Valley of the Kings
is where the modern myth of Egypt began with Howard Carter’s discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, complete with all of the treasures with which he had been buried, in 1922. The fame of that discovers ushered in a new era of Egyptian tourism as the treasures of Tutankhamun toured the world and generated new, widespread interest in the history of Ancient Egypt. The valley is not very impressive at first glance. It is not much more than a sun-blasted gorge of generic, red rock, but hidden underneath the earth are the tombs of nearly 70 pharaohs. Excavation is ongoing in some of them, but many are open to visitors on a rotating schedule to allow for restoration. Seeing the ornate decorations on the walls of these tombs and imagining the painstaking process necessary to create them is well worth the visit even in the hottest months. The Valley of the Kings is located on the west bank of the Nile River near Luxor. It is the most famous site for the unique collections of tombs and breathtaking ancient ruins. That location makes it one of the hottest spots for exploring ancient Egyptian history. Archaeologists have been sweeping the area of the Valley of the Kings for centuries, and till now it continues to surprise them. The richness of the finds here in the Valley of the Kings has kept archeologists busy for nearly two centuries. If all of the tombs here where open to visitors it would be nearly impossible to actually make it to all of them, but thankfully the possibility of such a huge task is eliminated for you. The tourism authorities only open a few of the tombs at a time in order to allow for a continual cycle of upkeep and restoration. Regardless, there are certain to be several impressive tombs open at any one time. Be careful to heed the advice of your guide or guidebook on which ones to enter. The most famous tombs are not necessarily the most impressive and a ticket to the Valley of the Kings only allows you to enter three tombs. A separate ticket is required to enter Tutankhamun’s tomb although you may find it a disappointing sight, especially given the extra cost. During the New Kingdom’s period of the ancient Egyptian history (1539-1075 B.C.), the Valley of the Kings was the major burial ground for most of the royal pharaohs. The most famous pharaohs buried there were Tutankhamun, Seti I, and Ramses II. Also, you will find there the tombs of most of the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties queens, high priests, and other elites of that era. Today, only 18 of the valley’s 63 tombs can be visited by the public, and they are rarely open at the same time. Instead, the authorities rotate which ones are open in order to try and mitigate the damaging effects of mass tourism (including increased carbon dioxide levels, friction and humidity). In several tombs, the murals are protected by dehumidifiers and glass screens; while others are now equipped with electric lighting. Of all the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, the most popular is still that of Tutankhamun,( KV 62 ) . Although it is relatively small and has since been stripped of most of its treasures, it still houses the boy king’s mummy, encased in a gilded wooden sarcophagus. Other highlights include the tomb of Ramsses VI AND tuthmose III. The former is one of the valley’s largest and most sophisticated tombs, and is famous for its detailed decorations which depict the complete text of the netherworld Book of caverns . The latter is the oldest tomb open to visitors and dates back to approximately 1450 B.C. The vestibule mural depicts no fewer than 741 Egyptian divinities, while the burial chamber includes a beautiful sarcophagus made out of red quartzite. Most recommended tombs to be visited at the valley of the kings are ; The Tomb Of Amenhotep I (Valley Of The Kings - KV39) The Tomb Of Horemheb (Kings valley - KV57) Merneptah (Valley Of The Kings - KV8) Ramesses I (Valley Of The Kings - KV16) Ramesses II (Valley Of The Kings - KV7) The Sons Of Ramesses II (Valley Of The Kings - KV5) Ramesses III (Valley Of The Kings - KV11) Ramesses IV (Valley Of The Kings - KV2) Ramesses VI (Valley Of The Kings - KV9) Ramesses VII (Valley Of The Kings - KV1) Ramesses IX (Valley Of The Kings - KV6) Ramesses X (Valley Of The Kings - KV18) Ramesses XI (Valley Of The Kings - KV4) Prince Ramesses Mentuherkhepshef (Valley Of The Kings - KV19) Seti I (Valley Of The Kings - KV17) Seti II (Valley Of The Kings - KV15) Siptah (Valley Of The Kings - KV47) Sitre In (Valley Of The Kings - KV60) Tausert & Setnakht (Valley Of The Kings - KV14) Tuthmosis I (Valley Of The Kings - KV38) Tutankhamen (Valley Of The Kings - KV62) Thutmosis III (Valley Of The Kings - KV34) Tuthmosis IV (Valley Of The Kings - KV43) Yuya & Tuya (Valley Of The Kings - KV46)

