Egypt & Red Sea
Luxor
Luxor is the most popular tourist resort in Egypt, with a rich historical legacy of ancient Egypt including temples, monuments and tombs. Luxor is also part of the ancient city of Thebes, which was a ruling seat of power for over 1,350 years. Around these relics of ancient Egypt's celebrated history, are signs of the prosperous industry of the modern day – tourism. The town is crowded with souvenir shops, hotels and restaurants, while the Nile River carries feluccas and luxury hotel ships. The streets are filled with the cries of shop owners, horse-drawn carriage (caleches), taxi drivers and tour guides, all offering their services to the newly arrived traveller, whether wealthy tourist or economizing backpacker. The action on the street is almost as captivating as the temples they have come to see. Whereas the impressive structures of the Temples of Luxor and of Karnak are within the town itself, the biggest attractions lie on the west bank across the Nile, where the funerary complexes of the Tombs of the Nobles, the Valley of the Kings, and Valley of the Queens relate the fascinating story of the ultimate resting places of ancient royalty.
The Temple of Karnak
The gigantic structure of the Temple of Karnak is an amazing structure and was the main place of worship in the Theban era, which took over 1,300 years to build. One of the world's great architectural achievements, the Hypostyle Hall, is filled with immense stone pillars still bearing the engraved and painted inscriptions from the 12th Dynasty, and covers an area of 64,583 square feet (6,000 sq metres). The complex also contains the Avenue of the Sphinxes, the Sacred Lake, and many huge statues, halls, ornate wall murals, obelisks and colonnades.
Opening time: Daily 9am to 5pm (winter), 6am to 6pm (summer); Admission: E£35
The West Bank
Egypt's West Bank is an ancient region of limestone hills and valleys, which are home to an array of underground tombs and temples. Goats roam freely among the ruins, and the tiny settlements on the slopes provide a splash of colour in an otherwise desert-like barrenness. The 59ft (18m) high pair of enthroned statues of the Colossi of Memnon are the first things most visitors will see on the West Bank, the only remaining part of the mortuary temple of Amenophis III. Most travellers come to visit the Valley of the Kings where the secretive tombs of the Pharaohs were built to immortalise their mummies and treasures for eternity. In an attempt to thwart tomb robbers, traps and deceptions were part of the architectural planning. Dramatic descents, spectacular murals on the passage and chamber walls and a replica of the original sarcophagus at the end of the tunnel create an awe-inspiring atmosphere. Highlights include the Tomb of Tutankhamun and Ramses II. The country's finest tomb lies in the Valley of the Queens, the Tomb of Nefertari, which has exceptional painted murals, but is at present closed to the public. Also worth a visit is Hatshepsut's Temple, mortuary temple of Egypt's only female Pharaoh.
Opening time: Daily 6am to 6pm (summer), 9am to 5pm (winter); Admission: 3 tombs in the Valley of Kings E£55; an additional
ticket for the Tomb of Tutankhamon is required: E£70. Valley of Queens E£20. Hatshepsut's Temple is E£20
Aswan
The southerly city of Aswan has a distinctly African flavour, with a high level of Nubian inhabitants and a rich a diverse culture. Although every bit as touristy as Luxor, the town and its inhabitants are far more laid back and pleasant. A picturesque city, its attraction lies not so much in its historical sites, but in the peacefulness of a felucca cruise at sunset, a visit to the colourful market (Sharia el-Souq), or dinner at one of the floating restaurants on the Nile. It is a perfect base to visit to the magnificent Sun Temple of Ramses II, Abu Simbel.
Nubian Museum
The Nubian Museum offers a fascinating insight into the Nubian culture and contains a collection of artefacts from Nubia (the region approximately between Aswan and Khartoum in Sudan) and an exhibition of Nubian culture and crafts. It also portrays the history and people of the Nile Valley from ancient times until the present, the project of Unesco to move monuments like Abu Simbel endangered by the High Dam on lake Nasser to higher ground, and a hall containing impressive statues and tombstones from the Region.
Opening time: Daily 9am to 1pm and 6pm to 10pm (summer); 9am to 1pm and 5pm to 9pm (winter); Admission: E£35
Abu Simbel
The Temple of Ramses II and of the Sun God Hathor are known as the two temples of Abu Simbel and were cut out of the sandstone cliffs surrounding them as a dedication to his wife Nefertari some three thousand years ago. Not only are these temples among the most magnificent in the world, but also their removal and reconstruction are recorded as a major historical feat during the construction of the High Dam on Lake Nasser. The monuments were threatened with submersion, and after an appeal by Unesco in co-operation with the Egyptian Government they were dismantled and reassembled exactly, about 197ft (60m) higher up. The intimidating sight that first greets the visitor is that of the four colossal statues guarding the entrance to the Grand Hall of the Temple of Ramses. The interior is highly decorated with relief paintings and is supported by eight statues of Ramses acting as giant pillars. Leading off the hall are painted sanctuaries and chambers. The Temple of Hathor is smaller and simpler, also with statues guarding the entrance and a manifestation of the Sun God portrayed above. It is aligned in such a way that the sun's ray's reach inside to illuminate the statues of Ptah, Amun-Re, Ramesses II, and Re- Horakhty twice a year.
