Category: Luxor Attractions

Luxor’s Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings is in the middle of a hill in Luxor. It is where the great pharaohs of Egypt’s new empire are buried (1570-1070 BC). From the 16th century BC to the 11th century BC, the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties of pharaohs and other important people were buried in the Valley of the Kings.

The Valley of the Kings and Luxor. At the same time, it is a growing modern city and a reminder of Egypt’s past.

People think that the Valley is one of the most important cultural and historical sites from the ancient world. It has about 63 tombs and carved rock chambers that are different sizes and decorated with beautiful scenes from ancient Egyptian mythology and images of their daily lives. These give us information about their history, culture, and religious beliefs during this time, but they were often stolen from by looters and tomb robbers.

Since the late 18th century, this Valley has been a popular place for archaeologists to dig. Its tombs and burial sites continue to attract research and interest to this day. It was put on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1979.

Where the Valley of the Kings was built

It is in the middle of the necropolis of Thebes on the western bank of the Nile, across from the modern city of Luxor. Some Egyptologists and archaeologists think that the shape of the highest point of the Theban hill, which can be seen from the entrance to the valley, must have been the reason why it was chosen to be the Valley of the Kings. It has a west valley and an east valley. Most of the royal tombs are in the east valley.

The Valley of the Kings is on the west side of the Nile, about 18 miles northwest of the centre of Luxor.

How the Valley of the Kings came to be

The remains of ancient kings and queens like Ramses (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, IX, and X), Hatshepsut, Amenhotep I, and the famous young king Tutankhamun were found in the valley.

Thutmosis I was the first pharaoh to be buried in the Valley of the Kings. Ramses X was the last pharaoh to be buried there.

It also has powerful nobles and their wives, children, and other family members.

Their tombs show how rich these pharaohs were, and the writings on the walls tell us a lot about their lives.

The Valley of the Kings is on the west side of the Nile, about 18 miles northwest of the centre of Luxor.

The Valley of the Kings’ most well-known tombs
Tutankhamen

Howard Carter found the Tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen, also known as King Tut, in 1922. It is one of the most well-known tombs in the Valley of the Kings. The tomb of Tut is a very important find because the young king’s body was very well preserved.

The tomb was full of amazing things, like King Tut’s perfectly preserved mummy, a solid gold inner coffin, a chariot, the famous golden mask, and a lot more. The tomb had several rooms, but the most important ones were the room for the dead and the room with the treasure.

The burial place of Thutmose III

This tomb is at the far end of the eastern valley. It is thought to be one of the oldest. The tomb is shaped like an oval, and it has beautiful writing and figures all over it.

Ramses III’s grave

It is famous for the paintings of two blind harpists. The Tomb of King Amenhotep I shows that it was common to build tombs near the Nile River. This practise of putting them in different places is probably done to keep people from stealing from their graves and destroying their history.

Ramses VI’s grave

Has a beautiful place to be buried. The ceiling is covered with hieroglyphic writing and pictures of the sky goddess Nut swallowing the sun and spitting it out.

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What’s so important about the Colossi of Memnon?

Egypt was known as the Land of the Pharaohs because of the great civilization of the Pharaohs. The Colossi of Memnon and a lot of temples are proof of this.

Quick, find out about the Museum of Luxor

Egypt has a lot of pharaonic sites in many cities.

The pyramids and tombs were made because people thought there was life after death.

They also brought in things to build temples because their religions and gods were very important to them.

Because of this, Luxor is very important because it is home to most of Egypt’s and the world’s most important monuments.

The Colossi of Memnon is one of the most important sights in Luxor.

King Amenophis III had the Colossi of Memnon made.

Egypt’s Colossi of Memmon: A Brief History

Amenophis III was the ninth Pharaoh of the New Empire’s XVIIIth dynasty.

Amenophis III is shown by two huge statues called the Colossi of Memnon.

Amenophis III told the architect Amenhotep “son of Hapu” to build them.

The statues were made with granite from the quarries of Al-Jabal Al-Ahmer (the red mountain), which is near Cairo and 675 km from Luxor.

From the building site to Luxor “Thebes,” they took a boat made of 8 boats joined together.

The statues were broken when the Nile flooded every year, and in 27 BC, an earthquake destroyed them.

Amenhotep III’s people built it.

goal of the Colossi of Memnon

to keep watch at the entrance to the memorial temple for Amenhotep.

King Amenophis III is shown here on his throne by these statues.

The Colossi of Memnon are 14 metres tall and weigh 700 tonnes. Their bases are 4 metres tall and weigh 600 tonnes.

Find out more about the Temples of Abu Simbel, which are 18 m tall and weigh 1300 tonnes.

