Luxor Egypt holiday tipsYour holiday travel through Egypt is likely to take you to the mythical ancient capital of Thebes, wherein you'll find Medinet Habu - the Mortuary Temple for the great pharaoh Ramesses III. The picture below shows the west wall of the temple's second court. |
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CLICK ON THE PICTURE above for more world travel snaps with information about cheap holiday spots and travel agency links for airline tickets, hotels, resorts and flights. What's on the next page? Ancient Egyptian Statues If you're looking for cheap flights, discount hotels or car rental in Luxor, visit our Travel Shop. Thumbnail Picture Index Last Minute Travel Tips Useful Egypt Links Maps of Egypt |
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Luxor travel tips
It's thought that Ramesses III lived in a palace adjoining the mortuary temple, which was built before he died. Ramesses III was the last great pharaoh of Egypt and the Egyptian empire began to withdraw back to the Nile Valley after his death. Medinet Habu, which is the best preserved ancient temple at Thebes, is located about seven kilometres from the Valley of the Kings near the foot of the Theban Hills at the southern end of western Thebes. Records show that Thebes was once the capital of Egypt, taking in what's now known as Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. The pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty made Thebes a wealthy city of massive temples and monuments on both banks of the Nile River. At the height of its glory between 1570 and 1090 BC, Thebes was home to nearly a million people. By the 5th Century BC, foreign invaders had stripped Thebes of its power and wealth and it eventually became nothing but a myth. Note: The mummy of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamen is on display for the first time in 3000 years from November 2007 inside his tomb in Luxor's Valley of the Kings. The mummy is in a climate-controlled glass case in the tomb. The body is covered with linen and Tutankhamen's bare, black face is visible. Tutankhamen ruled Egypt between about 1361 and 1352BC and died as a teenager. The 1922 discovery of his intact tomb stunned the world's archaeological community. The most exciting yet relaxing way to enjoy your holiday travel to Luxor from Cairo is to hire a Nile sailboat better known as a falucca. Bargain hard with a skipper and you can enjoy a relatively cheap and solitary cruise down the Nile River for a few days of holiday bliss. It can be an uncomfortably cheap falucca rental or a luxurious, expensive falucca rental... your choice. It's worth checking with locals before swimming in the Nile as the water sometimes contains nasties such as billharzia, a worm-like parasite that gets into the skin of the host. Alternatively, there are plenty of buses and trains between Cairo and Luxor, which is where you'll want to stay if you plan holiday travel to the spectacular tombs of Nefertari and Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings. Luxor is small enough to simply walk to many of the historic sites. There are plenty of local taxis, although cab drivers will charge a small fortune if they spot a gullible tourist, particularly if the day is so hot you think you're going to melt. There are also plenty of hotels in Luxor catering for both rich and poor travellers, plus hostels for holiday backpackers on their last penny. About six million tourists visit Luxor each year. Felluca cruise on the Nile River To book the cheapest flights, hotels, resorts, etc. in Egypt, visit our Travel Shop. |
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