Private Day Trip from Marsa Alam to Luxor with Temple Visits

Highlights

• Join us on a private day tour of Luxor's most important temples
• Luxor is considered to be the largest open-air light museum in the world
• The temple complex of Hatshepsut is a specialty in the history of Egyptian architecture
• Karnak Temple - the largest temple complex in Egypt takes you back to the time of the pharaohs 4000 years ago.
• The Valley of the Kings - the final resting place of the pharaohs and Egyptian rulers - impressively illustrates the importance of the pharaohs

Description

Luxor is located in the southern part of Egypt. The city is particularly known for its past. Because in Luxor the remnants of the old Waset can be seen. Waset stood for the religious center of Egypt more than two millennia ago. The country was also ruled from here. Visitors to the city of Luxor can still feel this today. Because on every corner, you meet history. Accompanied by your personal guide, visit the following highlights on your tour:

● The Valley of the Kings is home to the most mysterious and impressive cemetery in the world

The Valley of the Kings is one of the most important sights in Egypt. In particular, the rulers of the New Kingdom from 1550 BC. BC to 1069 BC BC found their final resting place here. The valley is framed by the natural rock pyramid el Korn (The Horn), it is located in Thebes-West opposite Karnak. To this day the valley is a place of the most valuable grave finds, it contains over 70 graves, which are numbered in the order of their discovery. The most famous tomb was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922, it belongs to the legendary Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

● The huge mortuary temple of Pharaoh Hatshepsut is a unique terrace temple that is located in a picturesque valley basin

The best-preserved temple in Thebes West is that of the ruler Hatshepsut, who ruled around 1,500 BC. Not far from the Valley of the Kings, the Queen had a large memorial set for her terrace temple. The temple became a real marvel of the ancient builders. The area where the temple of Hatshepsut is located has an Arabic name - Deir el-Bahri. Due to its enormous size and abundance of decorative ornaments, this temple surpasses all other similar structures of ancient Egypt. Another special feature is the largest hall of columns in Egypt with 134 columns that symbolize the papyrus plant. It stands out sharply with a view of the temples of ancient Egypt. Today it is considered to be one of the most famous structures of ancient Egyptian architecture.

● Karnak Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains a multitude of impressive temples and sanctuaries

The Karnak Temples are the largest temple complex in Egypt in Karnak, a village about 2.5 kilometers north of Luxor and directly on the eastern bank of the Nile. The total area of ​​the temple area is 30 hectares and is also home to the largest temple in Egypt, that of Amun-Re with its famous hypostyle hall. 134 columns that were up to 22.5 m high once stood on an area of ​​103x53 m. The temple complex of Karnak consists of three self-contained temple complexes. In the middle of the complex is the largest temple complex, which is dedicated to the god Amun-Re. The southern temple complex served solely as a place of worship for the consort of the gods, Mut. The temple complex of Amun-Re is connected to the temple complex of Mut by an avenue of sphinxes. The temple in the north was built as a place of prayer for the god Montu. The so-called "Holy Lake" is actually a 120x77 m, artificially created basin, which is fed exclusively by the groundwater. It has no external water inlet. Priests are said to have taken the water to wash the gods here. The question arises, however, why a water basin with such gigantic dimensions was dug for this purpose. The real purpose remains hidden in the dark of history.

● Marvel at the Colossi of Memnon
The two huge monolithic seated statues, called Colossi of Memnon, were on either side of the monumental portal on the first pylon of the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III. This temple is completely destroyed today. However, traces of its foundations indicate that it was once the largest temple in Thebes. Since the rubble stones of the temple buildings were used for other structures in later times, one can only guess the size of the temple. Today only the remains of the two colossi are standing, which weigh about 1000 tons.

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.

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