They used to be 21 m tall, but they lost parts of their heads over time.

Two small statues of “Mutemuia” and “Tiy,” the statues’ mother and daughter, stand next to the statues’ legs.

There are hieroglyphic writings and symbols of the god Hapi on the thrones of the statues.

The Colossi of Memnon make a

Every morning for a long time, the huge statues at Colossi of Memnon made a sound that sounded like a moan or a song.

It was said that the sound was the goddess Aurora crying because her son Memnon had died.

But the cracks in the stone are what are making these sounds, and when they were fixed, the sounds stopped.

How did it get the name Colossi Memnon?

The first Greeks gave Memnon’s name to the statues of Amenophis III.

The legend says that Memnon was the child of the goddess Aurora and the god Titon.

Memnon became King of Ethiopia and then fought in the Trojan War.

Memnon was killed by Achilles, and the sound of the Colossians is the moaning of his mother Aurora at dawn.

What did people do with the Colossi of Memnon?

The Colossi of Memnon were built to protect the great temple at Luxor, which was the tomb of Amenophis III.

This temple was made of adobe, and it had a lot of statues and other monuments.

Since the temple was destroyed in 1200 B.C., its walls, statues, and other decorations are no longer there.

The mud from its ruins was used to build other temples in Luxor.

There are six statues. The second pair is 15 metres tall, and the third is also 15 metres tall.

But the Colossi of Memnon are the most well known.

Quartzite sandstone blocks were used to make the Colossi.

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Why is the Queen Hatshepsut’s Tomb such a big deal?

This stunning Temple of Hatshepsut was also called “Djoser-Djeseru.”

The Temple of Hatshepsut was built for “Pharaoh Queen Hatshepsut,” the queen of the 18th Dynasty.

It is a unique tomb temple for Hatshepsut in ancient Egypt, and it is thought to be one of the greatest achievements of this culture.

It was built in honour of Hachepsut and Amon.

The king of Egypt had to build tombs and temples to honour the gods and pharaohs and keep their memories alive for all time.

Queen Hatshepsut always knew how to improve her reputation and make her name last forever.

Hatshepsut ruled Egypt like a man because she was the daughter of a very powerful god.

She was in charge for about 20 years.

The history of Queen Hatshepsut

King Thutmosis I and his wife Ahmose had a daughter named Hatshepsut.

Thutmosis got a son named “Thutmose II” from Mutnofret through his second marriage.

As was the custom, Hachepsut married Thutmosis II before she turned 20.

Queen Hatshepsut became the wife of the god Amon, which is the highest title a woman in Egypt can have and gave her a great political position.

Her husband had died, and her son was still a boy, so she ran the country until she became the Pharaoh of Egypt.

What do people know about Hatshepsut?

During her rule, Egypt was the most peaceful and wealthy it had ever been.

It was known for the success of its trade, economy, and many public works projects, which gave people all over the country jobs.

where is the Hatshepsut Temple?

The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut is in Upper Egypt, near the Deir El-Bahari mountains.

The name comes from an old monastery that was built during the time of the Copts.

About 27 km northwest of Luxor, on the west bank of the river in western Thebes (the great capital of Egypt during the new empire of Egypt).

It was next to the Temple of the Mortuary of Mentuhotep II.

The temple is at the entrance to the Valley of the Kings, which you can see on your luxurious tours of Egypt.

How old is the Hatshepsut Temple?

In the year 1479 B.C., Queen Hatshepsut gave the order to build this beautiful temple.

She took about fifteen years to build the temple, which told the story of her life.

How did they build the temple of Hatshepsut?

The Queen Hatshepsut’s tomb was carefully designed by “Senenmut,” who was in charge of her affairs.

The Temple of Mentuhotep II was used as a model, but everything was made bigger.

The Hatshepsut tomb temple has three levels, and each one has a carefully designed colonnade.

Design of the Queen Hatshepsut’s tomb

On the Ground Level, there was a garden with strange trees that Hatshepsut had brought back from her trips to Punt.

And, sadly, this garden is no longer there.

There are square columns in the back of the courtyard.

Some scenes show Thutmose III dancing in front of Amon, and others show the marshes of Lower Egypt.

To get to the second level, you can climb a set of stairs.

On the second level of Hatshepsut’s tomb, there were two pools and a row of sphinxes that led to another ramp.

This level has one of the first pictures to show what a commercial expedition looked like.

There was also a place of worship for the goddess Hathor, which looked like a woman with the head of a cow and the ears of a dog holdingștiins.

The birth colonnade is on the right side of the ramp. It tells the story of how Hatshepsut and Amon made the world.

