Luxor Travel Guide

Luxor Travel Guide. Luxor is one of the most important Cities of not only Ancient Egypt but also Modern Egypt. Housing one third of the World’s Monuments makes it a vast popular City for Tourists to visit. Below you can read and gain more insight into this beautiful City. • History of Luxor. • Ancient Thebes • Modern Day Luxor • Things to do in Luxor The History of Luxor City The Arabs gave the City of Luxor its name due to the vast number of Temples and Palaces at the event of the Islamic conquest of Egypt. Being one of the oldest and more important Cities in Egypt Luxor has many different names, City of the Sun, City of Light and City of the Sceptre as a few. The Greeks named it Thebes. Luxor lies approx.. 500km South of the Capital City of Egypt which is Cairo, Ancient Thebes. Thebes was the Capital of Egypt in the Middle and New Empires. Being the Political and Religious Capital of the Country for a long time throughout Ancient Egyptian History. The considerable Military acheivements of the Pharaohs at this time made the Kingdom of Egypt very wealthy. Extending their impact South into Nubia, East into Modern Day Syria, and West along the Meditteraenean . The wealth and population of the Kingdom permitted the Pharaohs to order vast constructions so that a legacy could be left.. Many Gods were worshipped by the Ancient Egyptians and the God of Thebes was called Amun, With the growth of Thebes the God Amun grew in importance also, and became connected to the Sun God Ra, so he became the King of Gods Amun-Ra. After Thebes began to decrease it still carried on as the Religious Capital until the Greek interval. The Templepf Karnak is the most famous to Amun-Ra, and was the most major Temple in the Egyptian Kingdom until the Ancient Religion subsided, Modern Day Luxor. Luxor which today is known as the World’s Greatest Open Air Museum is owed to the Ancient Pharaohs endeavours to immortalize themselves. The West and East Banks of the River Nile both have many remnants of Funeray Complexes and Temples. Considering the City was built up along with the remnants it makes for a fascinating mix of Old and New Luxor together. You will notice that this more obvious in the areas of Karnak Temple Complex and Luxor Temple as the Ancient Stone architecture settles alongside gleaming Modern Constructions which makes a captivating distinction, on the opposite Bank of the River and the area around Luxor are strewn with other Temples and Tombs, and at each site there is a vast amount of knowledge in respect of the Ancient Egyptians. The sites around Luxor are segregated into two this being those on the East Bank and those on the West Bank of the River Nile. This sefregation would have been favourable to the Ancient Egyptians also, being that the East Bank represented the Land of the Living where you get the Sunrise, and the West Bank which represented the Land of the Dead, where the Sunset and people journeyed into the Afterlife. The remnants of Ancient Thebes and Luxor are located on the East Bank consisting of the Temple Complexes that were used to view the Ancient Religion. On the West Bank lies the Funerary Temples and Tombs where the Ancient Egyptians and their Rulers were buried to begin their voyage into the Afterlife. Things to do in Luxor. To experience everything that Luxor has to provide would certainly take some time ,so below is some advice for you to make sure you see as much as possible. By taking a Tour of the West and East Banks of the River Nile will allow you to visit the most famous Sites. On the East Bank you will find the mesmerizing Karnak and Luxor Temples which was dedicated to the God Amun, his wife Mut and son Khons. Over on the West Bank you can enjoy the World famous Valley of the Kings where Howard Carter discovered King Tutankhamun’s unopened Tomb. Also take in the Majestic Queen Hatshepsut Temple and the Colossi of Memnon. When the sunsets you really cannot miss the Sound and Light Show at Karnak Temples, the sight of the Temples illuminated against the Night Sky is Magical and the narration explains what life was like in Ancient Egypt. Two of the most well preserved and most intact Temples from Ancient Egypt are Dendera and Abydos, with the most vivid and full colour still visible on the walls . Abydos is the burial site of the Ancient God of the Underworld, and the Temple was constructed by King Setti I, and finished by King Ramesses II. The Temple of Dendera is dedicated to the Egyptian Goddess Hathor. Whilst in Luxor you really should take the opportunity to experience a Hot Air Balloon Ride at Sunrise and feel the thrill and exhilliration of flying over this beautiful City of Luxor and viewing the Morning light illuminating the striking Temples below,