This is part 3 of my series on our trip to Egypt. Read about our time in Cairo here, and our time in Aswan and at Abu Simbel here. See pictures from our trip here.
If you are looking for a guide, I highly recommend Aboudy! He works with a new tour company, Pink Lotus Tours, which also comes highly recommended. Aboudy took great care of us from minute one! He is a certified Egyptologist from Luxor, whose family still lives there and owns a charming bookstore called Aboudi Bookstore, which has been around since 1909. The place has a fascinating story and is a must see when in Luxor! You can even order books online before your trip- allow a lot of time because mail from Africa takes forever.
Aboudy made our time here extra special, because he took us to some of his favorite restaurants and knew insider secrets! Sure, we paid him, but it was like we had a friend to show us around the whole time we were in Egypt, and today, we still consider Aboudy a friend and keep in touch with him. Message me if you want to book directly with Aboudy or Pink Lotus!
Recommended Reading
I read several books in preparation for this trip. I recommend reading two books of historical fiction by Michelle Moran: The Heretic Queen and Nefertiti. These books contain lots of historical information and information about the myths of Ancient Egypt, but they teach you in a sneaky way- by telling the author’s version of the stories of their subjects’ lives. Having read these books ahead of time added a dimension to my experience, as I remembered facts and stories as we toured the Egyptian Museum, the tombs, and the temples.
To add an extraterrestrial flavor to your journey, watch Ancient Aliens Season 13 Episode 7: Earth Station Egypt.
Luxor
We were on the road the entire day en route to Luxor, formerly known as Thebes in Ancient Egypt and the capital of the New Kingdom after that. This large city in Upper Egypt straddles the Nile and has been referred to as “The World’s Largest Open-Air Museum.” Luxor is an essential part of any first trip to Egypt, with more important sites than any other city in that country.
Our route took us to Edfu Temple, which I mentioned in the previous post. We drove through villages, down rutted dirt roads, by the Nile bordered by lush green grasses and palm trees. We napped, chatted, and watched Egypt go by as we made our way to Aboudy’s hometown.
Our accommodations in Luxor were at the Steigenberger Nile Palace Hotel on the East Bank of the Nile, in the main part of the city of Luxor. It was a great place to stay in a central location, and was very nice. We were famished, so we had late lunch at the hotel’s Lebanese restaurant, El Tarboush. It was delicious! Some of the best falafel I’d ever had!
Luxor Temple
We visited Luxor Temple at night, which is a perfect time to see it! The temple is already gorgeous. The amber uplighting added to its mystique and lent a yellow-orange glow to the massive columns.
This temple was commissioned by Amenhotep III, then completed by Tutenkhamen and added to by Rameses II. Rameses added four huge statues of himself that dominate the front facade (if you recall, Abu Simbel also has four giant Rameses II statues). Inside the temple are many large columns and chambers.
Amenhotep dedicated this temple to Amun, Mut, and Khonsu, the Theban Triad. Egyptian deities are often divided into triads. This one consists of the god Amun-Ra (or Re), his wife Mut, and their son Khonsu. Amun-Ra was the composite of Amun, the god of Thebes, and Ra, the sun god. Mut was a goddess mother, and Khonsu is associated with the moon. Read more about the mythology behind Luxor and Karnak Temples here.
In front of Luxor Temple, there is a 3 km road lined by over 1000 statues of sphinxes and rams which leads from Luxor Temple to Karnak Temple known as the “Avenue of the Sphinxes.” Unfortunately, it was still closed to the public when we were there, but it opened shortly after we left. I think it would be a pretty cool experience to walk the path to Karnak, and there are museums along the way. The Mummification Museum looks super interesting.
Nile Valley Hotel and Restaurant
That night, Aboudy took us to one of his favorite restaurants, the Nile Valley Hotel and Restaurant. The ambience and food were perfect! We shared a protein-heavy meal of chicken, fish, rice, and okra. The meal was accompanied by fresh fruit juices, with the star of the show being the pomegranate juice. Our table overlooked the Nile, and we could see the illuminated Valley of the Kings on its opposite bank. I highly recommend stopping in for a nice, inexpensive meal with a view.
Hot Air Balloon Ride
We woke up around 4:30 am for our hot air balloon ride over Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. We took a boat ride across to the West Bank where we boarded our balloon. On the boat, a guy offered to videotape our ride for $15. We agreed and he took our email address. Never heard back…
I had no idea how large the balloon baskets were! Ours held around 25 people. The pilot sent up bursts of fire which were super loud and gradually inflated the balloon. Up, up, and away! Seeing the sun rise over Luxor was spectacular. As we rose higher and higher, so did the sun.
From our vantage point, we could appreciate the stark contrast between the lush green areas surrounding the Nile River and the tan hues of the arid desert landscape.
The Theban Necropolis
We flew over the area known as the Theban Necropolis, which consists of the Valleys of the Kings, Queens, and Workers (these are three separate attractions), the Temple of Hatshepsut, and numerous mortuary temples. The temples (many of which were in some way related to Rameses the humble) were in various states of ruin.
