A visit to Luxor is an experience that one will remember for a lifetime. It is like traveling through time, to the magnificent times of legendary Egyptian kings, queens, and deities. The city consists of different areas, each witnessing an even more glorious period, with larger and more magnificent buildings and monuments.
It takes at least two months to fully experience the treasures of Luxor and understand the grandeur of this place.
The Nile River divides the ancient capital into two parts. If visitors take a detour from the north-east, they will first see the Karnak Temple Complex, the second largest religious complex in the world (after Angkor Wat in Cambodia). Karnak was the most important religious complex in ancient Egypt. Its decorated pillars, obelisks and statues will definitely impress you, as it took over 2000 years for the complex to be completed. Over 30 pharaohs contributed to the glory of this temple. The temple in Karnak is famous for its 134 massive columns organized in 16 rows in the well-known Pillar Hall. The architraves at the top of these columns weigh 70 tons. It is not yet known how the Egyptians lifted such heavy structures to this height.
As we move further to the south, the next thing visitors will see is the Luxor Museum, followed by the Temple of Luxor, built during the New Kingdom period of Amenhotep III and Ramses II. It is dedicated to the god Amun Ra. Walking down the Sphinx Avenue, which once linked the temple to Karnak, is an impressive experience, during which visitors will be guarded by the statues of Ramses II.
When visitors cross the Nile, they will have the opportunity to visit some of the ancient tombs of Egyptian kings, queens, and nobles. Here visitors can visit the immense Valley of the Kings, the necropolis of Egypt that houses the tombs of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom. Over time, more than 60 tombs have been discovered. The tomb of the famous Tutankhamun was also located here, which was untouched when it was discovered. Nowadays, all treasures from the tomb are exhibited in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The visitors can also see the Colossi of Memnon - gigantic statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, each statue is 18 meters high, weighing 1300 tons.
Al Deir Al Bahari Temple, also known as the temple of the queen Hatshepsut, is one of the most beautiful temples in Luxor and definitely a must-see attraction.
The visitors can also visit the valley of the Queens where the beautiful Nefertari was buried. She was an Egyptian queen and the first of the Great Royal Wives of Ramesses the Great. This lavishly decorated tomb is one of the largest and most spectacular tombs in the Valley of the Queens.
Luxor is considered the world's largest open-air museum. Its treasures are so vast that all of them cannot be visited in just a couple of days which is why the visitors simply must come again.
Cairo, in Arabic Al-Qahirah, means Mars (the planet Mars) because the planet Mars rose upwards into the sky the day the city was founded. Founded in the age of the Pharaohs under the name of Heliopolis, Cairo has been the centreground of different cultures and religions over the centuries and is one of the oldest cities in the world. Cultural heritage is truly remarkable in this city and its visitors may enjoy in monuments that are over 5.000 years old. Starting from fascinating pyramids of Giza, the Egyptian museum where visitors shall see the Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s treasures brought from his burial chamber, Mosque of Muhammad Ali made of alabaster stone, Coptic district and stunningly beautiful church of Saint Virgin Mary also called the “Hanging church”, the bazaar of Khan El Khalili.
Luxor is situated on the east bank of the Nile, rising on the grounds of ancient Thebes, the capital of the Pharaohs. Today, the city has 506,588 inhabitants and is considered a real open-air museum. In fact, Luxor “owns” some wonders of Egypt, including the Colossi of Memnon, the funerary complex of Pharaoh Amenhotep, majestic temples, statues, buildings, pyramids and the two valleys of kings and queens. Dozens of tombs were found here, including the one of Pharaoh Ramses, in which hieroglyphics have been magnificently preserved for millennia.
Hurghada was once an isolated and relatively small fishing village. Today, this is the city full of tourists and numerous attractions that visitors should not miss when visiting Egypt. Hurghada is located approximately 430 km south of Suez, in the area where the sea isthmus extends into the Red Sea; it is a destination with beautiful sandy beaches, warm sea and quality hotels, which were constructed in recent times. Visitors can visit the city center with a typical Arab bustle and enjoy endless bargains over souvenir prices or follow these events from a nearby coffee shop. Hurghada is an ideal place for families to rest, but also for anyone who is willing to dive and discover the beautiful underwater world full of colorful corals and exotic fish. There are 250 coral reefs and over 1000 different fish species.