The Temple Of Medinet Habu
The Temple of Medinet Habu is one of the largest memorial temples in Egypt. It measures 320 m in length (east to west) and about 200 m in width (north to south). After Ramses III died, the temple was built to commemorate him, by orders of the current king himself. A huge mud brick enclosure wall surrounds the temple. This building consists of a huge gate in the shape of a Syrian fort and is decorated with battle scenes depicting the king's wars in Syria. Through the gate to the right is a shrine dating back to the 18th Dynasty. There is also a wide-open court that leads to a huge pylon, with both towers decorated in battle scenes. On one tower the king, wearing the red crown with his "Ka" or "double", smiting his enemies in front of Re-Horakhty. On the other tower, the king is represented with the red crown of Lower Egypt, smiting his enemies in front of the god Amon Ra. One of the most wonderful scenes engraved on the back of the southern tower is the oxen hunt. It depicts Ramses III, leading his chariot and hunting wild oxen. Here you will notice that the sculptor was skilled in showing the pain of the wounded animals.

The Colossi of Memnon
The Colossi of Memnon, also known as Colossus of Memnon, are two massive stone statues on the west bank of the River Nile, opposite the modern city of Luxor, in Egypt. The statues are incredibly tall, about 18 meters high. They represent Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who reigned ancient Egypt some 3,400 years ago. The twin statues depict the pharaoh in a seated position, his hands resting on his knees and his gaze facing eastwards towards the river. They once stood at the entrance gate of Amenhotep's memorial temple, a massive construct built during the pharaoh's lifetime, where he was worshipped as a god-on-earth. When built, the temple complex was the largest and most opulent in Egypt, although very little of the temple remains today. Annual flooding of the Nile gnawed away at its foundations until later pharaohs decided to demolish the entire temple and reuse the stone blocks for other buildings. The statues were spared, although they are badly ruined.

Temple of Hatshepsut
Located beneath massive cliffs near the west bank of the Nile, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, also known as Deir el Bahri, is dedicated to Amon-Ra, the sun god. Designed by an architect named Senemut, the temple is unique because it was designed like classical architecture. Note the lengthy, colonnaded terrace some of which are 97 ft high, pylons, courts, and hypostyle hall. Inside you'll see the sun court, chapel and sanctuary. Temple reliefs depict the tale of the divine birth of Hatshepsut and trade expeditions to the Land of Punt (a reference to modern Somalia or the Arabian Peninsula)

Deir El-Medina
Deir El Medina is one of the interesting historical sites in Luxor that is commonly missed by most tourists who instead get attracted by other famous ancient areas in the West Bank of Luxor like the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, and the charming temple of Hatshepsut. Situated in a valley at the foot of the Theban Mountain, Deir El Medina was the home of the artists, craftsmen, and workers who created, built, and ornamented the royal and private tombs of the Kings and Queens of Egypt which dazzled the whole world when they were discovered.

The Tombs Of The Nobles At Thebes
The Valley of The Nobles is located on the west bank of Luxor in an area called Sheik Abd El-Korna. The site has rock-cut tombs of nobles and high officials of ancient Egypt. These men once served the kingdom during the time of the New Kingdom. (1500 - 500 B.C.) One of the most important tombs in this cemetery is tomb 55, which belonged to Ra-Mose. He was the mayor of Thebes during the end of the reign of Amenhotep III (Amenophis III) and his son Akhenaton, the vizier. Unfortunately, this tomb is unfinished because Ra-Mose moved, with Akhenaton, to the new capital Akht-Aton (modern-day Tell El-Amarna), therefore the decoration work stopped, and the tomb was left unfinished, except for the scenes which already had been completed. Because of this, we can appreciate the high techniques that Egyptian art had during that period, but we can't see the final product. This tomb consists of a square rock-cut court, with a central doorway, opening into a broad columned hall with columns in the papyrus bud form. The inner hall is undecorated. On the left of the broad hall, and under the inner hall, were shafts’ leading to two burial chambers, but the mummy of Ra-Mose was not found. The relief carving in this chapel is very interesting but only some parts were painted.
Rekhmire (Tt100 Sennefer (Tt96): Ramose (Tt55): Nakht (Tt52):

