Description

The highlight of every journey to Egypt is a visit to Luxor. We cross over to the western bank of the Nile to the city of the dead, now called Thebes-West. Walk through the Valley of the Kings, visit the temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon, the figures of Pharaoh Amenophis III. Our program also includes the huge Karnak Temple, arguably the largest temple district in the world. The monumental columned hall and the temple of Amun-Re are well known here. Accompanied by your personal guide, visit the following highlights on your tour:

● The legendary Valley of the Kings is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Researchers and adventurers have made numerous sensational discoveries in this unique necropolis near the Upper Egyptian city of Luxor. Despite these already highly successful excavations in the past, the magical place still holds many surprises in store to this day. Hatshepsut, Tutankhamun, Ramses II – perhaps the most famous pharaohs of ancient Egypt were all buried in the Valley of the Kings. For almost 500 years, the Valley of the Kings served as the final resting place for the Egyptian rulers of the New Kingdom (around 1550-1069 BC).

● Mortuary temple of Hatshepsut
Admire “The House of Millions of Years” – a unique temple in Egyptian history.
Wide-open to the Nile and with its back to the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut built her Temple of the Millions of Years. Like those of her predecessors and successors, the temple was to preserve her memory for millions of years: the wonder of wonders in Deir el Bahari. The mortuary temple of Hatshepsut dates from the 18th dynasty and is the best-preserved temple in Deir el-Bahari on the west bank of the Nile in Thebes. Its idiosyncratic architecture is striking. The pylons have been replaced by open pillar halls in front of each terrace. The entire temple is made of limestone. The imposing terraced sand-limestone temple with its gigantic colonnades of statues grows majestically right into the steep wall of the rock. The fact that the mortuary temple fits into the grand mountain range is impressive.

● The Karnak Temple is the largest temple complex in Egypt. It is located about 3 kilometers north of Luxor and directly on the Nile. It takes its name from the village of Karnak, which borders directly on the temple complex. The heart of the complex is the Great Temple of Amun, which has been steadily expanded by important rulers such as Ramses II, Seti II, and Queen Hatshepsut. In the area of ​​the Temple of Amun-Re is the Great Hypostyle, the great hall with columns. On 5000 m², 134 columns in 16 rows symbolically form a sacred grove to flank the processional path. The power and wealth of ancient Egypt have reflected in these buildings as well as the influence of the priests of Amun during the Middle and the New Kingdom. The walls of the hall are adorned with countless reliefs, which show the history of battles and victories, court interactions, and the everyday life of the Egyptians. In a modern open-air museum on the grounds of the temple complex of Karnak, you can admire this overwhelming temple complex finds that were brought back to the daylight from the sands of Egypt after thousands of years during excavations.

● Medinet Habu mortuary temple of Ramses III. in West Thebes
The last great Egyptian pharaoh Ramses III. (1187 – 56 BC) had built the huge, heavily fortified temple and palace city of Medinet Habu on the west bank of the Nile across from Thebes as the last major construction project of the New Kingdom in 2 construction stages. There are several monuments there, the most famous is the mortuary temple of Ramses III, one of the best-preserved temples of the New Kingdom. Also called “Hill of Djeme”. It is the last large, completed temple complex of this era, and vividly tells us how huge and magnificent the sanctuaries of this time looked. A whole series of important buildings are in Medinet Habu in West Thebes. The temple precinct was surrounded by a 10 meter thick and 21-meter high mud-brick wall. It was like a small town with administrative buildings, servants’ apartments, and numerous workshops.

● The Colossi of Memnon in West Thebes near the Valley of the Kings are among the largest and most important statues of ancient Egypt. The 18-meter high gatekeeper statues tower lonely into the sky and can be seen from a distance. They are the last visible sign of the mortuary temple of Amenophis III (father of Akhenaten). Nothing else remains of the temple from the 15th century BC – the stones were removed for other buildings.

Annotation:
– Not all graves are open to the public. Some of the graves are permanently closed, while others may be closed for restoration purposes. In the Valley of the Kings, you can visit 2 to 3 graves

– If you want to see the resting place of Tut Ench Amuns, you have to pay an additional entrance ticket.

– There is now a complete ban on photos for the entire Valley of the Kings. Cameras have to be handed in when entering and are only given again when leaving.

– With the purchase of a video ticket for EGP 300, you can take photos/videography in one grave per ticket. An exception is the grave of Seti I. Tickets are only available at the ticket booth near the Colossi of Memnon, not on site. All graves now have an explanation at the grave entrance on a modern and informative board about the history, architecture, and decoration.

– Basic plans and important detailed recordings are presented. These tables were created with the support of the Theban Mapping Project by the Egyptian Antiquities Authority.