Luxor ( ar, الأقصر, al-ʾuqṣur, lit=the palaces) is a modern city in
Upper
Upper may refer to:
* Shoe upper or ''vamp'', the part of a shoe on the top of the foot
* Stimulant, drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both
* ''Upper'', the original film title for the 2013 found fo ...
(southern)
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...
which includes the site of the
Ancient Egyptian city of
''Thebes''.
Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open-air museum", as the ruins of the
Egyptian temple
Egyptian temples were built for the official worship of the gods and in commemoration of the pharaohs in ancient Egypt and regions under Egyptian control. Temples were seen as houses for the gods or kings to whom they were dedicated. Within t ...
complexes at
Karnak and
Luxor stand within the modern city. Immediately opposite, across the
River Nile, lie the monuments, temples and tombs of the west bank
Theban Necropolis
The Theban Necropolis is a necropolis on the west bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes ( Luxor) in Upper Egypt. It was used for ritual burials for much of the Pharaonic period, especially during the New Kingdom.
Mortuary temples
* Deir el-Bah ...
, which includes the
Valley of the Kings and
Valley of the Queens
The Valley of the Queens ( ar, وادي الملكات ) is a site in Egypt, where the wives of pharaohs were buried in ancient times. It was known then as Ta-Set-Neferu, meaning "the place of beauty". It was most famous for being the burial site ...
. Thousands of tourists from all around the world arrive annually to visit Luxor's monuments, contributing greatly to the economy of the modern city.
The population of Luxor is 422,407 (2021),
with an area of approximately .
It is the capital of
Luxor Governorate. It is among the
oldest inhabited cities in the world.
Etymology
The name ''Luxor'' ( ar, الأقصر, al-ʾuqṣur, lit=the palace, pronounced , ,
Upper Egyptian: ) derives from the Arabic ''
qasr
Qasr ( ar, قصر, lit=palace/castle/fortress, plural ''qusur''), from Latin ''castrum'', may refer to:
Individual ''qusur'' and places named after a ''qasr''
*
*
Particular types of ''qusur''
*Alcázar (cognate Spanish term; also ''Alcácer'' ...
'' (), meaning "castle" or "palace".
It may be equivalent to the Greek and Coptic toponym τὰ Τρία Κάστρα ''ta tria kastra'' and ⲡϣⲟⲙⲧ ⲛ̀ⲕⲁⲥⲧⲣⲟⲛ ''pshomt enkastron'' respectively, which both mean "three castles".
)
The Sahidic Coptic name ''Pape'' (, pronounced ),
comes from Demotic ''Ỉp.t'' "the
adyton", which, in turn, is derived from the
Egyptian. The Greek forms ''Ἀπις'' and ''Ὠφιεῖον'' come from the same source.
The Egyptian village
Aba al-Waqf ( ar, أبا الوقف, ) shares the same etymology.
The Greek name is Thebes ( grc, Θῆβαι) or Diospolis. The
Egyptian name of the city is ''Waset'', also known as ''Nut'' ()
i-pA-t:pr and
i-p:t-O45-M24-t:N21-Z1
History
Luxor was the ancient city of
Thebes, the great capital of
Upper Egypt during the
New Kingdom
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
, and the glorious city of
Amun, later to become the god Amun-Ra. The city was regarded in the ancient Egyptian texts as ''wAs.t'' (approximate pronunciation: "Waset"), which meant "city of the sceptre", and later in Demotic Egyptian as ''ta jpt'' (conventionally pronounced as "tA ipt" and meaning "the shrine/temple", referring to the jpt-swt, the temple now known by its Arabic name
Karnak, meaning "fortified village"), which the ancient Greeks adapted as Thebai and the Romans after them as Thebae. Thebes was also known as "the city of the 100 gates", sometimes being called "southern Heliopolis" ('Iunu-shemaa' in Ancient Egyptian), to distinguish it from the city of
Iunu or
Heliopolis, the main place of worship for the god Ra in the north. It was also often referred to as ''niw.t,'' which simply means "city", and was one of only three cities in Egypt for which this noun was used (the other two were
Memphis and Heliopolis); it was also called ''niw.t rst,'' "southern city", as the southernmost of them.
