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Tourist Places of Luxor |
Karnak Temple
 The temple
of Karnak was known as Ipet-isut (Most select of places) and was dedicated
to the Theben triad of Amen, Mut and Khonsu. It is actually a complex
of three main temples, smaller enclosed temples, and several outer
temples. This vast complex was built and enlarged over a thirteen
hundred year period. Karnak is the biggest temple complex in the world,
covering an area of 100 hectares. The area of the sacred enclosure
of Amen alone is 61 acres and would hold ten average European cathedrals.
The great temple at the heart of Karnak is so big, St Peter's, Milan
and Notre Dame Cathedrals could be lost within its walls. It is the
mother of all religious buildings, the largest ever made as well as
a place of pilgrimage for nearly 4,000 years.
Luxor Temple
 At the
south end of the modern town, close to the Nile, stands the imposing
Temple of Luxor, and within to the northeast, the little Mosque of
Abu el-Haggag, a much revered Muslim holy man. The temple was built
by Amenophis III on the site of an earlier sandstone temple and was
known to the Egyptians as Apet Amunresyet, the "Southern Harem of
Amun". It was dedicated to Amun, his consort Mut and their son the
moon god Khons. Like all Egyptian temples, it comprised the chapels
of the deities with their vestibules and subsidiary chambers, a large
hypostyle hall and an open peristyle court, which was approached from
the north by a great colonnade.
Avenue of Sphinxes
 The Avenue
of Sphinx connects the feted Temple of Luxor and the world-famous
Temples at Karnak. This Avenue of Sphinx is an imposing avenue of
about 2 kms or 1.2miles south of the Karnak Temple and bordered on
both sides by the majestic sphinxes. It is believed that in the ancient
times, the avenue extended over a length of 3km length and the number
of Sphinxes present there was about two thousand. The famous Luxor
Temple that is also connected by the Avenue of Sphinx was built by
Ramses II, especially the pylon (the huge wall in the background),
two obelisks of which only one remains today and six figurines of
himself. This striking Avenue of Sphinx which encompasses the entire
region from Luxor Temple to Karnak Temple imparts a ceremonial grandeur
to Luxor.
Temple of Hathor
 The Deir
el Medina is a settlement of the workmen and laborers of the Egyptian
Kings on the West Bank at Luxor. The site, though now in ruins, is
visited by tourists who wish to gain insight into the life of the
plebeians in Ancient Egypt. The Temple Of Hathor located at the end
of the Deir el Medina is a fascinating study as it depicts the religion
and practices of the common man. Though the main shrine is dedicated
to Hathor, lesser shrines with icons of Amun-Sokar-Osiris and Amun-
Re-Osiris are also located in the precincts. The temple premises are
small in comparison to other Egyptian temples and measure a mere 15
x 24 meters area and is located at the extreme northern nook of the
Deir el Medina. The original temple structure, constructed during
the New Kingdom was damaged severely by Persian invasion, and hence
was reconstructed by the Ptolemaic Kings, Ptolemy II and III. Hence
the temple of Hathor, Luxor is a unique mixture.
Temple of Amun
Amun, the Egyptian God of air, breath and life rose to spectacular
popularity during 1200-1400 BC. Worshiped commonly as the divine father
of the Universe and upholder of the virtuous, Amun has a number of
temples dedicated to him.
 A
temple dedicated to the deity Amun was originally built as part of
the Kanrak Temple Complex located 3 kilometers to the north of Luxor
City. This 247 acre temple complex is the largest of its kind in the
whole world. During the traditional festival commemorating the marriage
of Amun to Mut, the Festival Of Opet, the idol of Amun is carried
from Kanark to Luxor attended by much fanfare. The construction of
the temple of Amun, Luxor is attributed to two pharaohs, Amenhotep
III and Ramesses II. These monarchs are believed to have reigned from
1390-1352 BC and 1279 - 1213 BC respectively. At the entrance of the
temple a tall imposing tower, a pylon believed to have been constructed
by Ramesses II and two statues of the king himself have been built.
These stand silent sentinels to the worshippers who entered the precincts.
Two obelisks were also constructed at the entrance to the temple of
Amun of which only one remains as the other was removed and replanted
at the Place de la Concorde in Paris in 1819.
Luxor Museum
 Luxor
Museum is situated in the city of Luxor which was previously the site
of the ancient Thebes. Overlooking the Nile River, the Luxor Museum
stands on the corniche at the heart of the city. This museum was set
up in 1975 and is laid in a small, multipurpose building. This museum
boasts of the quality and the multilingual labeling of the artifacts
it houses and the immaculate order of its exhibits. The Luxor Museum
houses a unique assortment of the best quality artworks belonging
to the Predynastic Period to the Islamic Epoch. Among the most extraordinary
exhibits of the museum is the relics and artifacts that were originally
found in the tomb of the illustrious Tutankhamun (KV62) and a assortment
of twenty-six, extraordinarily well preserved New Kingdom sculptures
that were discovered buried in a hidden storage space adjacent the
Luxor Temple in 1989.
The two royal mummies if the pharaohs - Ahmose I and Ramesses I - were also displayed at the Luxor Museum in March 2004. Another remarkable display of the famous museum is the reconstructed walls of the Temple of Akhenaten at Karnak.
Mummification Museum
 The Mummification
Museum in the city Luxor, Egypt is one of the finest sites to know
about the strange secrets of the pharaohs. The museum is situated
in a belowground hall on the Nile, adjacent to the national ferry
on the east bank. The ancient mummification procedure of Egyptians
has inspired awe of the people throughout the world. The Mummification
Museum displays the various substances used in mummification including
the natron. The noteworthy exhibits of the museum is the mummy of
Masaharta, the high priest of Amun and the son of King Panedjem, the
funerary boat and the statue of Osiris. Interestingly mummified animals
are also exhibited including a cat mummy, a baboon mummy and the mummy
of a ram inside a gold coffin.
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