Hotels in Luxor
What to see by foot: Luxor
 
Luxor has been a tourist Mecca ever since Nile steamers began cruising the Nile
in the 19th century to view the remains of Thebes and its associated sites. The
concentration of relics in this area is unbelievable. The town itself is home
to Luxor Temple, a graceful ornament to its waterfront.
Within Luxor, there are only three main streets: Sharia al-Mahatta, Sharia
al-Karnak and the Corniche, next to the Nile. Sharia al-Mahatta is the street
in front of the train station which runs away from the Nile and meets the gardens
of Luxor Temple. Sharia al-Karnak (Karnak Temple Street) runs along the Nile
from Luxor Temple to Karnak Temple.
Sharia al-Karnak turns into Sharia al-Markaz where it meets Sharia al-Mahatta
Street, and the area around the temple is Sharia al-Lokanda. Along this street
are many restaurants and cafés, as well as bazaars where you can find
Egyptian souvenirs. Most interesting is the alabaster, which is plentiful along
the west bank; also look for the clay pots used by the locals for cooking.
The Luxor Temple was built by Amenophis III. Head south on Sharia al-Karnak
to reach the temple, which is connected to the Karnak Temple via a long stone
processional street called a 'dromos'. The dromos was built by Nectanebo I,
and was originally lined on either side by sphinxes. In front of the Luxor Temple,
the dromos is well preserved, and on the way to the entrance it passes by a
Roman chapel of burnt brick dedicated to the god Serapis, built during the rule
of Hadrian. The huge walls and upright thirty foot status of Ramses VI guard
the temple and are extremely impressive, even during a night visit accentuated
by spotlights.
Even more gobsmacking is the Karnak Temple complex built over the span of 1,300
years. Here you can wander through endless perfectly straight columns, admire
the many murals and obelisks and gaze at the sleeping pool.
Across the river are the amazing tombs and mortuary temples of the Theban Necropolis.
Luxor also serves as a base for daytrips to Esna, Edfu, Dendara and Abydos temples,
up and down the Nile valley.
At the Luxor police station, head towards the Nile Corniche. Here, opposite
the Mina Palace Hotel you will find the Mummification Museum, which has most
anything you would ever want to know about mummification.
About halfway to Karnak, you will discover the Luxor Museum, which is a must-see.
While this is a small museum, most of the relics are from the surrounding area
and provide considerable insight into the monuments.
Finally, to take a break from sightseeing, enjoy the luxury of drifting over
the area in a hot-air balloon, which affords an awesome view of the temples,
villages and mountains.
Selection of hotels in this region:
Sheraton Luxor Resort | | Mercure Luxor | |
Click below for a
full list of hotels and online booking
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