Our stay in Cairo was quite brief (we are returning in a week).
So, our wake up call was 4.15am for a 5.20am departure to Cairo airport for our domestic flight to Luxor. The terminal was very very busy (check in was organized chaos) and our one hour flight took off at 8am. We were in a coach at Luxor Airport by 10.30am with the temperature already in the 30’s. Luxor is relatively green - the Nile river is huge and a lifeblood for populations that live near it.
Our first stop was Karnak Temple. This was truly impressive. The Karnak Temple is an ancient Egyptian temple complex in Luxor, Egypt. It is one of the world's most impressive archaeological sites and is considered a masterpiece of ancient architecture. The temple complex was built over 2000 years, from the Middle Kingdom to the Ptolemaic period. It was dedicated to the Theban Triad, which included Amun, Mut, and Khonsu.
The earliest parts of the Karnak Temple date back to around 2055 BC during the Middle Kingdom period. During this time, Pharaoh Senusret I built a small temple dedicated to Amun-Re and his consort Mut.
This temple was known as Ipet-isut ("Most Select of Places"). Over time, other pharaohs added their structures to the complex. During the New Kingdom period (1550-1070 BC), Pharaohs Ramses II and III added many structures, including pylons, obelisks, and hypostyle halls.
The most impressive part of Karnak Temple is its Hypostyle Hall. This hall consists of 134 massive columns arranged in 16 rows and reaching heights up to 24 meters (79 feet). The columns are decorated with intricate carvings depicting scenes from Egyptian mythology and religious rituals. Pharaoh Ramses II built the hall in 1250 BC as part of his grand plan for the Karnak Temple.
Karnak Temple also contains several temples dedicated to gods such as Ptah, Montu, and Khonsu. These temples were added by various pharaohs throughout history, including Amenhotep III (1417-1379 BC) and Tutankhamun (1336-1327 BC).
In addition to its religious significance, Karnak Temple has also been an important site for archaeological research since its discovery in 1817 by Jean-François Champollion.
Archaeologists have uncovered many artifacts from different periods, including statues, stelae, reliefs, pottery shards, jewelry, and more. These artifacts provide valuable insights into ancient Egyptian culture and religion that would not be possible without them.
It was very busy at Karnak with about 40 tour buses there. The size of the columns (and the colours still remaining on them after all this time) was truly very impressive. There was a 400 tonne obelisk which was also very impressive. The stories on all of the walls were very interesting. We have an Egyptologist with us for our stay and he is very knowledgeable and very easy to understand. Having seen this temple in burrows documentaries, it was so special to see it in person.
We will return to this complex later in our stay - but at night for a Sound and Light show.
We were then taken to our boat for a 7 night Nile cruise. As soon as boarded and checked into our cabins, it was time for lunch. There are boats everywhere here on the Nile - all look very similar.
We had to walk through several to get to ours. The boats are very much Egyptian-style in decor and have a very local feel. Our cabins are quite roomy - no balcony but the windows open. The top deck has a bar and a small pool. We had some free time which involved quite a few drinks.
At 5pm we were off on a tour to Luxor Museum. This was very much worth a visit (perhaps the beers in the hot sun were not a great idea!). Among the items on display are grave goods from the tomb of the 18th dynasty pharaoh Tutankhamun (KV62) and a collection of 26 New Kingdom statues that were found buried in the Luxor statue cache in the nearby Luxor Temple in 1989. The royal mummies of two pharaohs – Ahmose I and Ramesses I – were also put on display in the Luxor Museum in March 2004. The items were in excellent condition - it was hard to believe that they were so old.
We arrived back in time for dinner and a couple of drinks on the top deck - finally the weather for the day is now lovely! We were all exhausted after such an early start.
2025-02-12