The importance of the city started as early as the
11th Dynasty, when the town grew into a thriving city.
Montuhotep II
Mentuhotep II ( egy, Mn- ṯw-ḥtp, meaning "Mentu is satisfied"), also known under his prenomen Nebhepetre ( egy, Nb- ḥpt- Rˁ, meaning "The Lord of the rudder is Ra"), was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, the sixth ruler of the Eleventh Dyn ...
, who united Egypt after the troubles of the
First Intermediate Period, brought stability to the lands as the city grew in stature. The Pharaohs of the New Kingdom in their expeditions to
Kush, in today's northern
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
, and to the lands of
Canaan
Canaan (; Phoenician: 𐤊𐤍𐤏𐤍 – ; he, כְּנַעַן – , in pausa – ; grc-bib, Χανααν – ;The current scholarly edition of the Greek Old Testament spells the word without any accents, cf. Septuaginta : id est Vetus T ...
,
Phoenicia
Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their his ...
and
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
saw the city accumulate great wealth and rose to prominence, even on a world scale.
Thebes played a major role in expelling the invading forces of the
Hyksos from Upper Egypt, and from the time of the
18th Dynasty to the
20th Dynasty, the city had risen as the political, religious and military capital of Ancient Egypt.
The city attracted peoples such as the
Babylonians, the
Mitanni, the
Hittites of Anatolia
The Hittites () were an Anatolian people who played an important role in establishing first a kingdom in Kussara (before 1750 BC), then the Kanesh or Nesha kingdom (c. 1750–1650 BC), and next an empire centered on Hattusa in north-cent ...
(modern-day Turkey), the
Canaanites of Ugarit, the
Phoenicians of
Byblos and
Tyre, the
Minoans from the island of
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cypru ...
.
A Hittite prince from Anatolia even came to marry with the widow of
Tutankhamun,
Ankhesenamun.
The political and military importance of the city, however, faded during the
Late Period, with Thebes being replaced as political capital by several cities in Northern Egypt, such as
Bubastis,
Sais and finally
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandr ...
.
However, as the city of the god Amun-Ra, Thebes remained the religious capital of Egypt until the Greek period.
The main god of the city was Amun, who was worshipped together with his wife, the Goddess
Mut, and their son
Khonsu, the God of the moon. With the rise of Thebes as the foremost city of Egypt, the local god Amun rose in importance as well and became linked to the sun god Ra, thus creating the new 'king of gods' Amun-Ra. His
great temple at Karnak, just north of Thebes, was the most important temple of Egypt right until the end of antiquity.
Later, the city was attacked by
Assyria
Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , romanized: ''māt Aššur''; syc, ܐܬܘܪ, ʾāthor) was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization which existed as a city-state at times controlling regional territories in the indigenous lands of the As ...
n emperor
Ashurbanipal who installed a new prince on the throne,
Psamtik I.
The city of Thebes was in ruins and fell in significance. However,
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...
did arrive at the temple of Amun, where the statue of the god was transferred from Karnak during the
Opet Festival, the great religious feast.
Thebes remained a site of spirituality up to the Christian era, and attracted numerous Christian monks of the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Medite ...
who established monasteries amidst several ancient monuments including the temple of
Hatshepsut, now called
Deir el-Bahri ("the northern monastery").
Archaeology
In April 2018, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities announced the discovery of the shrine of god
Osiris
Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wsjr'', cop, ⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲉ , ; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎𐤓, romanized: ʾsr) is the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He ...
- Ptah Neb, dating back to the 25th dynasty in the
Temple of Karnak. According to archaeologist Essam Nagy, the material remains from the area contained clay pots, the lower part of a sitting statue and part of a stone panel showing an offering table filled with a sheep and a goose which were the symbols of the god Amun.
