Luxor history guide

became the place of monumental building such as the tombs of Ramses I and Tutankhamen for instance, the ruins of which are a main attraction for tourists to the city today.Egypt was divided after the period of influence of Ramses III, and it was then that the city of Thebes fell into a gradual decline. The city eventually began to be controlled by external forces due to economic pressure together with invasions from foreign groups like the Assyrians and the Persians. However, even then Thebes managed to remain a place of admiration as a burial place and as a commemoration of the Egyptian legacy, not only for Egyptians but for the Greeks and the Romans as well. Today’s Luxor, is a modern city built over the ruins of Thebes and has a population of 200,000 people.

Luxor offers a great deal of attractions for tourists since it is actually an “open air museum” having lots of impressive monuments of high archaeological importance, very well preserved.

One of the most important monuments is Luxor Temple that was initially built by Amenophis III and then was expanded by Ramesses II.  The temple is actually an architectural splendour filled with obelisks, columns and sculptural elements like sphinxes and bas relief carving.  Apart from the Egyptian heritage, the temple also has served as a classical (Greek and Roman), Christian and Muslim devotional spot.

Another place worthy of a visit is the Luxor Museum which houses many of the artefacts and treasures that were discovered when the tombs and temples of the area were excavated.  In its collection you can see art, jewellery, furniture, pottery work and many other elements of ancient Egyptian heritage.A unique visit would be in the Mummification Museum where you can find out everything you want to know about the processes of burial if you are interested in the actual way, science and art of mummification. This museum is a place where history comes alive as it includes lots of artefacts of the embalming process (including different coffins and urns).

The Valley of the Kings which is named after all the pharaohs that were buried there became especially popular when the un-looted tomb of Tutankhamen was discovered in 1922.  The Valley is still a widely known tourist attraction even though most of the artefacts have been put in museums around the world.