Luxor

Our first stop on the Nile is Luxor. Our jaws drop at Karnak, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, and the Valley of the Artisans. We are mesmerized by the magnificence of ancient Egypt.

The Valley of the Kings is a valley on the West bank of the Nile where tombs were excavated during the New Kingdom for the Pharaohs and powerful nobles. The New Kingdom represents the eighteenth to the twentieth dynasties of ancient Egypt. The Valley of the Kings was built from the 16th to 11th century BC.

The Valley of the Queens sits on the West bank of the Nile. The tombs were excavated for the many wives of the Pharaohs and princesses and princes. The Valley of the Queens served as a burial ground during the period 1292 to 1075 BC in the nineteenth and twentieth dynasties.

Deir el-Medina, also known as the Valley of the Artisans, is an ancient Egyptian city that was home to the artisans who worked on the tombs of the Valley of the Kings during the eighteenth to the twentieth Egyptian dynasties. The artisans were salaried employees and would be considered middle class. Their workweek was 8 days and 2 days off. During their off days, the artisans would work on their own tombs.

The Karnak Temple complex construction began around 2000 to 1700 BC and continued through 305 to 30 BC. The complex is a mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings. This massive outdoor museum is the largest in the world, covering a 1.2 square mile area.

The Temple of Luxor is located on the east bank of the Nile. The Temple of Luxor was constructed around 1400 BC. Luxor Temple was not dedicated to a god or deity but was a place where pharaohs were crowned in reality or conceptually.

The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, also known as the Djeser-Djeseru was built on the West bank of the Nile for the eighteenth-century Pharoah Hatshepsut who died in 1458 BC. In ancient Egypt, there were cult temples centered on a god housed in the innermost sanctuary of the temple. There were also mortuary temples where rituals were performed to make sure the Pharoah would reach the afterlife. The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut is considered one of the most significant monuments of ancient Egypt.