Colossi of Memnon
We saw the Colossi of Memnon! I remembered hearing about these in school but didn’t remember what they were. They are 60 foot high statues of Amenhotep III which stand guard at his mortuary temple. Why, then, aren’t they called the Colossi of Amenhotep? Well, Memnon was an Ethiopian king who became a Greek hero due to his prowess in battle. When Greek tourists saw these humongous statues, they associated them with Memnon and the name stuck.
Interestingly, one of the statues used to make an unusual sound, possibly due to water evaporation or air escaping from the porous rock. Hearing this “Vocal Memnon” was supposed to bring good luck, and the statues were seen as oracles.
The Descent
We started to descend and it felt like we were going to land in a temple (of Rameses II). We didn’t… Suddenly we saw a truck driving erratically toward where the balloon was heading to land. At some cue unknown to us, several men jumped out of the truck and started running toward the balloon. For a moment, we felt like we were being attacked. But no, this was our ground crew. They grabbed the ropes and pulled us the last few feet down, tying us down and allowing us to disembark.
I highly recommend this activity! It was a highlight of our trip and a great way to see the West Bank. Viator has several options and the price is very reasonable, around $50-100.
Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
Next, we explored the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut. It is located on the West Bank near the three valleys, facing Karnak Temple.
Girl Power! Hatshepsut was the second female pharaoh. Her father was Thutmose and her brother Thutmose II, whom she ended up marrying. She took on many traditional male roles and was even depicted with masculine features and clothing. Thutmose II died relatively young, leaving Thutmose III as heir… but he was too young so momma took over!
Aside- FYI- The first female pharaoh was Sobekneferu, whose father was Amenemhat IV and mother unknown.
Hatshepsut was a prolific architect, and this was her mortuary temple. It is a massive temple composed of three levels built into a cliff face, with a massive ramp which functions as a striking entrance which allowed chariots to enter the lower levels. There are scenes from her reign painted on the walls, along with shrines to Anubis, god of the dead, Hathor, goddess of fertility, Amun, King of the gods, and Ra, god of the sun.
Her body is not here – her actual tomb is located in KV20 in the Valley of the Kings. This temple has three main terraces and is built into the cliffs, with a massive, wide causeway majestically leading up to the temple. It is unique in appearance among Egyptian temples and is easily recognizable.
Three Valleys
Amenhotep saw that many burial monuments were being robbed and desecrated, so he chose secret, less accessible spots to build necropolises (yep, that is the plural) for the kings and queens’ final resting places. He had the tombs carved into cliffs and mountains in the more arid portions of Luxor (then Thebes), farther from the Nile.
Valley of the Workers, Deir el-Medina
The tombs and burial chambers in the Valley of the Kings were not built by slaves. Further, most of the temples and shrines in Egypt weren’t either. Instead, they were built by skilled, paid workers.
Amenhotep hired and paid many workers and seemed to hold them in some esteem, as they were tasked with very important work. They were actually referred to as “Servants in the Place of Truth.” The workers had a village just outside of the Valley of the Kings where they lived for years on end. This is called Deir El-Medina, AKA Valley of the Workers, AKA Valley of the Artisans. The walled village was built in a narrow valley within walking distance of the Valley of the Kings, and contained approximately 68 houses, and all the other structures you’d expect to see in a village.
Don’t miss this site on your trip to Luxor! It was very interesting to see, and contains one of the best-preserved tombs with the brightest hieroglyphics we saw in Egypt. The Tomb of Sennedjem, an Egyptian official, is located here and was never plundered or disturbed, so you can see really brilliant artwork here. More than 20 bodies were discovered here, likely Sennedjem’s family.
Valley of the Kings
The main site in this area, the one most people hear about and want to see, is the Valley of the Kings. 63 tombs are located here, and many have been damaged due to theft and weather in the past, and more recently due to mass tourism. This is the dilemma we face as travelers- we need to see these places, to learn about the past and the world. Our tourism dollars go toward preserving sites and providing employment to people living nearby. But, our presence and the infrastructure required to accommodate tourists can negatively impact the treasures we are admiring. This could be used as an excuse to stay home, but I choose to be the best, most responsible tourist I can be. Be careful, obey the rules, and educate yourself about the tour companies you choose.
You can see the Tomb of King Tutankhamun, but it is one of the less impressive ones, as its treasures have been moved to the Egyptian Museum. Go see them there, and see other tombs here.
The Tombs
The 63 tombs in the Valley of the Kings are numbered KV1-63, KV is for King’s Valley. The tombs don’t look like much from the outside, just doorways leading into the cliff face. But inside, you will see amazing and in many cases well-preserved art depicting life in Ancient Egypt. Deities of that time are depicted in certain ways in all of the Egyptian art, and the style from tomb to tomb and temple to temple is strikingly similar, like the same artists carved and painted it all. I suppose this is not about the artist, but about the subjects and about honoring their gods. In addition to anthropomorphic figures and animals, you will see hieroglyphs.
Hieroglyphs are “stylized pictures of objects representing words, syllables, or sounds, as found in ancient Egyptian and other writing systems.” Some people, including some Egyptologists, know what they all mean. Aboudy was one of these people, and could basically “read” what the hieroglyphs were saying.
