Of Tombs & Temples - Luxor

 

The Sitting Colossus of Ramesses II inside the Luxor Temple

We recently enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime family adventure to the ancient city of Luxor, Egypt (also known as Thebes by the ancient Greeks, or Waset by the locals).  It is a quick hour-long flight from Cairo.  It is located south of Cairo along the Nile River in what is known as Upper Egypt.  Although to the south, this part of the country is referred to as "Upper" Egypt because the Nile River flows from a higher elevation in the south down to a lower elevation where it drains into the Mediterranean Sea.  Out of everything we were anticipating about our vacation, swimming was the #1 activity for my girls since it was going to be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  As we were driving away from our apartment my husband asked if I remembered to pack the girls' water floaties.  I had forgotten to pack them but reasoned that we really didn't have the space in our luggage and we would be fine.  Then half kidding, he asked if I remembered their swimsuits.  Total panic and dread set in . . . because I had forgotten to pack them! I wanted to turn back but we would be late for our flight.  We would just have to buy new suits for them once we got there.

The Cairo International Airport is about 16 miles from our house, but it took us an hour to get there.  Traffic congestion in this metropolis is unlike anything I have ever experienced.  I doubt I will ever tire of the visual spectacle I witness each time I drive through this city that never sleeps.  Once we got to the airport, getting checked in wasn't too bad for a domestic flight.  But I was exhausted and car sick after that crazy traffic.  Unlike the States, you have to pass through a metal detector and luggage screen before getting to the ticket counters.  Then you check-in.  You go through a magnetometer and luggage x-ray machine at your gate again before cramming like sardines onto a standing-only bus that carts you across the tarmac to your plane.  It's a bit more laborious than what I'm used to, and a tad annoying that the gate guards made me dump my bottles of water before getting on the plane; I had just purchased them inside the airport moments earlier.  One of the guards held his finger to his lips and told my husband to go ahead and smuggle one of them on board so long as it was kept inside his backpack.Flight attendants served a beverage to each of us and by the time they were done with their refreshment routine we were already preparing our arrival.  Looking out the window at the land below was unlike terrain I've seen before.  The Nile slices through the landscape and on either bank the fertile land is checkered like a beautiful agrarian quilt.  Sugar cane is a staple in this region, and many of the older crops were being burned.  This centuries-old practice filled the air with a gray smoke and showered down on the inhabitants a black ash like falling snow.  But it also filled the air with a very sweet aroma.  Beyond the farmland and mud-brick buildings lay an expansive wasteland of barren desert, nearly impossible to spot any sign of life or vegetation.  It's amazing to consider that secreted below its inhospitable surface lie immaculate tombs and homages to eternal life, priceless treasures of both real value and intangible history. 

Photo courtesy of Feitse Boerwinkel, Panoramio

Luxor's main roadway leading away from the airport on our way to the hotel welcomed us with a steady stream of multi-colored Bougainvillea flowers bursting with a diversity of color - and hardly any tourists around.  The roads were almost empty; I'd estimate that donkey-drawn carts nearly outnumbered gas-powered, four-wheeled competitors.  I noticed that driving was not as crazy as in Cairo due to far fewer people on the roads and functioning traffic lights that roadsters actually obeyed.  Our hotel was located on the east bank of the Nile.  We enjoyed spectacular views of the West Bank, including an amazing night-time view of the Valley of the Kings all lit up with magnificent lighting.  For those of you familiar with the famous Las Vegas Hotel - The Luxor - you may wonder if there is such a pyramid in Luxor, Egypt...nope.  There are no pyramids in Luxor but there are temples and tombs aplenty.

DAY 1

We woke early to eat breakfast and meet our tour guide in order to avoid the afternoon heat.  Our plan was to spend the day on the West Bank visiting Deir el-Bahari (the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut) and the Valley of the Kings, including King Tut's tomb!  The nearest bridge across the Nile meant that we had a little drive to take south of the city before being able to cross to the West Bank, and then back up the river.  

Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Deir el-Bahari

Hatshepsut is a fascinating persona, one of the greatest female rulers in all of history.  She wasn't just a queen, but came to rule all of Egypt as Pharaoh.  She defied convention becoming the first great woman leader 3,000 years ago.  She claimed the throne after her husband died - not allowing her nephew to become the next Pharaoh until after she reigned for 20 years.  After her reign, the statues at her temple were beheaded and her name was erased from official records all over Egypt.  It is a mystery as to what inspired such enemies; perhaps political or jealous males.  Luckily, enough has been discovered about Hatshepsut to give archeologists an understanding of her; but of course there are still mysteries.  I think it's all the mysteries that keeps Egypt so captivating.  