On the same day in November 2018, two different discoveries were announced. One was by the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities that had found a 13th-century tomb on the West Bank belonging to Thaw-Irkhet-If, the overseer of the mummification shrine at the temple of Mut, and his wife. Five months of excavation work until this point had revealed colorful scenes of the family and 1,000 funerary statues or
ushabti. The other discovery was of 1000
ushabti and two sarcophagi each containing a mummy in the
TT33
The TT-30,, "7.62 mm Tokarev self-loading pistol model 1930", TT stands for Tula-Tokarev) commonly known simply as the Tokarev, is an out-of-production Soviet semi-automatic pistol. It was developed in 1930 by Fedor Tokarev as a service pis ...
complex by a joint team from the IFAO (French Institute of Oriental Archaeology, Cairo, Egypt) and the
University of Strasbourg. One of the sarcophagi was opened in private by Egyptian antiquities officials, while the other, of a female
18th Dynasty woman named Thuya, was opened in front of international media.
In October 2019, Egyptian archaeologists headed by
Zahi Hawass revealed an ancient "industrial area" used to manufacture decorative artefacts, furniture and pottery for royal tombs. The site contained a big kiln to fire ceramics and 30 ateliers. According to Zahi Hawass, each atelier had a different aim – some of them were used to make pottery, others used to produce gold artefacts and others still to churn out furniture. About 75 meters below the valley, several items believed to have adorned wooden royal coffins, such as inlaid beads, silver rings and gold foil were unearthed. Some artefacts depicted the wings of deity
Horus
Horus or Heru, Hor, Har in Ancient Egyptian, is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities who served many functions, most notably as god of kingship and the sky. He was worshipped from at least the late prehistoric Egypt until the P ...
.
In October 2019, the Egyptian archaeological mission unearthed thirty well-preserved wooden
coffins (3,000-year-old) in front of the
Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut in
El-Assasif Cemetery. The coffins contained mummies of twenty-three adult males, five adult females and two children, who are believed to be from the middle class. According to Hawass, mummies were decorated with mixed carvings and designs, including scenes from
Egyptian gods,
hieroglyphs, and the
Book of the Dead, a series of spells that allowed the soul to navigate in the
afterlife. Some of the coffins had the names of the dead engraved on them.
On the 8th of April 2021, Egyptian archaeologists led by Zahi Hawass found
Aten, a 3,400 years old "lost golden city" near Luxor. It is the largest known city from Ancient Egypt to be unearthed to date. The site was said by
Betsy Bryan, professor of Egyptology at Johns Hopkins University to be "the second most important archaeological discovery since the tomb of Tutankhamen".
The site is celebrated by the unearthing crew for showing a glimpse into the ordinary lives of living ancient Egyptians whereas past archaeological discoveries were from tombs and other burial sites. Many artefacts are found alongside the buildings such as pottery dated back to the reign of Amenhotep III, rings and everyday working tools. The site is not completely unearthed as of the 10th of April 2021.
Landmarks
West bank
*
Valley of the Kings
*
Valley of the Queens
The Valley of the Queens ( ar, وادي الملكات ) is a site in Egypt, where the wives of pharaohs were buried in ancient times. It was known then as Ta-Set-Neferu, meaning "the place of beauty". It was most famous for being the burial site ...
*
Medinet Habu
Medinet Habu ( ar, مدينة هابو; Egyptian: ''Tjamet'' or ''Djamet''; cop, ''Djeme'' or ''Djemi'') is an archaeological locality situated near the foot of the Theban Hills on the West Bank of the River Nile opposite the modern city of Lux ...
(
memorial temple Mortuary temples (or funerary temples) were temples that were erected adjacent to, or in the vicinity of, royal tombs in Ancient Egypt. The temples were designed to commemorate the reign of the Pharaoh under whom they were constructed, as well as f ...
of Ramesses III)
*
The Ramesseum (memorial temple of Ramesses II)
*
Deir el-Medina (workers' village)
*
Tombs of the Nobles
*
Deir el-Bahari (
Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, etc.)