We chose three tombs. Really, that’s all you need unless you are really into dead pharaohs. We saw what our guide, Aboudy, said were the best three: Rameses I, III, and IX, numbered KV16, KV3, and KV 6 respectively. Three was enough. It was hot, dry, and there were tons of tourists. Rameses I was cool because it still has his red Egyptian marble crypt, and it and the others still had vivid colors visible in the artwork on the walls.
Valley of the Queens
As with most things in life, women in Ancient Egypt did not get the same special treatment as men. Yeah, they ran things behind the scenes, but they typically didn’t get the glory and fame of their male counterparts. The tombs of women and the area in which they are located are not as popular or prestigious as those of the men. Despite my feminism, we did not visit the Valley of the Queens. I think we were already getting “tomb fatigue” from our time in the other two valleys so, as always, the women came last and were forgotten.
The Valley of the Queens is close to the Valley of the Kings. Many of the queens and family members were buried with the men in their tombs, but this changed at some point in Ancient Egypt. Like the Valley of the Kings, the tombs don’t look like much from the outside, but the insides are often magnificent. If you visit one tomb in the Valley of the Queens, it should be that of Nefertari. Hers was the best because she was the favorite wife of our old friend, Rameses II (the humble). She was the one who had her own temple at Abu Simbel.
Back to the Land of the Living
After our exploration of the Temples and Valleys, we visited an alabaster workshop and sipped tea as we shopped for souvenirs. I just loved the Egyptian people! They were so friendly and warm, with smiling eyes and a keen sense of humor. Many are very devout Muslims, and we noticed several men with dark spots in the center of their foreheads. Aboudy explained that these were colloquially called “prayer bumps” or “zebibah,” which is the Arabic word for raisins. They are basically callouses that form from carpet burn as the men prostrate themselves in prayer repeatedly, five times a day, for the majority of their lives.
Karnak Temple
The Karnak Temple complex is one of the most visited historical sites in Egypt, second only to the Pyramids of Giza. It is the largest religious building ever constructed! The temple was built by Amenhotep I and is dedicated to Amun, Mut, and Khonsu- the Theban Triad I mentioned earlier. Amun the god, his wife Mut, and their son Khonsu.
If you started at Luxor Temple and walked down the 3 km Avenue of the Sphinxes, you’d end up here. Do it in reverse to be historically accurate… In Ancient Egypt, the Opet Festival was held each year to provide energy for the gods so they would replenish the harvest. This 27-day festival began with a massive procession leading from Karnak to Luxor Temple via the Avenue of the Sphinxes. The statue of Amun was washed with holy water and adorned with white linen and fancy jewelry, then placed on a ceremonial “barque,” which is basically a boat that is carried with four poles. The pharaoh and the people accompanied the statue, with music and fanfare. That must have been a sight to see!
It is easy to see why this site is so popular. The hypostyle hall, which is basically the massive central sanctuary, has 134 columns and numerous falcon-headed sphinxes. There are several smaller temples and living quarters, and a large sacred lake. Here you can read more about this temple complex and learn about all the specifics.
We watched the sunset at Karnak Temple, which was kind of surreal, then headed back to town to forage for food.
Al Sahaby Lane Restaurant
We rode camels, now it was time to eat one. Aboudy chose Al Sahaby Lane restaurant, a cool rooftop cafe at the Nefertiti Hotel in Luxor. We loved this little restaurant and highly recommend it. The views over the city and out to the temples and sites was spectacular. The burgers were delicious (tasted like, well, burgers).
Perfumery
I am a positive person who rarely has a truly negative experience. I try to look at the positive and see the good in every situation, but seeing the positive in this one was tough. OK… I guess the presentation was interesting. So we stopped by “Cleopatra Perfumes” and listened to a presentation about the different oils they use to make their perfumes and what they are good for- relaxation, concentration, etc. We bought eucalyptus and sandalwood massage oils. The people were rude and unpleasant and I wouldn’t do this one over.
Banana Island
We took a boat ride over to an island in the Nile River known as “Banana Island.” It is named after its banana orchards, and it also has a hibiscus orchard and a little zoo. The little zoo had the cute little blue-balled vervet monkeys, who we fed sunflower seeds. They were so cute! We held out the seeds and the monkeys politely took them from our hands and daintily ate them, followed by a sweet little “thank you.” OK, I made up the last part, but I totally felt their gratitude! There were super cute little desert foxes, turtles, and crocs.
We had lunch at the outdoor restaurant on the island, Aladdin’s Restaurant. I couldn’t find a menu or website online, and their Facebook page is kind of anemic. This was a little gem of a place that I guess you just have to experience. Of course, we had fresh bananas which were yummy!
The main course of our lunch was “fiteer,” which are Egyptian pancakes and they are delicious! Some people describe them as “Egyptian Pizza” because they are round and made of bread. They are round breads made of layer upon layer of phyllo pastry and ghee (clarified butter), which remind me of the southern hoe cake of my childhood. They were so good, even by themselves. But they were served with a variety of condiments you could dip them in or spread on them, consisting of mish, which is a fermented salty cheese that looked like almond butter, feta cheese, and molasses.