On the left side of the ramp is Punt’s colonnade, which tells of his great journey to the mysterious “Land of the Gods.”

Egyptians hadn’t been to the Temple of Hatshepsut in hundreds of years.

There is also the Chapel of Hathor, which has a room with twelve beautiful columns that have the head of Hathor on them.

As capitals and the Chapel of Anubis, which has a room with twelve fluted columns and a ceiling that looks like the sky.

On the Third Level, there is a portico with two rows of columns facing forward.

All of the pictures of Queen Hatshepsut were destroyed, and they were all replaced with pictures of King Thutmosis III.

Behind the courtyard is the sanctuary of Amon.

During the time of the Ptolemies, it was rebuilt and again dedicated to Imhotep.

The story of the temple

This amazing tomb for Hatshepsut is thought to be the best way to learn about ancient Egypt.

It shows how great the pharaoh is and has shrines to honour the gods who will be important to him in the future.

The next temples of the new empire were built in the same style as this one.

Who destroyed the temple of Hatshepsut?

Even though vandalism by Thutmose III damaged some parts of this beautiful ancient building,

During their tours of Egypt, many tourists said that this site was well kept and worth seeing.

This amazing temple is built on top of three large terraces that are linked by ramps.

It’s open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.

Just outside the entrance to the temple is a bazaar, which is a market with many different kinds of goods.

Inside this amazing Temple of Hatshepsut, you can see the colonnade of the birth and the colonnade of Punt, as well as the chapel of Hathor, the chapel of Anubis, and the sanctuary of Amon.

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Should you go to Luxor Museum?

Luxor is a city in Egypt that has a lot to see and do, including the Museum of Luxor.

Most of Egypt’s monuments are in Luxor, so a lot of tourists go there to get a close look at how the pharaohs lived.

For the large number of pharaonic objects that they found and brought back, a lot of the monuments were buried.

Learn more about the Egyptian Museum by clicking here.

So, it is important to build museums where the Pharaonic monuments can be shown.

The Luxor Museum is one of the most important places to visit in Egypt.

About the Museum of Luxor

The Egyptian Ministry of Culture hired Mahmoud El-Hakim, an architect, to build the Museum in 1962.

Between 1972 and 1975, the Museum of Luxor was built.

In December 1975, it opened to the public.

In 1989, statues were found in the Temple of Luxor’s court.

In 1991, the Luxor Museum got a new room (the first extension).

The second addition was made in 2004 to bring the Museum up to date.

History of the Museum

The Museum of Luxor is in the middle of “Luxor,” also called “Thebes,” between the Karnak Temple and the Luxor Temple, close to the Nile River.

The Museum has two floors where statues, sarcophagi, vessels, pieces, and many other things from different dynasties are kept.

Most of the items come from the tombs and temples of the New and Middle Kingdoms.

In the second addition, new plans were made, and the lighting was changed to make the dark grey walls look good.

The Museum of Luxor’s best thing is

• The Statue of Thutmose III, which was found buried in the Temple of Karnak and dates to the 18th Dynasty. It is made of slate and grey limestone.
• The head of Amenhotep III, from the 18th Dynasty, was found in his temple.
• The white crown of Lower Egypt is on the head. The snake has a fake beard and is on its forehead.
• The Head of Sestrosis III in the Museum of Luxor: (of the 12th Dynasty), he was a Middle Empire ruler.
• He has a cobra on his forehead, his ears aren’t pierced, and his lips aren’t changed.
• The light made the cheekbones of the face stand out.
• (XIth Dynasty) The Column of Antef II is thought to be the first thing found in the Temple of Karnak.
• The Statue of Amenemhat III is made of black granite and is from the XIIth Dynasty. On its base, it says “beloved of Amun-Ra, Lord of Karnak.”
• The Temple of Karnak has a sphinx from the Middle Kingdom.

Where was Tutankhamun’s head found?

