Luxor city

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The ruins of the spectacular temple complexes of Karnak and Luxor, the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens made Luxor one of the most popular holiday destinations in Egypt.

Luxor has frequently been characterised as the "world's greatest open air museum". It was built on and around the ancient site of Thebes. Tourists have been visiting the area since the Greco-Roman times. Luxor is actually three separate areas each with their own highlights.
Luxor Temple situated in the center of town, was dedicated to the Theban Triad of Amun, Mut, and Chons and was built by the New Kingdom Pharaoh Amenophis III. This main entrance to the temple complex was originally flanked by six colossal statues of Ramesses, four seated and two standing, but only two have survived. The pylon gateway leads into a peristyle courtyard. The processional colonnade built by Amenhotep III comes after. It’s a 100 m corridor lined by 14 papyrus-capital columns. Beyond the colonnade is made up of a 32-column hypostyle court that leads into the inner sanctums of the temple. A cache of 26 New Kingdom statues was found under the floor in the inner sanctum area in 1989 and they are now on display at the nearby Luxor Museum. The Mummification Museum is situated in Luxor city nearby.
The spectacular Temples of Karnak are situated on the North of Luxor city. The complex was built over a time period of 1500 years and was the most important place of worship in ancient Egypt. The three main temples of Mut, Montu and Amun are enclosed by enormous brick walls. Actually, there are a number of smaller temples and chapels spread about Karnak, such as the Temple of Osiris Hek-Djet. In the Great Temple of Amun, the Second Pylon of Karnak was built by Ramesses II. The Hypostyle Hall considered to be one of the world\'s greatest architectural masterpieces, is found after passing through the Second Pylon. The outer walls of the Hypostyle Hall are covered with scenes of battle. There is also a Sound and Light Show at Karnak.
Across the Nile River, lie the monuments, temples and tombs on the West Bank Necropolis, which include the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens. This is where the pharaoh's were buried and hoped to meet their Gods in the afterlife. Tutankhamun's tomb discovered in the 1920's almost untouched is perhaps the best known to us.

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