Nile Cruise Part 3 (Luxor)

We arrived in Luxor in the afternoon and went out to see Karnak and Luxor temples. C wasn’t feeling well (the cruise buffet food wasn’t sitting well with any of us), but he was a trooper and walked all around Karnak temple – in 40C heat (104F). However, when we got to Luxor temple he had to sit most of it out.

Karnak temple

It was very different seeing this temple during the day. As always, this famous temple never ceases to impress. This temple is dedicated to Amun the sun god and is probably the most famous temple in Egypt. It was started in around 2000 BCE and continued through several dynasties. The most famous contributions were added by Hatshepsut and Rameses the Great.

Luxor temple

Luxor temple was constructed around 1400 BCE. This is an interesting temple. It was used by the Coptics for a time (and they just plastered and painted over the existing hieroglyphics). And when Alexander the Great came, he created a new sanctuary within the existing inner sanctuary and depicted himself as a pharaoh blessed by the gods. When the Muslims came, they built a mosque in it. Since the last time I was here, they also excavated the Avenue of the Sphinxes. This 3 km walk connects Luxor temple to Karnak temple. Unfortunately, most of the sphinxs have been lost.

Colossi of Memnon

These are two large statues of Amenhotep III that were located in front of his mortuary temple which has since been destroyed but is currently under an excavation project (one that our guide worked on).

Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings is where the tombs of pharaohs are located. Your ticket allows you entry to 3 tombs that are currently open. We chose Ramses IV, Ramses III and Ramses IX. We also decided to pay extra money to see the Ramses V / VI tomb.

Ramses IV

Out of the 3 tombs included in the ticket, this was the nicest one.

Ramses III

This one was also really nice and had a lot of preserved colour.

Ramses IX

This was our least favourite of the ‘free’ ones included on the ticket.

Ramses V / VI

This one we had to pay for – but it was worth it! Really incredible tomb! We spent a long time at the bottom just enjoying the view. The ceiling and walls were amazing.

Hepshetsput Temple

It was very hot by the time we got to this temple – around 41 C (105 F). You can’t visit the bottom part of the temple, but you can visit the middle and top floors. The temple is definitely more impressive from the outside than the inside. What’s interesting is that since I was here last, they have discovered a second, mirror temple right next door. They think this temple belonged to one of her sons. This temple is currently under excavation and restoration.

Hepshetsput is an interesting character. She took over the crown when her son was too young to rule, and then she refused to give up the throne. She dressed as a man (fake beard and all) and depicted herself as a man. She even built her mortuary temple in the Valley of the Kings (instead of the Valley of the Queens). When she finally died, her son became king and decided to take his revenge out on her by scratching out her image anywhere he could find it.

Susanna Hotel

On our last day in Luxor, we disembarked from the cruise and stayed in a cheaper hotel in the center of town. It was right next to Luxor temple and we had an amazing view of the temple, the Nile and the Avenue of the Sphinxes from our bedrooms and the dining room. It also had a small swimming pool on the roof and a large breakfast included. It was located near the souq and at night we grabbed a falafel from the stand down the street and ate it in the square in front of the temple (which was full of Egyptian families having picnics and playing).

By the end of our cruise, we were all very tired and fed up with people asking us for tips for stupid reasons. We were ready to head to Hurghada and relax.