The architecture at this temple - with the grand backdrop of the mountains - is truly phenomenal.  One has to stand back at the reception center to appreciate the massive scale of this site.  It doesn't boast as many statues and hieroglyphs as other locations, but it MUST be worked into any itinerary in Luxor.  Sadly, there is an eerie, contemporary event that provides added significance to this site.  In 1997, the terrorist organization al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya murdered over 60 people at Deir el Bahari, now referred to as the "Luxor Massacre" by most.  Those killed were mostly European and some Japanese tourists.  Even a small child was killed.  The attack depressed the economy in the region because it scared off tourists.  In a sense, the attack backfired on the terrorists because local sentiment turned against them; the locals depended on tourism for their livelihood.  Anyway, it's a beautiful spot with fascinating history - old and new.  As with so many sites during our trip, we were some of only a few tourists to be visiting Egypt right now.  We shared this location with only one or two other small groups the entire time we were there.  

Bathroom attendants sit outside almost all public restrooms.  They charge at least one Egyptian Pound before allowing anyone to use the restroom.  My husband thought posing my little one next to them would be excuse enough to get a picture of the "bathroom police."  Little did he - or she - know one of them would be so affectionate!

A (far left) refused to smile all morning because her dad forgot to put new batteries in her camera.

Valley of the Kings

This is Valley of the Kings, as borrowed from a National Geographic photo.

Holy Moly!  Unbelievable!  Out-Of-This-World!  Incredible!  Fabulous!   Spectacular!  Stupendous!  Breathtaking!  Unreal! . . . and any other superlatives you can come up with.  If you're going to Egypt, if you've done any amount of research, then you know what you're in for at the Valley of the Kings.  There's nothing I can add to describe how amazing it is.  The Valley of the Kings is located on the West Bank of the Nile.  This is where, for nearly 500 years, 11th-16th century BC tombs were built for the nobles of the New Kingdom.  We felt lucky to be some of the last tourists to visit King Tut's tomb and mummy since it is expected to be closed to the public in the near future.

Unfortunately, no photography is allowed, but people still steal snapshots with their smart phones.  The price of admission gets you into only 3 tombs of your choice.  We split up and saw tombs for the following Pharaohs: Ramses 3 (KV11), Ramses 4 (KV2), Ramses 9 (KV6) and Merenptah (KV8).  King Tut's tomb (KV62) is not included.  His tomb is an extra cost, probably around $10.00 US, but well worth the extra fee.  Visit this website (http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/) for the most spectacular "virtual" tour of all the tombs.

Inside Ramses III

This is an amazing ceiling panel inside Ramses IV's tomb is called "The Book of Nut".

Inside KV 2, Tomb of Ramses IV

Sarcophagus of Pharaoh Merenptah

Inside KV6, The Tomb of Ramses IX

King Tut's Tomb

Don't let anyone ever tell you it's not worth it to pay the extra ~$10USD to see King Tut's tomb.  Yes, it is very small in comparison to other tombs.  But IT'S KING TUT'S TOMB! And it's the only tomb with an actual mummy inside.  King Tut's sarcophagus is inside, too.  Rumor has it authorities are considering locking up Tut's tomb to prevent further erosion to the tomb as has been done with others like Nefertari (the "Sistine Chapel" of Ancient Egypt).  In collaboration with Spanish and Swiss experts, an exact replica just opened in May 2014 giving credence to the rumor.  If you've managed to come all the way to Luxor, Egypt - don't hold back.  See King Tut's tomb, too.  It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see something extraordinary with your own eyes.  Because it's so small, you probably won't spend more than 5-10 minutes inside.

Colossi of Memnon

There's not much to these two guys.  They're massive.  They stand about 60 feet (18 m) tall and make for a very cool picture.  I believe they represent  Pharaoh Amenhotep III.  I think Amenhotep III ruled during a time of great prosperity.  He's the father of the controversial Pharaoh Akhenaten.  It's hard to spend more than half an hour at this spot.  So it's great for a photo op while visiting other sites on the West Bank. 

DAY 2

Karnak Temple

If Luxor were like an American shopping mall, then the Karnak Temple would be like the Macy's because it's the anchor that brings in business.  The trouble with Karnak is, it's very touristy.  It gets all the traffic, and the shops and vendors that come with it.  It's absolutely astounding, no question.  But it takes some effort to filter out the distractions and just focus on the majesty of the place.  It's a very large complex, too.  It is massive and exemplifies just how advanced the ancient Egyptians were when it came to architecture, language and art.  But with three little girls and over 100°F heat, it was impossible to take in the whole place.  Even with optimal weather, Karnak could take days to fully explore and appreciate. 