Funerary Temple Of Ramses II Known As Ramesseum
One of the largest temples on the western shore belonged to the king of the 19th dynasty Ramses 2. Large stone pylons stood at the entrance and in the courtyard we can contemplate the ruins of the colossal statue of the king. The Second Patio Welcomes Us With Osirian Figures. The Funerary Temples Were First Order Administrative And Economic Centers In Antiquity And This Fact Is Clearly Seen In The Extensive Brick Constructions For Storage And Production That The Ramesseum Still Preserves.

Funerary Temple Of Seti I
Opposite the road that leads to the Valley of the Kings is the million-year-old temple of Seti I, father of Ramses 2. Behind the Ramesseum and Medinet Habu, it is the best-preserved complex in the area.
Meremptah Funerary Temple: Heir To Ramses 2 Meremptah Commanded A Much More Modest Temple To Be Built. Its State of Conservation Is Not Very Good, But It Has Been Musealized And You Can Walk Through It. Here A Large Stela Was Discovered Of Which A Copy Is Preserved In Situ (The Original Rests In The Cairo Museum), Famous For Being First To Mention The People Of Israel

Temple of Luxor (Din. XVIII and XIX - Around 1380 - 1250 BC)
It was built by two of the most important monarchs of the New Kingdom. Amenophis 3 Projected It And Built A Great Colonnade, A Hypostyle Hall And The Sancta-Sanctorum. Later, Ramses 2 expanded it with an impressive hypostyle hall and an imposing sloped wall (pylon) 65 meters wide, preceded by two colossal Sedentent Pharaoh statues that flank the entrance and two red granite obelisks (only one remains in situ . When the total length of the temple exceeds 250 m and in front of this great pylon, on the north face of the temple, the Avenue of Sphinxes that linked Luxor with the Imperial Sanctuary of Karnak, opens its way along 2, 5 km. Dedicated to the God Amun-Ra, it was also relevant for the monarchical cult since it constituted the monumental scene of the deification of the sovereign.

