At the height of the Egyptian New Kingdom, Egypt’s capital, Thebes (now called Luxor City), was home to more than a million wealthy pharaohs who ruled this kingdom through military victories and extended their power south into Nubia, west along the Mediterranean, and east into what Now known as Syria.
With all that money and labour, the New Kingdom’s pharaohs could start large construction projects and try to make their names last forever through the buildings they left behind. We still admire what these pharaohs did to keep their legacy alive in the great temples and tombs on both sides of the Nile at the site of ancient Thebes in Luxor.
Many people now say Luxor is the “world’s largest open-air museum”. This is because the modern city is in the same place as the ancient city of Thebes, and it was built over and around the treasures of the Old Kingdom, which still exist today.
Luxor Temple and the massive Karnak temple complex are some of the most impressive sights in Egypt. New buildings surround both, and the contrast between the old stone buildings and the new buildings around them makes it all the more impressive.
There are also plenty of temples and tombs around Luxor and on the other side of the river. It may take several days to see all the important archaeological sites, which are only an hour’s drive from Luxor. Each has something different to show to help you learn more about the ancient people here.
The most famous archaeological sites in Luxor:
Karnak Temple:
You visit Central Egypt during the New Kingdom when you go to Karnak. This massive temple complex was a centre for ancient beliefs when power was concentrated in Thebes, which is now called Luxor. Its size shows how important it is. In addition to being a place of worship, it was also used by the pharaohs of the New Kingdom as a palace, administrative centre, and treasury. It was the largest temple complex ever built anywhere in the world.
It took 1,500 years to build, and each new pharaoh added it. As a result, it contains a collection of temples, sanctuaries, towers, and other unparalleled decorations in Egypt.
Luxor temple:
This temple is perhaps the best example of Luxor’s being called “the largest open-air museum in the world.” The modern city of Luxor was built on the site of the ancient Egyptian capital, Thebes, where the Luxor Temple is located.
The temple is one of the best-preserved ancient buildings. Many notable statues and sculptures are still there, making it one of the unique places in Luxor and Egypt. It is exciting because the surroundings are very different from each other. On the one hand, the New City begins, and on the other, the Nile flows. Egypt has a very long history, but there are few places in Egypt that you can see and feel clearly.
Medinet Habu:
Although it is not one of the most exciting places in the West Bank, many people believe that Medinet Habu is one of the most exciting places in Luxor. This temple complex is in good condition, especially compared to the Ramesseum, which it was modelled after.
The Ramesseum was built by the most famous pharaoh (Ramesses II), but the city of Hippo, commissioned by Ramesses III, is an even more impressive site. The tower, its walls, and much of the original painting on its reliefs are still in place.
During the reign of Ramses III, Hippo was a walled city with a temple and government centre within its walls. This kept the people in the area safe when times were tough. Later, the Coptic Christians who lived in the region converted the complex into a walled city.
Hatshepsut Temple:
Hatshepsut was the only woman who ruled Egypt as a pharaoh. During the New Kingdom, when her father, Thutmose I, and her half-brother and husband, Thutmose II, who had taken over from their father, died, she assumed power.
Initially, she was regent for Thutmose III, her husband’s son and another woman. But she took the throne from him and remained in power until her death. Hatshepsut became famous, but not only because she was the only woman who ruled Egypt.
When Hatshepsut Temple was found in the middle of the nineteenth century, it was in ruins. Thutmose III would have caused her much damage after becoming king, perhaps because Hatshepsut prevented him from becoming king.
Valley of the Kings:
Howard Carter found Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings in 1922, along with all the buried treasures with him. This was the beginning of the myth of modern Egypt.
Tutankhamun’s treasures travelled the world and sparked a new and widespread interest in the history of ancient Egypt. The fame of this discovery marked the beginning of a new era of tourism in Egypt.
The Valley of the Kings is located on the western side of the Nile near Luxor. It is the most famous place, with the best collection of tombs and ancient ruins.
This makes it one of the best places to learn about ancient Egypt because of its location. Archaeologists have been researching the Valley of the Kings area for hundreds of years, and it continues to amaze them.
Colossi of Memnon:
You first see these two giant statues when you take the ferry from the East Bank to the West Bank. It is 59 feet long. In the past, Colossi of Memnon was known for a mysterious sound made by one of them every morning at sunrise.
Scientists now believe that this sound was caused by air moving through holes in the stone while it was being heated in the sun, but they cannot be sure of this because the sound has stopped for hundreds of years.
Whatever caused the hype, it gave the statues their name because it made the Greeks believe the figures were of Memnon, who lived forever.
