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Thebes and its glorious past

Located directly on the Nile, Thebes, or better known as Luxor

today is a city with a glorious history. The name Thebes comes

from the Greek and means City of hundred gates. Some peoplecall it the biggest open air museum of the world.

The construction of the biggest religious complex of the world, the

temples of Karnak and Luxor took about 1500 years. Without any

doubt this site is after the pyramids of Giza the second most

visited monument in Egypt.

The temples were dedicated to several gods like, Amun Re, the

chief god Montu, the son of Amun Re and Mut the mother

goddess.

Both temples are connected by a 1.8 miles long alley bordered

with small sphinxes. The most famous constructions inside the

temple are the 134 columns, arranged in 16 rows. 122 of these

columns are 32 feet high, 12 about 68 feet.

At night you can enjoy the famous sound and light show which

combines the history of this site with a modern light show. After

the show you should really have a carriage-ride over the bazaarsituated only a few minutes away from the temples.

In 1886 the Old Winter Palace Hotel was build in Victorian style

and was three stars standard, today its the only five star hotel in

Luxor. Its gardens are the coolest spot in Luxor during the

summer.

As the temples of Karnak and Luxor are situated on the east bank

of the Nile, on the west bank youll find the famous Valley of the

Kings and not so famous Valley of the Queens. Actually 63

tombs have been discovered and most of them are open to the

public today. The most famous tomb is of course the tomb of the

Pharaoh Tutankhamun, whose tomb was discovered in 1922 by

Howard Carter. In 2005 a team of American archeologists

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revealed a tomb with seven sarcophaguses. The big surprise was

that in none of them a mummy was found. In 2008 archeologists

have found two new tomb entrances, they suggest these

entrances lead to the tomb of Ramses VIII. Compared with the

pyramids in Giza, the tombs in the Valley of Kings are alldecorated with ornamentation of gods, pharaohs and hieroglyphs.

In summer the temperatures in the Valley of Kings can reach more

than 122 degrees Fahrenheit. So dont forget to take a cap and

water.

On the way back to the city of Luxor you pass the Colossi of

Memnon. These two gigantic statues marked the entrance to the

temple of Pharaoh Amenhotep.For all who dont fear flying have the possibility to enjoy a hot-air

balloon ride over the city of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings.

Luxor is also the departure point for the Nile Cruise which leads

you to the south of Egypt and the temple of Aswan.