Temple of Karnak
While the Temple of Karnak might be the largest temple in the world, the site is actually hosted to a group of temples, including the Great Temple of Amon Ra, The Temple of Khonso, The Ipt Temple, The Temple of Ptah, the Temple of Montho and the Temple of the God Osiris. A 20m high, mud brick enclosure wall surrounds all of these buildings. It is as if you are walking through a city built of temples and it is quite an amazing feeling to stroll through them. You can feel the ancient history. It is alive, as it swirls around you. This great Temple of Amon Ra was known during the Middle Kingdom period as Ipt-Swt, which means the Selected Spot. It was also called Pr-Imn, or the House of Amon. The name Al-Karnak in Arabic was derived from Karnak, which means fortified village, probably because the Arabs found many temples and buildings in the area when they entered it for the first time. On your way towards the entrance, you will find a ram-headed avenue of Sphinxes, which was built to protect the Temple. There are 20 rams on each side, extending from the small harbor to the 1st Pylon, which was built during the time of King Nektanebo I (30th Dynasty). They still look down upon those who traverse the space they guard. As you cross this pylon, it takes you into an open court, of about 100m by 80m, built during the 22nd Dynasty, and containing rows of bud papyrus columns. In the middle of the 1st open court is a huge column, 21m high, with a bud papyrus capital. This part is known as the kiosk of Taharqa, who ruled during the 25th Dynasty. This is the only column left from a colonnade that once had 10 columns. On the left side of the court are 3 chapels built by King Seti II for the "Triad of Thebes". On the right side is the Temple of Ramses III, consisting of a small pylon, an open court, and Hypostyle hall, leading to the sanctuary. Horemheb built the 2nd Pylon during the 18th Dynasty, though it is now badly damaged. Ramses I, the founder of the 19th Dynasty, later completed it. Passing the 2nd Pylon, we enter the Great Hypostyle Hall, which measures 103m in length and 52m in width. It contains 134 papyrus columns; each column is about 22m in height and 3.5m in diameter. Amenhotep III built it and Ramses I, Seti I, and Ramses II decorated it, while King Seti I erected the other122columns in 14 rows. The ceiling in the center is higher than the laterals, and it allows light into this spot, which was why it was used as the processional avenue of the triad during the festival of the Opet. The scenes of the Hypostyle Hall represent King Seti I, in front of different deities, making offerings, while the southern wall is decorated with scenes of Ramses II, making offerings to the different deities or worshipping the Triad of Thebes. The Hypostyle Hall leads to The 3rd Pylon, built by Amenhotep III. It is truly remarkable that stones from previous periods, such as the marble alabaster of Amenhotep I, were found encrusted in the pylon! Crossing the 3rd Pylon, you come to an open, rectangular court, which is known as the Court of Tuthmosis I. In this court, Tuthmosis I erected 2 obelisks, this is thought to be the area that was used as the main entrance of the Temple during his reign. Unfortunately, only one obelisk has survived: it is currently 19m high and around 310 tons in weight. From the Court of Tuthmosis, we reach the 4th Pylon, which Tuthmosis I also built; beyond this is a rectangular colonnade, which he built as well. When Hatshepsut ascended to the throne she built 2 obelisks in that colonnade, the left one is still in its original position: 29.5m in height, 322 tons in weight and made of red granite! Red granite, have you ever seen such a thing After the death of Queen Hatshepsut, King Tuthmosis III built a high, long wall around these 2 obelisks to hide them. However, some wonder, why hide them and not tear them down? The 5th Pylon, yet again built by Tuthmosis I, is damaged and on both sides of the entrance, although Tuthmosis III built two small rooms when it was his turn. The 6th Pylon was built by Tuthmosis III. Beyond this pylon, Tuthmosis III built his stunning, famous hall, the Ancestral Room. The original Sanctuary was built by Tuthmosis III, but Philip Arrhidaeus, the half-brother of Alexander the Great, later rebuilt it. The granite sanctuary was dedicated to the sacred boat of Amon Ra. Behind the sanctuary, you will see a court, dating back to the time of the Middle Kingdom. It is a wide-open courtyard that is badly damaged now. It is believed that this spot was the site of an old Temple, dating back to the time of the Middle Kingdom: the origin of the Karnak Temple. At the end of the Middle Kingdom Courtyard, is another Hall, known as the Akh-Mnw or the Festival Hall of Tuthmosis III. The hall in the north is called The Botanical Room. It is so beautiful, with the walls decorated with scenes of plants, animals, and birds, which were brought from Syria to Egypt, by the current king. Now, we shall go back through the temple until we reach the start again. Left of the Court of Tuthmosis 1 ( constructed between the 4th and 3rd Pylons) is a courtyard, which is located in front of the 7th Pylon. In 1902, the French Egyptologist Georges Legrain (1865–1917) discovered a very precious collection of statues hidden in the ground of this court, which we now know as the Court of the Cachet. The 7th Pylon, which is badly damaged, was also built by Tuthmosis III. Crossing the 7th Pylon to the court beyond, you will see 2 statues of Ramses II and Tuthmosis III. The 8th Pylon was built by Hatshepsut, decorated by Tuthmosis III, and restored by Seti I. The scenes on the façade of the Pylon represent Hatshepsut with different deities, and a religious scene featuring Tuthmosis III. On the left side of the Court, between the 9th and 10th Pylons, are the remains of the Heb-Sed Shrine, which was built by Amenhotep II and decorated by Seti I. The 9th Pylon, which was built by Horemheb, is badly damaged. A large number of bricks were found inside, which had been used as the Pylon's filling. They belonged to the Aton Temple, which was built by Amenhotep VI (Akhenaten) in the 18th Dynasty and destroyed by later kings who wanted to eliminate all traces of the "heretic" King. Finally, we reach the 10th Pylon, damaged as well, and again built by King Horemheb. In front of this Pylon, there are the remains an avenue of Sphinxes, built by Horemheb, and extending to the gate of Ptolemy II in front of Mut Temple. Before leaving the Temple of Amon Ra at Karnak you must visit the Sacred Lake, which goes back to the time of Tuthmosis III. It measures 80m in length and 40m in width. Near the Sacred Lake, there is a scarab, which is considered the biggest scarab left from Ancient Egypt, dating from the reign of Amenhotep III. The Ancient Egyptians called the scarab, Khebry, and it was the symbol of the Sun God. The word itself means to create; it was thought to bring to the sun in the early morning. Can you imagine stepping out, and looking over the lake, as you drink a cup of coffee and watch the sunrise

