Luxor is a city where history comes alive, from its towering temples to the ancient tombs of the Valley of the Kings. Walking among these wonders, you can feel the weight of thousands of years of civilization.
Two massive stone titans rising out of the green farmland like ghosts. The Colossi of Memnon are genuinely staggering to stand next to; at 18 meters tall, they make the surrounding tour buses look like toys...read more.
Although commonly known as the Tomb of Ramesses VI, it was actually started by his nephew, Ramesses V, who was likely the first one buried here before his uncle expanded it for himself. The descent was a staggering 117-meter corridor that plunged deep into the limestone. What immediately hit me wasn't just the scale, but the colors. After over 3,000 years, the reds, golds, and deep blues of the hieroglyphs look as though the painters just finished their work this morning...read more.
Entering the Tomb of Tutankhamun feels different from the others: it is remarkably small compared to the vast corridors of the other kings in the valley. You can really sense the haste in which it was prepared. Unlike the other pharaohs who were moved to museums long ago, Tutankhamun himself remains here. I stood inches away from his actual mummy, which is now preserved in a glass case at one end of the burial chamber. Seeing his linen-wrapped form in the very place he was laid 3,000 years ago is amazing...read more.
The preservation here is incredible. The Litany of Ra and the Book of Gates cover the walls in high-contrast reds and golds that look almost fresh, leading all the way to the eight-pillared burial chamber. It is easily one of the most fascinating stops in the Valley of the Kings. This tomb is massive, stretching about 188 meters deep.
The Valley of the Queens was less crowded which means we had more time to walk around and view things at our own pace. There was only one tomb where you had to pay to enter, and we skipped it, but the rest were still equally as amazing. Having them to ourselves was the real treat.
Habu Temple was the most amazing temple we had seen thus far. It was in amazing condition: the paintings were pristine-looking. Our guide gave us amazing behind-the-scenes tour, and told us some not-so-commonly known facts about the place, and its historical purpose...read more.
Unlike the other temples we visited, this one seemed to literally grow out of the landscape instead of resting on top of it. Its three massive limestone terraces are carved directly into the face of the cliffs, creating a symmetrical silhouette...read more.
This was the highlight of our time in Luxor. We were picked up from our hotel at 4am, along with a bunch of others, and shuttled to a balloon ride launching area. We waited in the cold, dark, pre-dawn morning as teams of workers got the balloons ready for us. It was an amazing sight watching these huge things go from the flames burning within them...read more.
This was our first temple complex that we visited in Luxor, and it was astounding to be standing at the base of these humungous columns and statues. We spotted Greek writing mixed in with ancient Egyptian, which aligned with what the guide in Cairo told us about Alexandar the Greats conquering of Egypt and introduction of the helenistic cultures.
We walked down the Avenue of Sphinxes in order to reach the Karnak temple complex, and no one else was on the avenue, so we had it all to ourselves. It beat walking alogn the busy narrow streets...read more.
