Tour Day 13 - West Bank (I) the Colossi of Memnon, the Valley of the Kings (eg. Tomb of Tutankhamun). Luxor Temple in the evening.
|
|
 |
On to
the Valley of the Kings! While we cannot guarantee which royal
tombs will be open for inspection, we aim to guide you around
as many as we can that are open: Tuthmosis III; Tutankhamun; Ramesses
I; Tawsert/Sethnakt; Siptah; Ramesses III; Ramesses VI, IX &
IV... usually at least eight tombs are open and don't worry if
its all too much, you can return to the Valley another day.
Mike
and our guide will be on hand to explain in detail the architectural,
artistic and politico-religious meaning and development of the
various royal tombs we visit, and to answer all your individual
questions.
On our return
to Luxor the afternoon is free for you to rest or head off shopping
or exploring the town and its attractions prior to regrouping
for a night-time stroll around the beautifully illuminated Luxor
Temple, built by Amenhotep III, father of Akhenaten.
We
like to capture the mystery of this great temple at dusk so that
as we walk its avenue of sphinxes and enter its enormous gateway,
Mike can recreate some of the atmosphere of this sacred place
as he explains its history, art, architecture and symbolism.
In case you are just a little 'tombed-and-templed-out'
by such as big day we shall introduce you to a wonderful restaurant
and some new parts of the local souk for those who wish to shop
on.
Whatever
you do, don't miss sunsets in Luxor! The view from our hotel to
the West Bank is so good that many come to stand on the Corniche
in front of the Mina Palace just to take photos.
CLICK HERE to
see what you can view from your own balcony.
Click here to return to the 'Luxor Days' Menu
Tour Day 14 - The Luxor Museum & Luxor Temple.
This morning
we make our way a few blocks up the Corniche by hantour (traditional
horse-drawn buggies) to Luxor's small but famous museum. In regard
to its layout, lighting, labelling and pieces on display this
is one of the finest museums in all Egypt.
 |
|
The Museum's
new wing, dedicated to Egypt's ancient technology, was opened
in 2005. In addition to weapons of war and writing instruments
the wing includes wonderful statuary (many pieces have not been
on public display before) and the mummies of kings Ahmose and
Ramesses I(?).
Click here
to visit a special gallery on a statue of Amenhotep III from the
Luxor cache.After
our visit to the Luxor Museum you have several free hours during
the late morning/ early afternoon to spend at your leisure before
we regroup to explore Luxor Temple by daylight. The
whole feel of the temple is quite different by day, and you will
have the chance to get some wonderful photos of this truly majestic
temple made by Amenhotep III and Ramesses II.
The
rest of the afternoon and evening are yours to spend at your leisure.
We can suggest many options for those who would like some ideas,
and don't forget the
great carpet and jewellery shops, along with the other sites
and sounds of Luxor's souk.
Click here to return to the Luxor Menu
Tour Day 15 - Karnak Temple during the day, and return for Sound and Light in the evening.
We start
our day by catching a ride on hantours and set out up the Corniche
a kilometre or two to Karnak.
 |
|
Many visitors
walk right past one of the treasures of Karnak - its Open Air
Museum. We will introduce you to some of the architectural wonders
which were re-used as fill by later generations of Egyptian architects
but which have been re-erected in all their glory in this Museum.
 |
 For a panorama
view of the Sacred Lake at Karnak, click the camera icon. |
Click here to return to the Luxor Menu
Tour Day 16 - West Bank (II) Valley of the Queens, Sanctuary of Meretseger and Ptah, Workers' village at Deir el-Medina, and Medinat Habu.
Today we return to the West Bank
and visit the Valley of the Queens and the Tombs of: Prince Amun-her-Khopershef;
Queen Titi; and Prince Khamwaset. (Note: The Tomb of Nefertari
(the most beautiful in all Egypt!) is currently closed until further
notice.)
Between the Valleys of the Kings
and the Queens lies Deir el-Medina - a village purpose-built to
house the workmen who created the royal tombs, and their families.
We have time to wander through the ancient alleyways and see their
houses, visit some of their tombs (the Tombs of Aneuka & Sennedjem),
and a visit to the wonderful Ptolemaic temple nearby is a must.
After
a refreshing glass of tea and a snack at a local restaurant it's
off to the great Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III at Medinat Habu
- a complex second only in size to Karnak. Within the complex
we shall see: the 'Syrian Gate' (a copy of an Asiatic fortress);
a temple to Amun built by Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III; the ruins
of Ramesses III's palace; and the temple itself. You will be amazed
by the surviving colour on the ceilings of the court, and the
reliefs showing the pharaoh hunting wild bulls in a swamp and
overcoming his Libyan enemies.
 |
|
Back in Luxor you have a free late-afternoon/evening
to rest, shop or just wander around the interesting streets of
the town and get to know some of the locals.
Click here to return to the Luxor Menu
Tour Day 17 - West Bank (III) Deir el Bahri (Temple of Hatshepsut), the Ramesseum (Temple of Ramesses II), & the Temple of Seti I.
At
Deir el-Bahri we visit the astonishing temple of Hatshepsut -
arguably the most beautiful matching of architecture and natural
setting in the world. The temple rises in steps towards the sheer
cliff-face. In addition to viewing the reliefs of the porticoes
we shall investigate the Chapel of Hathor at the southern side
of the main temple.
The
next mortuary temple we visit is that of Ramesses the Great, the
so-called Ramesseum. In addition to its interesting reliefs, courts
and halls, the Ramesseum is also the home of the great fallen
statue which inspired Shelley's Ozymandias. The temple
is enclosed by huge storage rooms which once held grain and oil.
