watery smile to my friend who remained at the front of the pack, merrily riding "Saddam". The sprint, snail effort continued until we reached the steep hillside over which lay the treasured tombs.

At this point, the only strategy was to give the donkey its dues. A complete amateur, I knew nothing. The donkey on the other hand had done this trip hundreds of times, who was I to question our route or speed? The ascent was dramatic as the donkeys weaved their way up the hillside with effortless precision. As our leader reiterated, let the donkeys do the navigating, a relief, as I was holding on for dear life and trying not to peer over the sheer cliffs, just centimeters away. The whole ride was approximately 45 minutes and as we descended towards the coach loads of other tourists, I quickly forgot the trade-offs I'd been making with God to ensure a safe arrival, and beamed with a sense of genuine achievement.

The Valley of the Kings is a maze of some 62 tombs of Pharaohs reigning from Thutmose 1st, 18th Dynasty and thereafter for the subsequent Kings of the New Kingdom. At an attempt of preservation of the tombs, only a small number of tombs areeach day. Unfortunately attempts at keeping the tombs in their original condition have had a number of setbacks including increased condensation within the tombs following the introduction of a protective glass barrier. This has led to degradation of the hieroglyphics on the walls.

Some of the tombs are easily accessible through a shallow, walkable often well-lit tunnel. Others are deeper into the rockface. Once inside the tombs, the detailed engravings and writing are quite astonishing. If you are able to interpret the longstanding hieroglyphics, it must be an awesome experience to fully understand the events being told on the walls.

Like the pyramids, the tombs were looted for their valuables over the years and it was not until the beginning of the 20th Century when Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered undisturbed that the full extent of the riches and rituals of the burial were realized.

The Valley of the Kings is the most visited of the tombs on the west bank but of equal interest and usually less crowded, is the Valley of the Queens, where there are 80 tombs, the most well-known being that of Queen Nefertari.

There are various temples worth visiting on the west Bank including the Temple of Hatshepsut one of the few female Pharaohs, which lies in close proximity to the Valley of the Kings. The majority of rulers in Egypt were Kings, so Queen Hatshepsut overcame the bias through dressing as a male Pharaoh would. She was the 5th ruler of the 18th Dynasty.

This article touches only briefly on the many sights and activities available in the absorbing Luxor. The west bank holds more of the attractions but the east caters better for accomodation and eataries. It is a useful therefore to stay on the east bank and then travel across the Nile as needed to visit the various sites. Luxor with its incredible history and character is hard to fully appreciate on a first excursion and is a place that consistently lures the unsuspecting traveller back for a second, third or fourth visit.