*
Malkata (palace of Amenophis III)
*
Colossi of Memnon (memorial temple of Amenophis III)
*
Al-Asasif cemetery
East bank
*
Luxor Temple
*
Luxor International Airport
Luxor International Airport is the main airport serving the city of Luxor, Egypt. It is located 6 km (4 miles) east of the city. Many charter airlines use the airport, as it is a popular tourist destination for those visiting the River ...
*
Karnak Temple
The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (, which was originally derived from ar, خورنق ''Khurnaq'' "fortified village"), comprises a vast mix of decayed Egyptian temple, temples, Pylon (architecture), pylons, chapels, and other ...
*
Luxor Museum
*
Mummification Museum
*
Winter Palace Hotel
The Winter Palace Hotel, also known as the Old Winter Palace Hotel, is a historic British colonial-era 5-star luxury resort hotel located on the banks of the River Nile in Luxor, Egypt, just south of Luxor Temple, with 86 rooms and 6 suites.
...
Geography
Climate
Luxor has a
hot desert climate (
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
BWh) like the rest of Egypt.
Aswan
Aswan (, also ; ar, أسوان, ʾAswān ; cop, Ⲥⲟⲩⲁⲛ ) is a city in Southern Egypt, and is the capital of the Aswan Governorate.
Aswan is a busy market and tourist centre located just north of the Aswan Dam on the east bank of ...
and Luxor have the hottest summer days of any other city in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...
. Aswan and Luxor have nearly the same climate. Luxor is one of the sunniest and driest cities in the world. Average high temperatures are above during summer (June, July, August). During the coolest month of the year, average high temperatures remain above while average low temperatures remain above .
The climate of Luxor has precipitation levels lower than even most other places in the
Sahara
, photo = Sahara real color.jpg
, photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972
, map =
, map_image =
, location =
, country =
, country1 =
, ...
, with less than of average annual precipitation. The desert city is one of the driest ones in the world, and rainfall does not occur every year. The air in Luxor is more humid than Aswan but still very dry. There is an average relative humidity of 39.9%, with a maximum mean of 57% during winter and a minimum mean of 27% during summer.
The climate of Luxor is extremely clear, bright and sunny year-round, in all seasons, with a low seasonal variation, with about some 4,000 hours of annual sunshine, very close to the maximum theoretical sunshine duration.
In addition, Luxor,
Minya,
Sohag,
Qena and
Asyut have the widest difference of temperatures between days and nights of any city in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...
, with almost difference.
The hottest temperature recorded was on May 15, 1991 which was and the coldest temperature was on February 6, 1989 which was .
Coptic Catholic Eparchy
The Coptic Catholic (
Alexandrian Rite) minority established on November 26, 1895 an Eparchy (
Eastern Catholic
The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous (''sui iuris'') particular churches of ...
Diocese) of Luqsor (Luxor) alias Thebes, on territory split off from the
Apostolic Vicariate of Egypt. Its episcopal see is a St. George
cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...
in Luxor.
In turn, it lost territory on August 10, 1947 to establish the
Eparchy of Assiut and again on 14 September 1981 to establish
Sohag.
Suffragan Eparchs (Bishops) of Luqsor (Coptic Rite)
*
Ignazio Gladès Berzi
Ignazio Gladès Berzi (born 7 January 1867 in Ghirghe) was an Egyptian clergyman and the former suffragan eparch of Luxor
Luxor ( ar, الأقصر, al-ʾuqṣur, lit=the palaces) is a modern city in Upper (southern) Egypt which includes the ...
(March 6, 1896 – died January 29, 1925)
*
Marc Khouzam
Markos II Khouzam in Arabic مرقس الثاني خزام (born 16 March 1888 - died 2 February 1958) was a leader of the Coptic Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic '' sui juris'' particular church of the Catholic Church. He served as Patriarch ...
(August 6, 1926 – August 10, 1947), also
Apostolic Administrator
An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...
of
Alexandria of the Copts
The Coptic Catholic Patriarchate of Alexandria is the Patriarchal and only Metropolitan see of the head of the Eastern ''sui iuris'' Coptic Catholic Church, a particular Church in the Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See, which ...