We stop at the Ramesseum Resthouse
to enjoy a cool drink and lunch - you will be intrigued by the
owner's diplay of photos relating to his grandfather's work with
Howard Carter in the discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun.
Our final
stop today is at the seldom visited Temple of Seti I. Despite
damage, the reliefs of the temple are masterful.
Click here to return to the Luxor Menu
Day 18 - Rest Day.
 |
|
We
can suggest many activities for those who would like some ideas:
a dawn
hot-air balloon flight over the West Bank; horse riding through
the cane-fields; more shopping(!); a day-trip out of Luxor; sit
around a swimming pool; revisiting some of the sites we have seen
that you would like to spend more time exploring; visit
the Museum of Mummification across the road from our hotel;
go for a felucca ride ... let us know what you would like to do,
and we will try to arrange it.
Click here to return to the Luxor Menu
Tour Day 19 - Abydos (Temples of Seti I & Ramesses II) and Dendarah (the Temple of Hathor).
We join a
convoy today to travel north to Abydos, the ancient religious
captial of Egypt, and Dendarah, famous for its Temple of Hathor
- goddess of love and beauty. Our
journey will be a long one to see these two wonderful sites but
the scenes of rural Egypt out the windows of our bus will keep
you more than entertained as we travel.
Abydos was one of the most important
centres in Ancient Egypt: it is home to the tombs of Egypt's earliest
kings and the mythological burial place of Osiris, god of the
Underworld. Security considerations allowing, we hope to visit
Abydos, to the north of Dendarah.
Arriving
at the Temple of Hathor we shall give you an introduction to its
major features and show you around what many argue is the most
beautiful temple in Egypt - Napoléon's troops wept with
wonder and awe when they first saw it.
 |
In
addition to the astounding halls, courts and pylons of the temple,
a visit to its roof will give you an unprecedented view and an
understanding of what an Egyptian temple complex was like. In
many places its high walls still stand, while within the precinct
its Sacred Lake, Hospital, 'Birth Houses' (and a later Christian
Basillica) await your exploration. We can also show you reliefs
of the famous Cleopatra (VII) and her child to Julius Caesar,
Caesarion. |
Click here to return to the Luxor Menu
Tour Day 20 - West Bank (IV) Temple of Merneptah and the Tomb of Ay in the Western Valley
We start
our day by returning to the West Bank by bus.
Nearby the
West Bank ticket office are the ruins of the Temple of Merneptah,
Ramesses II's son and successor. This site includes a small museum
in which are displayed some of the blocks of stone he 'borrowed'
from Amenhotep III's temple. While not on the general toursit
route, the site is well worth a visit.
We continue
on to the neighbouring Western Valley. Amenhotep III and Ay (Tutankhamun's
successor) were both buried in this valley. Unlike the main valley,
the western one is seldom visited by tourists. The eerie quietness
and stillness of the Western Valley, and its lunar-like desert
landscape are experiences that will stay in your mind for a long
time to come.
At the head
of the valley lies the tomb of King Ay (c.1325-1321 BCE). Wall
paintings within the tomb include scenes of the Four Sons of Horus
and a 'hunting in the marshes' scene - both are unique, occurring
in no other royal tombs. Ay's sarcophagus has been restored and
rests in the centre of the burial chamber.
Click here to return to the Luxor Menu
Tour Day 21 - The Temples of Esna and Tod
Security
arrangements allowing we plan something new for our 2009 Tour
- visits to the temples at Tod and Esna!
Tod, the
ancient city of Djerty, is 20 km south of Luxor. The ruins at
Tod include a shrine of Montu built by Tuthmosis III and a temple
constructed by Ptolemy VIII with additions by later Ptolemies
and Roman rulers.
Esna, ancient
Ta-senet, is another 35 km south from Todd. The surviving hypostyle
hall was started by Ptolemy VI and added to my various Roman emperors.
the last named is Emperor Decius (249 CE), making the structure
one of the latest major temples. The decorative reliefs are most
interesting and include cryptographic hymns to the god Khnum,
one written almost completely with hieroglyphics of rams (his
sacred animal).
Click here to return to the Luxor Menu
Tour Day 22 - West Bank V: the Nobles Tombs (Rehkmire, Nakht, Menna, Sennefer & Ramose etc).
Today
we will visit an extensive number of Nobles' Tombs on the West
Bank, at an easy pace. Those we plan to visit include the Tombs
of: Rehkmire (from the time of Tuthmosis III and which features
scenes of artists and craftsmen at work, and foreigners bearing
tribute to the royal court); Sennefer (from the time of Amenhotep
II which has a ceiling covered in painted grapevines and wonderful
scenes of the owner and his wife, sister and daughter); Userhet,
Khaemhet, and Nakht (with their exceptional paintings); Menna
(with agricultural scenes from ancient Egypt); and Ramose (from
the time of Amenhotep III & Akhenaten featuring some of the
most beautiful portraits in existence and some of the earliest
surviving scenes of Akhenaten's new artistic style and his special
god, the Aten).
Scene from a Noble's Tomb
Click here to return to the Luxor Menu
Tour Day 23 - Transfer from Luxor to Cairo, explore the area around our hotel in the centre of the city.
Click here to go to the Cairo Menu - (Day 23 is there)
If you arrived at this page outside of our HomePage frame-set, please enter our URL <home.austarnet.com.au/maat>
Akhenaton, Luxor Museum
