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. On this page you will be able to see the full list of the most well-known tourist attractions (tourist sight) of Luxor. The list is interactive and your votes are the only criteria we use for rating the attractions.
Karnak is a village in Upper Egypt located on the right bank of the Nile, about 2.5 kilometers northeast of Luxor. It is named after the northern half of the ruins of Thebes (circa 3200 BC), which is the largest ensemble of temples built during the pharaohs’ rule in Egypt. Temples in Karnak have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979. The temple complex, expanded and changed many times, reflects the changing fortunes of the Egyptian Empire. Construction began in the 16th century BC. Approximately 30 pharaohs contributed to the construction of the temples. The main part of the temple (the Amun section) was erected during the eighteenth dynasty.
Valley of the Kings is the necropolis of Egypt that houses the tombs of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom. More than 60 tombs have been discovered over time. In ancient times the Valley of the Kings was called "Ta Set Mat", which means "place of truth". The first pharaoh to be buried in the Valley of the Kings was Thutmose I. He belonged to the XVIII dynasty.From the 16th to the 11th century AD, tombs of pharaohs and wealthy nobles were carved here. The valley is located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the ancient Thebes (present-day Luxor) in the heart of the Theban Necropolis. This wadi consists of two valleys: The Eastern Valley (which houses most of the royal tombs) and the Western Valley.
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. Hatshepsut was the fifth pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, daughter of Pharaoh Thutmosis I. Hatshepsut aspired to obtain the position of the sovereign of Egypt and to legitimize her ascension to the throne, and she undertook the most unprecedented propaganda campaign in the history of Ancient Egypt. She declared herself as the daughter of the god Amon-Ra, so that no one could think about removing her from the throne of Egypt.
Colossi of Memnon are gigantic statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III. These giant statues, facing the Nile and the rising sun, were placed to guard the Temple of Millions of Years, a sacred building that every pharaoh of the New Kingdom devoted to himself to affirm his own divine nature. In the lower part, next to the legs, there are statues of Pharaoh’s wife Tiy and his mother Mutemuia.