(Egypt) (December 30, 1927 – August 10, 1947); later
Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria (10 August 10, 1947 – died February 2, 1958)
*
Isaac Ghattas
Isaac; grc, Ἰσαάκ, Isaák; ar, إسحٰق/إسحاق, Isḥāq; am, ይስሐቅ is one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He was th ...
(June 21, 1949 – May 8, 1967), later
Archbishop-Bishop of
Minya of the Copts
The Coptic Catholic Eparchy of Minya is a suffragan eparchy ( Eastern Catholic diocese) of the Coptic Catholic Church (Alexandrian Rite in Coptic language) in its sole ecclesiastical province, that of the Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria ...
(Egypt) (May 8, 1967 – died June 8, 1977)
*
Amba Andraos Ghattas
Amba or AMBA may refer to:
Title
* Amba Hor, alternative name for Abhor and Mehraela, Christian martyrs
* Amba Sada, also known as Psote, Christian bishop and martyr in Upper Egypt
Given name
* Amba, the traditional first name given to the first ...
,
Lazarists (C.M.) (May 8, 1967 – June 9, 1986), also Apostolic Administrator of Alexandria of the Copts (Egypt) (February 24, 1984 – June 9, 1986), President of Synod of the Catholic Coptic Church (1985 – March 30, 2006), President of Assembly of the Catholic Hierarchy of Egypt (1985 – March 30, 2006), later
Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria (June 23, 1986 – retired March 30, 2006), created
Cardinal-Patriarch
A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...
(February 21, 2001 – died January 20, 2009), also President of Council of Catholic Patriarchs of the East (2003–2006)
*
Aghnatios Elias Yaacoub,
Jesuits
The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
(S.J.) (July 15, 1986 – died March 12, 1994), previously
Coadjutor Eparch of
Assiut of the Copts
AsyutAlso spelled ''Assiout'' or ''Assiut'' ( ar, أسيوط ' , from ' ) is the capital of the modern Asyut Governorate in Egypt. It was built close to the ancient city of the same name, which is situated nearby. The modern city is located at ...
(Egypt) (May 19, 1983 – July 15, 1986)
*
Youhannes Ezzat Zakaria Badir
Youhannes Ezzat Zakaria Badir (12 August 1949 – 27 December 2015) was a Coptic Catholic Church, Coptic Catholic bishop.
Ordained a priest on 5 August 1973, Zakaria Badir was named bishop of Ismailia, Egypt, on 23 November 1992 and was Consec ...
(June 24, 1994 – December 27, 2015), previously Eparch (Bishop) of
Ismayliah of the Copts (Egypt) (November 23, 1992 – June 23, 1994)
*
Emmanuel (Khaled Ayad) Bishay
Immanuel ( he, עִמָּנוּאֵל, 'Īmmānū'ēl, meaning, "God is with us"; also romanized: , ; and or in Koine Greek of the New Testament) is a Hebrew name that appears in the Book of Isaiah (7:14) as a sign that God will protect the H ...
(April 16, 2016 -
Economy
The economy of Luxor, like that of many other Egyptian cities, is heavily dependent upon tourism. Large numbers of people also work in agriculture, particularly
sugarcane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalks t ...
. There are also many industries, such as the pottery industry used in eating and many other uses.
The local economy was hit by the
Luxor massacre in 1997, in which a total of 64 people (including 59 visiting tourists) were killed, at the time the worst terrorist attack in Egypt (before the
Sharm el-Sheikh terrorist attacks). The massacre reduced tourist numbers for several years. Following the 2011
Arab Spring, tourism to Egypt dropped significantly, again affecting local tourist markets. Nineteen Asian and European tourists died when a
hot air balloon crashed early on Tuesday, February 26, 2013 near Luxor following a mid-air gas explosion. It was one of the worst accidents involving tourists in Egypt. The casualties included French, British, Hungarian, Japanese nationals and nine tourists from Hong Kong.
To make up for shortfalls of income, many cultivate their own food. Goat's cheese, pigeons, subsidized and home-baked bread and homegrown tomatoes are commonplace among the majority of its residents.
