Tours in Luxor

Tours in Luxor

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If going to learn ANYTHING from the temples @ Luxor the West or East bank, again, you’re going to need to book a TOUR.

If you’re a single this means, you’ll have to visit THOMAS COOK, otherwise, take your pick. The other travel agents deal with 2 people and upwards.

I paid the following for tours with THOMAS COOK in Luxor:-

West Bank. 300ep – £30
East Bank. 225ep – £23

East Bank

The Nile runs north to south. Tours are separated into East and West bank.

After, wandering ruins, returned and booked tour.

This included:-

The temple of Karnak
The temple of Luxor

Both were built over a course of years, thousands of years, the majority of the action taking place 1,300 BC, when they built a harbour which could bring building materials directly.

The temples are decorated with hieroglyphics visible only to nobility and Kings or high priests who conducted daily rituals.
This kept the power focused at the top of the structure.

They say that the success of Egypt is down to the riddle of ‘The Riddle of Sphinx’ – Intelligence with power.

I’d advocate a certain amount comes from the sharing of knowledge.

You can find details of pretty much everything on these walls including booty from Tut-Moses III forays into Israel, rituals and ceremonies, to details of the kings their godly allegiances. It’s all recorded in thousands of hieroglyphics.

Karnak

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The ruins at Karnak are broken into many chambers, each King adding his own section.

It would be safe to say Karnak is the more impressive of the two ruins. Here’s a couple of shots to give some identity to the place.

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Karnak – Temple of a Million Years
 

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Early Explorer – John Gordon @ Karnak

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Russians at Karnak

If you want to take photos the best times are around mid day, (when the tours have gone), or at the sound and light festival when the uplights can provide a bit of contrast.

Luxor

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Or Thebes as it was known. A smaller set of ruins. Impressive with tall columns depicting scenes from the banks of the Nile.

By the time I reach this, I am deep in conversation with some amateur historians about what had made the Egyptian structure so successful. The main reason for their downfall was they spent to much money worshiping, the gods, themselves and whatnot.
We both agreed that 3,000 years was a good run.

The Romans have built a little temple at the edge of the original ruins. Dedicated to Christianity, it seems completely out of place in amongst the hieroglyphics.

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