I just love this picture.  B had just pulled her sunglasses from her face to really focus on the hieroglyphs with her own eyes.

The girls loved playing Hide & Seek inside Karnak's Great Hypostyle Hall

Luxor Temple

It was almost noon and HOT by the time we arrived at the Luxor Temple.  My daughters A and C were finished exploring for the day so my husband went with B and our tour guide while I stayed in the air conditioned van with A and C.  After dropping them off at the entrance I assumed we would wait in the parking lot but our driver wanted to hop into the nearby Mosque for noon prayers.  He parked right up front.  I have become accustomed to hearing the prayers that are spoken through loud speakers on top of minorettes throughout Cairo and seeing people pray on rugs placed on sidewalks.  This was my first, and probably last, opportunity to have a front row seat looking into the Mosque and closely observing their prayers.

After M and B's tour, I went with our guide to see the famous Luxor Temple.  Near the entrance of the temple grounds is a single, soaring obelisk.  Originally there were two, but one was given to Paris and is known as the Luxor Obelisk. 

It's strange how the modern day city of Luxor is built all around this phenomenal temple complex.  It's the exact opposite of the Valley of the Kings.  On the one side of the complex runs the major road that parallels the Nile with all sorts of busy, honking traffic.  On the other side are buildings, stores and restaurants.  Even McDonald's.  So it's not like you're transported through time.  But the temple complex itself is thrilling.  While I was watching the prayers in the mosque across the parking lot, M and B could hear the noon prayer from the mosque that was built within the Luxor temple itself centuries ago (Abu Haggag Mosque).  The acoustics added to the mystique of our foreign experience.  We visited in late April 2014.  Tourism is so down in Egypt it's pathetic.  Only one other tourist wandered through the complex at the same time we did.  This site offers some distinct oddities in addition to the expected Ancient Egypt-ness.  In one corner you'll find Greek Orthodox Christian frescos painted directly over hieroglyphs!  There's Alexander the Great's cartouche on one wall deep into the complex.  For the east bank, Luxor Temple is a must see.  Add Karnak Temple and the Luxor Souk, maybe even a felluca ride on the Nile and you've got yourself a great day's itinerary. 

 

Quite literally, we had Luxor Temple almost completely to ourselves.  And it's very sad that my other daughters A & C preferred to sit in the car and miss out on this site.  B seems to enjoy history more than her sisters.  I hope she appreciates these pictures when she's older.  It really is too bad that A and C won't even have a single picture at the Luxor Temple.  All they could think about was getting back to the hotel for some swimming and ice cream. 

 

This is the Abu Haggag Mosque that sits smack dab in the middle of the Luxor Temple complex.  I love the stark contrast between worlds this photo depicts.

When we were done dragging the girls to what in their minds I'm sure were just old, rundown buildings, we searched all over in vain for swimsuits to buy our girls.  They ended up swimming in their clothes and didn't seem to mind.  They were happy to be in the water and not walking around temples or tombs in the extreme heat.  Ideally, Luxor is a winter destination because even the spring time is too hot to tour outside all day long.

Finally!  Something all three girls can appreciate.  Can't beat the view, either.

 

DAY 3
Medinat Habu Temple

This temple was probably our favorite in Luxor.  I think it's under-appreciated.  My family and I were spoiled with a tour of the amazing complex all by ourselves . . . until 8 bus loads of college-aged students arrived halfway through.  The hieroglyphs are spectacular and in some parts the color is still very vibrant.  As you come in through the ticket entrance, sneak around to the left of the main temple entrance.  On the back side of that large wall you will see enormous hieroglyphs depicting a hunting scene that I'm told is unrivaled at any other site.  I really enjoyed this temple complex, probably more than Karnak or Luxor.

Incredible hunting scene in carved hieroglyphs

Stunning color

Not even the police armed with AK-47s could fend off the determined vendors.  Because there are so few tourists these days, the vendors are relentless and almost unbearable.

The vendors follow you all the way to your car . . .

. . . and they wouldn't take NO for an answer.  My husband nearly amputated one of their arms as he slid the van door shut!

Nile Boat Ride

We learned that water taxis parked along the Nile directly adjacent to our hotel property.  On our last day of touring we wised up and suggested to our guide that he meet us on the other side of the river.  Taking a river taxi was not only fast and convenient, but fun, too!  It was much quicker than driving all the way around via the bridge we crossed on our first day.  My girls had fun helping to steer the boat!

The Luxor Temple complex is just across the Nile in the background.