Tourism development
A controversial tourism development plan aims to transform Luxor into the biggest vast open-air museum. The master plan envisions new roads, five-star hotels, glitzy shops, and an IMAX theatre. The main attraction is an 11 million dollar project to unearth and restore the long Avenue of Sphinxes that once linked Luxor and Karnak temples. The ancient processional road was built by the pharaoh
Amenhotep III and took its final form under
Nectanebo I in 400 BCE. Over a thousand sphinx statues lined the road now being excavated which was covered by silt, homes, mosques and churches. Excavation started around 2004.
On
18 April
Events Pre-1600
* 796 – King Æthelred I of Northumbria is murdered in Corbridge by a group led by his ealdormen, Ealdred and Wada. The ''patrician'' Osbald is crowned, but abdicates within 27 days.
*1428 – Peace of Ferrara b ...
2019, the Egyptian Government announced the discovery of a previously unopened coffin in Luxor, dated back to 18th dynasty of
Upper
Upper may refer to:
* Shoe upper or ''vamp'', the part of a shoe on the top of the foot
* Stimulant, drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both
* ''Upper'', the original film title for the 2013 found fo ...
and
Lower Egypt
Lower Egypt ( ar, مصر السفلى '; ) is the northernmost region of Egypt, which consists of the fertile Nile Delta between Upper Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea, from El Aiyat, south of modern-day Cairo, and Dahshur. Historically, ...
. According to the Minister of Antiquities
Khaled al-Anani
Khaled al-Anani ( ar, خالد العناني; born 14 March 1971 in Giza) is an Egyptian Egyptologist and was the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities.
Career
Al-Anani studied Egyptology at the Helwan University with the aim of becomi ...
, it is the biggest rock-cut tomb to be unearthed in the ancient city of
Thebes. It is one of the largest, well-preserved tombs ever found near the ancient city of Luxor. On 24 November 2018, this discovery was preceded by the finding of a well-preserved mummy of a woman inside a previously unopened coffin dating back more than 3,000 years.
Infrastructure
Transport
Luxor is served by
Luxor International Airport
Luxor International Airport is the main airport serving the city of Luxor, Egypt. It is located 6 km (4 miles) east of the city. Many charter airlines use the airport, as it is a popular tourist destination for those visiting the River ...
.
A bridge was opened in 1998, a few kilometres upstream of the main town of Luxor, allowing ready land access from the east bank to the west bank. Traditionally river crossings have been the domain of several ferry services. The so-called 'local ferry' (also known as the 'National Ferry') continues to operate from a landing opposite the Temple of Luxor.
Transport to sites on the west bank are serviced by taxi drivers who often approach ferry passengers. There are also local cars that reach some of the monuments for 2 L.E., although tourists rarely use them. Alternatively, motorboats line both banks of the Nile all day providing a quicker, but more expensive (50 L.E.), crossing to the other side.
The city of Luxor on the east bank has several bus routes used mainly by locals. Tourists often rely on horse carriages, called "calèches", for transport or tours around the city. Taxis are plentiful, and reasonably priced, and since the government has decreed that taxis older than 20 years will not be relicensed, there are many modern air-conditioned cabs. Recently, new roads have been built in the city to cope with the growth in traffic.
For domestic travel along the route of the Nile, a rail service operates several times a day. A morning train and sleeping train can be taken from the railway station situated around from Luxor Temple. The line runs between several major destinations, including Cairo to the north and
Aswan
Aswan (, also ; ar, أسوان, ʾAswān ; cop, Ⲥⲟⲩⲁⲛ ) is a city in Southern Egypt, and is the capital of the Aswan Governorate.
Aswan is a busy market and tourist centre located just north of the Aswan Dam on the east bank of ...
to the south.
Luxor University
Luxor University, founded in 2019, is a non-profit governmental university that provides programs and courses for students.
Twin towns – sister cities
Luxor is
twinned
Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to:
* In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so;
* Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning
* Twinning inst ...
with:
*
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, United States
*
Brasília
Brasília (; ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitsche ...
