The Luxor trip started with a visit to the west bank, to the valley of kings. 63 tombs from various dynasties lay there as the hill there was assumed to be the steps to heaven, serving a role similar to the pyramids of the old. I visited 3 tombs, each one different from the other, with the length of the shaft giving an idea of the reign of the pharaoh. The smaller shafts had their owners dying early which was why they were incomplete. The longer ones more decorated as the owners spent more time living. The colors and the sarcophagus preserved in a few.
Next up was the temple of Hatshepsut, which was the only temple remaining among the 3 in that area. The other 2 were built by her father and her 2nd husband Thutmose III(also her step-son) who had tried to destroy her temple. Ironically her temple was the only one which survived a landslid due to an earthquake.
The statues there are restored as most were badly destroyed and most of the carvings were also damaged by Thutmose III however the temple is still beautiful and is surrounded by tombs of nobles. The view from the site is amazing. Also saw the colossi of Memnon nearby, 2 huge statues of Amenhotep.
We came back to Luxor and proceeded to the Karnak temple complex. This was absolutely way beyond anything I have seen. The complex is humongous. The size completely overshadowed by the sheer amount of art and architecture present. The row of sphinxes at the entrance, the fantastic size of the gates, the entire rows of huge columns and the obelisks in the inner precinct are just surprises lined up after one another. Towards the end the lake and the scarab sculpture still thought to bring luck and fulfill wishes altogether made this one of my favorite pieces of history to witness. Some parts of it have undergone reconstruction and renovation however the entire complex is a certain must see.
Last on my list was the Luxor temple. Although not as huge as the Karnak temple, this was still impressive, the obelisk in front of the gate providing a very scenic view. Inside one of the best preserved statues was another sight. Both these temples had been built in the pharonic style and the change in architecture from Kam Ombo and Edfu was prominent. Both of them had many stories on their walls which my guide explained. I had a few hours to kill until my train back to Cairo so that was spent at the Luxor museum. It is of course much smaller than the Cairo one but being much newer, it is very well made and definitely worth a visit. The next day I took a bus from Cairo to Taba, partied in Eilat for a day and got back.
The Luxor trip started with a visit to the west bank, to the valley of kings. 63 tombs from various dynasties lay there as the hill there was assumed to be the steps to heaven, serving a role similar to the pyramids of the old. I visited 3 tombs, each one different from the other, with the length of the shaft giving an idea of the reign of the pharaoh. The smaller shafts had their owners dying early which was why they were incomplete. The longer ones more decorated as the owners spent more time living. The colors and the sarcophagus preserved in a few.
Next up was the temple of Hatshepsut, which was the only temple remaining among the 3 in that area. The other 2 were built by her father and her 2nd husband Thutmose III(also her step-son) who had tried to destroy her temple. Ironically her temple was the only one which survived a landslid due to an earthquake. 
The statues there are restored as most were badly destroyed and most of the carvings were also damaged by Thutmose III however the temple is still beautiful and is surrounded by tombs of nobles. The view from the site is amazing. Also saw the colossi of Memnon nearby, 2 huge statues of Amenhotep.
We came back to Luxor and proceeded to the Karnak temple complex. This was absolutely way beyond anything I have seen. The complex is humongous. The size completely overshadowed by the sheer amount of art and architecture present. The row of sphinxes at the entrance, the fantastic size of the gates, the entire rows of huge columns and the obelisks in the inner precinct are just surprises lined up after one another. Towards the end the lake and the scarab sculpture still thought to bring luck and fulfill wishes altogether made this one of my favorite pieces of history to witness. Some parts of it have undergone reconstruction and renovation however the entire complex is a certain must see.
Last on my list was the Luxor temple. Although not as huge as the Karnak temple, this was still impressive, the obelisk in front of the gate providing a very scenic view. Inside one of the best preserved statues was another sight. Both these temples had been built in the pharonic style and the change in architecture from Kam Ombo and Edfu was prominent. Both of them had many stories on their walls which my guide explained. I had a few hours to kill until my train back to Cairo so that was spent at the Luxor museum. It is of course much smaller than the Cairo one but being much newer, it is very well made and definitely worth a visit. The next day I took a bus from Cairo to Taba, partied in Eilat for a day and got back.
No comments:
Post a Comment