LUXOR -- Karnak Temple and Luxor Library and Luxor Temple

We left Cairo early this morning on a 1 hour charter flight to Luxor, where we immediately went to the Karnak Temple and the Luxor Library. 

The Temple of Karnak is among the world’s largest ancient temple complexes. The  great Hypostyle Hall is a forest of ancient columns that once supported a towering ceiling, and its huge sacred lake. This massive complex has been embellished over centuries by every major pharaoh. 
















We then continued to the Luxor Heritage Center to see the center’s interactive showcase documenting the country’s history from ancient times to the present. We toured the Forsan al-Sama’a Hall, with its exhibits featuring astrological equipment, and the 3D Show Hall, home to selected archaeological pieces from the Pharaonic, Coptic and Islamic eras. The library houses more than 10,000 books on Egyptian history in several languages and features a dedicated map room.

Below are remains of the Avenue of the Sphinxes, which linked Luxor to Karnak. 

Avenue of the Sphinxes


John on the Avenue of the Sphinxs











Beyond lies the Great Court of Ramses II, whose walls are adorned with the names and titles of his 17 sons. In 1989, during a period of restoration, a cache of 26 statues was found here, buried by priests in Roman times.


And finally we boarded our Viking ship to begin our cruise down the Nile!!




After lunch and a brief welcome aboard presentation by the hotel manager, we set out for a late afternoon/evening adaventure.to the Luxor Temple


This is one of the most breathtaking temples in Luxor, the spiritual capital of Egypt for 15 centuries.  This magnificent Ancient Egyptian temple complex was built in approximately 1400 BC by Amenhotep III and Ramses II. We entered through its massive pylons to explore and  interpret the ancient hieroglyphs, some of which illustrate the extravagant Opet festival held to ensure a good harvest. One of the obelisks and several of the temple’s statues now reside in Paris. 











John on the Avenue of the Sphinxs


Comments

  1. ReneeApril 18, 2025 at 11:47 AM

    That certainly was a busy day, seems busier than your pyramids day yesterday! I love the photos of the crew welcoming you on board! So fun that you captured her spilling a drink and then covering it up with a huge smile!! We also got to see Luxor temple right at sunset and loved it in this light. I was hoping you would also see it by night!!

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