, Brazil
*
Kakheti
Kakheti ( ka, კახეთი ''K’akheti''; ) is a region (mkhare) formed in the 1990s in eastern Georgia from the historical province of Kakheti and the small, mountainous province of Tusheti. Telavi is its capital. The region comprises eigh ...
, Georgia
*
Kazanlak, Bulgaria
*
Shenzhen
Shenzhen (; ; ; ), also historically known as Sham Chun, is a major Sub-provincial division, sub-provincial city and one of the Special economic zones of China, special economic zones of China. The city is located on the east bank of the Pea ...
, China
*
Viterbo, Italy
*
Yangzhou, China
Gallery
File:Luxor R02.jpg, Station Street in Luxor
File:Touristenbazar in Luxor (1995, 880x625).jpg, Street market in Luxor
File:Luxor New Corniche R01.jpg, The New Corniche in Luxor
File:Luxor, Egypt, Sunset on Nile River.jpg, Sunset on Nile River in Luxor, Feluccas
File:Luxor, Egypt, Boats on Nile River.jpg, Luxor Temple as seen from River Nile
File:Egypt.LuxorTemple.River.01.jpg, Panoramic view of Luxor
File:Luxor Temple R04.jpg, Luxor Temple
File:LuxorTemple1.jpg, Central corridor and four colossi by night
File:LuxorTemple3.jpg, Sitting Ramesses II colossus inside Luxor Temple at night
File:Egypt.LuxorTemple.01.jpg, Amenhotep's colonnade from the peristyle court
File:Avenue towards Karnak.JPG, Hundreds of sphinxes once lined the road to nearby Karnak
File:Abu el-Haggag R03.jpg, The Abu Haggag Mosque inside the temple
File:Abu el-Haggag R01.jpg, Luxor Temple and Abu Haggag Mosque
File:Luxor Mosque Mansheya Street R01.jpg, Mosque in Mansheya Street
File:Balloon over Luxor - Egypt denoised.jpg, Hot Air Balloon In Luxor
See also
*
Cultural tourism in Egypt
Egypt has a thriving cultural tourism industry, built on the country's complex history, multicultural population and importance as a regional centre.
History
Egypt's cultural tourism trade has fluctuated since the 19th century, increasing in popu ...
*
List of cities and towns in Egypt
*
List of megalithic sites
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*
Luxor Las Vegas
Notes
References
Further reading
*Bell, Lanny. “Luxor Temple and the Cult of the Royal ka.” ''Journal of Near Eastern Studies'' 44 (1985): 251–294.
*Bongioanni, Alessandro. ''Luxor and the Valley of the Kings''. Vercelli, Italy: White Star Publishers, 2004.
*Brand, Peter J. “Veils, Votives and Marginalia: The Use of Sacred Space at Karnak and Luxor.” In ''Sacred Space and Sacred Function in Ancient Thebes''. Edited by Peter F. Dorman and Betsy N. Bryan, 51–83. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007.
*El-Shahawy, Abeer, and Farid S. Atiya. ''Luxor Museum: The Glory of Ancient Thebes''. Cairo, Egypt: Farid Atiya Press, 2005.
*Haag, Michael. ''Luxor Illustrated: With Aswan, Abu Simbel, and the Nile''. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2009.
*Siliotti, Alberto. ''Luxor, Karnak, and the Theban Temples''. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2002.
*Strudwick, Nigel, and Helen Strudwick. ''Thebes In Egypt: A Guide to the Tombs and Temples of Ancient Luxor''. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1999.
*Weeks, Kent R. ''The Illustrated Guide to Luxor: Tombs, Temples, and Museums''. Cairo, Egypt: American University in Cairo Press, 2005.
External links
Theban Mapping Project website devoted to the Valley of the Kings and other sites in the Theban Necropolis
Luxor World Heritage Site in panographies- 360 degree interactive imaging
*
Luxor Temple picture galleryat Remains.se
{{Authority control
Governorate capitals in Egypt
Archaeological sites in Egypt
Tourism in Egypt
Tourist attractions in Egypt
Populated places in Luxor Governorate
Cities in Egypt