Luxor Holidays

As the site of the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, 4000-year old Luxor has frequently been characterised as the "world's greatest open air museum". Straddling the River Nile, the ruins of the temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor stand within the modern city located on the East Bank, whilst immediately across the Nile on the West Bank, lie the myriad monuments, temples and tombs that comprise The Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens.

The Temple of Karnak - a spectacular open-air complex of sanctuaries, pylons, chapels, halls and obelisks, all dedicated to the Theban gods and to the greater glory of Egypt’s Middle and New Kingdom rulers is number two on the visitor ‘hit list’ after the pyramids and Sphinx at Giza. The key difference between Karnak and most of the other temples and sites in Egypt is the length of time over which it was developed and used. Construction work began in the 16th century BC. Approximately 30 pharaohs contributed to the buildings, enabling it to reach a size, complexity and diversity not seen elsewhere. Few of the individual features of Karnak are unique, but the size and number of features are overwhelming.

In the heart of Luxor, the Temple of Luxor is a large temple dedicated to the Theban Triad of Amun, Mut and Khonsu. Whereas Karnak represented the work of many dynasties, two rulers of the New Kingdom built the Temple of Luxor. The temple comprises numerous pylons, columns, an inner sanctum and a giant granite obelisk.