Middle East - Anthony Ham [121]
Sleeping & Eating
Rasheed International Hotel ( 045 293 4399; www.rosettahotel.jeeran.com; Museum Garden Sq; s/d E£90/123; ) Proudly Rosetta’s newest, finest and first rodent-free hotel. This skinny, 11- storey hotel has austerely decorated but spotless new rooms, all with satellite TV, mini-bar and balconies with top views of town and the Nile.
The hotel’s restaurant ( 045 293 4399; ) serves some of the better food in town. Alternatively, you can hunt down a few ta’amiyya stands and roast chicken places in the town’s market streets.
Getting There & Away
The easiest way to make the 65km trip from Alexandria is by service taxi or microbus (both cost E£3 to E£5; one hour) from Al-Mo’af Al-Gedid, the long-distance bus station in Alexandria. Coming back it’s easy to get a microbus from Rosetta’s main roundabout, at the southwest entrance to town. A private taxi from Alexandria to Rosetta costs E£100 to E£160, including waiting time.
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NILE VALLEY
In this part of the country, the life-giving Nile snakes its way through Egypt’s desolate belly, as an over-abundance of ancient riches line its green shores.
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LUXOR
095 / pop 451,000
Built upon the once-brilliant 4000-year-old city of ancient Thebes, modern-day Luxor won the antiquity jackpot when it inherited the relics of one of history’s most prosperous and powerful empires. Many of these relics seem to mushroom directly from the sprawl of this bustling modern Egyptian town. For most visitors, the opulent cache of tombs and funerary temples scattered across the West Bank make this Egypt’s must-see destination.
History
Following the collapse of centralised control at the end of the Old Kingdom period, the small village of Thebes emerged as the main power in Upper Egypt under the 11th- and 12th-dynasty pharaohs. Rising against the northern capital of Heracleopolis, Thebes reunited the country under its political, religious and administrative control and ushered in the Middle Kingdom period. The strength of Thebes’ government also enabled it to re-establish control after a second period of decline, liberate the country from foreign rule and bring in the New Kingdom dynasties.
At the height of their glory and opulence, from 1550 to 1069 BC, all the New Kingdom pharaohs (with the exception of Akhenaten, who moved to Tell al-Amarna) made Thebes their permanent residence. The city had a population of nearly a million, and the architectural activity was astounding.
Orientation
Luxor actually consists of three separate areas: the town of Luxor itself on the east bank of the Nile; the village of Karnak, 2km to the northeast; and the towns of Gurna, New Gurna and Al-Gezira near the monuments and necropolis of ancient Thebes on the west bank of the Nile.
Information
INTERNET ACCESS
Europa Internet (Map; 012 866 5558; Main Rd, Al-Gezira; per hr E£5; 8am-2am) Conveniently near the ferry stop on the West Bank.
Friends Internet Café (Map; 236 7260; Sharia Salah ad-Din; per hr E£10; 9am-11pm) Air-conditioned East Bank café serving up fast ADSL connections, ideal for Skyping or IMing.
Gamil Centre (Map; Lower Corniche; per hr E£10; 24hr) On the East Bank.
Rainbow Net (Map; 238 7938; Sharia Yousef Hassan; per hr E£6; 9am-midnight) East Bank café, up a laneway, posted from the street.
MEDICAL SERVICES
International Hospital (Map; 238 7192-4; Sharia Televizyon) The best medical care Luxor has to offer.
MONEY
Most banks have branches in Luxor offering ATMs and foreign exchange services. Money can be changed at a slew of forex offices around town. For travellers cheques, visit:
American Express (Map; 237 8333; 9am-4.30pm)
Thomas Cook New Winter Palace Hotel (Map; 237 2196; New Winter Palace Hotel; 8am-2pm & 3-8pm); Sharia Khalid ibn al-Walid (Map; 237 2620; 8am-2pm & 3-8pm)
POST
Main post office (Map; Sharia al-Mahatta; 8.30am-2.30pm Sat-Thu)