Archeological Museum
This is a fairly new museum, spacious and easy to see in a couple of hours. It has pieces of great interest found in the Theban area, such as the mummy of King Ahmose, part of the trousseau of Queen Ahhotep or the statues found in the cache of the Temple of Luxor. Entrance Price: 120 Le / 60 Students.

Mummification Museum
Small Museum Located Next To The Ferry Pier. It is a room where objects used during the mummification process, some pieces of trousseau and various mummies are exposed.

Temple of Dendera
It is located 70 kilometers from Luxor. Dendera Temple is among the most important in Egypt. Because of its hierarchy since it comes from a thousand-year-old dynasty. Also because it represents the pharaonic buildings of the time and Greco-Roman
after its restoration. It is a remarkable example of the typical architecture of the Egyptian temples of the Greco-Roman period. Due to its late construction, it is in perfect condition. It was dedicated to the goddess Hathor and is mythologically related to the temple of her consort Horus. The temple of Hathor began to be built before the reign of Evérgetes II, whose name was found in numerous crypts, continued during the period of Ptolemaic sovereigns and concluded only in Roman times.

Temple of Abydos
It is in the city of Abydos,, in the province of Sohag, and about 135 km north of Luxor. It was built by Pharaoh Seti I, and completed by King Ramses II. The main reason for its construction was the worship of the first built pharaohs; cult that later moved and concretized in the divine figure of Osiris.

Esna The Temple Of God Jnum
The City Of Esna Was Known In Pharaonic Times As An Agricultural City, In Ptolemaic And Roman Times, Regarding The Temple As It Is A Temple It Was Dedicated To The Worship Of The God Jnum, God Of The Flood, Today It Is A Suffering Temple Much because of the filtered water and that which encouraged the Government to seek solutions to save it, but a lot of effort is needed, two magnificent specimens can be admired on the inner wall of the mezzanine walls at the height of the pillars at the angles, North And Sur, On The Left, Hymn Written Almost Exclusively With Rams. And To The Right The Same But With The Crocodile Hieroglyphs.

Edfu: Temple of Horus
In Edfu, the ancient Greek Apolinópolis, Ptolemy 3 began in 237 BC the construction of a majestic temple dedicated to Horus, the Falcon God, completed 180 years later, in the time of Ptolemy 12, in the year 57 BC. More Pure Ptolemaic Style It Is Preserved In Perfect Condition, Only The Colors Of Its Reliefs Have Disappeared. No other ancient Egyptian temple conveys a sense of space and light comparable to that of Edfu. Through its imposing pylon –Only surpassed in dimensions by the one of the Karnak temple- we access a great hypetral hall (a large porticoed courtyard on three of its sides) that gives way to the hypostyle rooms -closed rooms- whose covered Supported By Colossal Columns With Beautiful Capitals Of Different Typology. And After Them, The Most Sacred Place, The Sancta-Sanctorum. Reliefs And Inscriptions Beautify Its Walls And Provide Information About The Tradition Of The Edfu Cult.

Kom Ombo: Temple of God-Crocodile Sobek
On a small promontory on the eastern bank of the Nile, about 40 km north of Aswan, stands the double shrine of Kom Ombo. Its construction began in the 2nd century BC. Under the reign of Ptolemy 6, it continued under Ptolemy 13 and its decorative reliefs date from the Imperial Roman era. The Temple Was Consecrated To Two Divinities: The Right Half To The Crocodile-God Sobek, And The Left Half To The Hawk-headed God Haroeris, For This It Has An Unusual Bilateral Symmetrical Plan That Begins At The Pílono That Has Two Independent Doors That Open Two Parallel Axes. During the last 1,500 years the Nile has been moving towards the east so that parts of the First Pylonus and several rooms of the temple were flooded and later buried until in 1893 the Antiquities Service rescued them. The best preserved sector of the temple is the great hypostyle hall that can be seen far from the Nile.