• The statue of Tutankhamun was found hidden in the Temple of Karnak. It was made during the 18th Dynasty.
• It has an amulet of the goddess Isis in its hand.
• The Museum of Luxor has a bas-relief of Tutmosis III from the Temple of Deir El-Bahari. This relief was found in the Temple of Deir El-Bahari.
• Statue of the god Sobek with Amenhotep III: the statue of the god Sobek, who has the head of a crocodile, sitting on his throne. Alabaster was used to make the statues.
• The statues of god Amon and his wife, the goddess Mut, are sitting on a throne with Seti I’s name written on it (from XIXth Dynasty). They are made of dark stone.
• In the statue of Thutmosis III, he is sitting on his throne, which has the words “the beloved of Amon, Lord of Thebes” written on it. It was found in the Temple of Deir El-Bahari.
• A Mural Fragment: It is made of red granite and shows Amenhotep II as an archer in a hair chariot. It was found at Karnak Temple.
• The Statue of Amenhotep II is made of red granite and is from the XVIII Dynasty. It was found in Karnak Temple.
• The Statue of Amenhotep, son of Hapu, was built during the reign of Amenhotep III. He was an architect.
• The Museum of Luxor has weapons like arrows, spears, axe leaves, shields, and bows.
• The sarcophagus of Imeni and Geheset had religious writings on it.
• The Statue of Ramses II: This statue of Ramses II, from the XIX dynasty, is made of red and grey granite.
• The god Amon puts his left hand on the statue of Amenhotep III to crown him, but Amon’s head is missing.
• Canopic Vessels in the Luxor Museum.
• Many heads, including those of Amenhotep III, Amenhotep I, Sestrosis III, Thutmosis III, and others.

When does the Luxor Museum open and close?

The Luxor Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 9 p.m. in the summer and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.

How the Museum Works

The Museum of Luxor has items from the time of the Pharaohs, as well as Islamic pieces from the time of the Mamluks and Copts in the 5th century.

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Day trips and tours in Luxor

In 2004, the second expansion added new rooms called “Thebes Glory Hall.” These rooms hold the monuments from when Thebes was at its best.

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About the Karnak Temple in Egypt

The Karnak Temple in Egypt is the biggest religious building ever built and the biggest temple in the world.

“Thebes” is in the city of Luxor.

The Karnak Temple was also called the Temple of Amon. Day trips and tours in Luxor

In the Middle Empire, it was called “Ipet-Isu,” which means “The best of places.” It was also known as “Pr-Imn,” which means “House of Amon.”

From 2055 B.C. to about 100 A.D., or 2000 years, it was built. Find out about now Tours

The complex of temples at Karnak in Egypt

There are several temples that make up the Karnak Temple in Egypt.

Find out more at the Museum of Luxor. Amon-Ra, the male god of Thebes, owns the largest of these areas and the centre of the temple, which is 61 acres in size.

We can see his wife, the Mut, and more temples to the south of the central area.

Such as the Temple of Jonsu, the Temple of Ptah, the Temple of Ipt, the Temple of Osiris, and the Temple of Montu.

The Temple of Karnak was not only for the gods, but also for the Egyptian rulers who wanted to be remembered.

So, they left their mark on architecture over time.

From the beginning of the ancient empire, through the middle empire, the new empire, and the Ptolemaic dynasty.

Columns at the Karnak Temple
The First Tower:

The first pylon is at the end of a row of sphinxes with ram’s heads. The ram’s head is a symbol of the god Amon.

On each side of the temple, there are 20 rams that were built to protect it.

The main entrance to the temple is through the first pylon, which was the last building to be built at Karnak.

Things to Do in Luxor: Top Luxor Attractions gives a quick tour of the city.

The Big Open Courtyard:

In Egypt at the Karnak Temple The big patio is 100 metres long and 80 metres wide, and it has ten columns with papyrus tops.

Each column is 21 m tall, and there is only one left. It is called the kiosk of Taharqa, after the fourth king of the XXV Dynasty.

There is also a statue of Ramses II, which shows the king with the two crowns of High and Low Egypt. At his feet is a statue of his wife, whoștiis his queen.

The Big Hypostyle Hall:

The most interesting building at the Karnak Temple in Egypt is the Great Hypostyle Hall.

It is 103 m long and 52 m wide, and it has 134 huge stone columns. The 12 biggest columns are 22.40 m tall and 3.5 m in diameter, while the rest are 14.75 m tall.

King Seti, who ruled from 1290 to 1279 B.C., built the hall at first.

The battle of Seti is written on the outside walls of the northern hall, while Ramses II’s peace treaty with the Hittites is written on the south wall.

Sacred Lake: –

Egypt’s Karnak Temple has a sacred lake that is 120 m by 77 m, making it the biggest of its kind.

It was dug up by King Tuthmosis III (1473–1458 B.C. ).

It was used by priests to clean themselves and for other rituals, like navigating.

It was where the holy geese of Amon lived.

Stones line the edges of the lake, and stairs lead down to the water.

Around the lake, we can find the priests’ stores and their rooms.

Egypt via travel can take you to more places.

Many people come from all over the world to see the Karnak Temple, which is one of the most important places to see in Egypt.

If you want to see this historical site and the other archaeological sites in Egypt, check out our travel packages to Egypt and choose your trip. You can also take a tour on an Egypt Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan, which is the most exciting thing to do in Egypt.