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Luxor Map
Luxor was Egypt's capital during the first part of the Middle Kingdom* and the New Kingdom*. The city was then not named either Luxor or Thebes, but Waset**.
* The Middle Kingdom started around 4000 years ago, and the New Kingdom around 500 years later.
** In ancient Egyptian the meaning of the name Waset is "the city", and this city had it's national influence not only when it was capital, as Egypt's largest religious centre was located here (the temples at Karnak). The Greeks called Waset for Thebes, a name often used today as well for ancient Luxor. Still it's not all correct to call Waset during Pharaonic times for Thebes as the Greek name was first used long time after the city had been Egypt capital. Today Luxor is foremost known for all its monuments, in fact there is no other place on our planet that have such a large monumental heritage more or less intact. When travellers from the Arab world came here they called the city for "the palaces" which in Arabic language is "El Uqsur". It's the name El Uqsur that has become today's name Luxor.
Luxor westbank consists of two village families, the Qurna villages from the Nile and to the desert on the north side of the road and the Bairat villages on the south. Behind the green agriculture land the Western desert starts and on top of the first mountain of the desert you can see a natural pyramid form. This is where the scorpion and snake goddess Meretseger lives and in front of the desert mountain all the temples and behind in one of the first valleys the legendary Valley of the Kings.
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The city Luxor is located on the east bank of the Nile. Here you will find market streets, most of what you need in shops, restaurants and bars in all colours, and not at least all the hotels in Luxor. Accommodation covers all from the need of backpack tourists to the grand royal suite at Old Winter Palace.
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The temple complex at Karnak is the largest temple area in the world. Here you will find gigantic proportions in what was built as the living ground for gods and an education area for the different skills represented by the different gods and goddesses (from embalmers to lawyers and judges). One easily feels like a tiny insect among the gods and majestic column rows in the temples here.
Find more information and temple plans of Karnak.
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In the middle of town you will find Luxor temple, and in front of the pylon (temple gate) there is one obelisk. Originally it was two obelisks, but the second was during the reign of Vice-King Mohamed Ali, given as a present to France. That obelisk now stand at Place de la Concorde in Paris. At this temple Pharaohs has built their parts during a period of nearly two thousand years - including Alexander the great which was honoured as a Pharaoh by the oracle at Siwa. In 1987 the temple was the setting for a majestic performance of the opera Aida, today this opera is performed yearly by the pyramids at Giza in Cairo.
Find more information & temple plan over the Luxor temple.
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Since the time when TutAnchAmons tomb was discovered in Luxor, and Howard Carter first announced this at the Old Winter Palace in 1922 - the Valley of the Kings has had an fairytale like aura for visitors to Egypt. Just recently the largest tomb in the valley was found by Kent Weeks, the "KV5" tomb, more known as the tomb of the sons of Ramses II. KV5 tomb covers an area of more than 1260 square meters and is the largest tomb found in the valley. One of Ramses II son became Pharaoh (MernetPtah), and he has his own tomb just above the mentioned tomb of TutAnchAmons tomb. In fact, the debris from the digging of the tomb of MernetPtah covered the entrance to the small tomb of TutAnchAmon - most likely being the reason why this tomb never was discovered by grave robbers. The first tomb in the Valley of the Kings was built for ThothMoses I., the father of Hatshepsut.
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The snake and scorpion goddess Meretseger lived in a natural pyramid mountain top on Luxors westbank. Behind this mountain top you will find the Valley of the Kings, and just in front of the mountain wall the unique terrace temple of Hatshepsut is found. Lately this female Pharaoh has become as famous as Cleopatra the seventh (although it existed far more female Pharaohs than these two), and here we honour her with a photo where she stand on the upper terrace of her temple gazing out over the Nile valley.
Find more information & temple plan over the terrace temple.
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The tombs of the Nobles is something of the most important visits you should do while in Luxor. Unfortunately (or luckily?) most of the mass tourism don't visits these tombs, but here you can find some tomb plans and information for the tombs of the Nobles. The temple of Ramses II is just below these tombs. An impressive temple, but if you have limited time available, then we recommend you to visit the temple of Ramses III in Medinet Habu. That temple is nearly an exactly as the temple of Ramses II, but Ramses IIIs temple is far more intact.
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The artists village (or the workers village as it's sometimes called) is locally known as Deir el Medina. This was the village for those who worked on the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, along with Nobles tombs and their own tombs. Since most here could write, and from all their daily writing we happens to know more about the daily life in this village that was established nearly 3500 years ago than any village in Europe just hundred years ago.
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The famous Colossi of Memnon is in fact two grand statues of Pharaoh AmenHotep III which stood in front of his temple on the westbank. Unlike most other temples this temple was built on agriculture land and not in the desert area further west. Due to this fact the temple was flooded every year, and the stones of the temple was soon after used as material for new temples in the area. The statues of AmenHotep III was originally 21 meters high and are still standing here. Already during the Greek and Roman times in Egypt, tourists came in large number from all over the empire to visit these colossus. As a sound came from them when during sun set, this sound was recognized as the lamentation over the Greek hero Memnon from Troy - and that is how the Memnon name became connected with the statues of AmenHotep III.
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Let us end this small walk through Luxor with our strongest recommendation, and that is to visit the temples at Medinet Habu. Firstly since it has some of the elements of both Karnak and Luxor temple complexes, but is far easier to "understand" as it has three separate temples within its walls. The temples are a small temple built during the reign of Hatshepsut and ThothMoses III, the large temple of Ramses III and a truly unique, although small, temple to two priestesses who during the Saite period ruled over Luxor. Secondly as the coloured relief's at parts of the temple of Ramses III is very much intact.
Lanny Bell, who over nearly twenty years was leading the Chicago House archaeological work in Luxor gives a perfect "thumb rule" for visits in Luxor.
His concept for visits in Luxor is very easy, as it's to use one third of your time on monuments and the museum in Luxor city, and then two third for visits to all the monuments and tombs on the westbank!
Find more information & temple plan over Medinet Habu.
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Full map of Luxor
All temple plans in Luxor
Medinet Habu temple complex plan
Ramses III temple, Medinet Habu plan
Ramose, Nobles tomb plan
Menna, Nobles tomb plan
Nakht, Nobles tomb plan
Hatshepsut terrasse temple plan
Karnak temple complex plan
Karnak Amon temple plan
Luxor temple plan
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Text and maps, Arnvid Aakre
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