Middle East - Anthony Ham [123]
Dra Abu’l Naga (Tombs of Roy & Shuroy) 12/6
Medinat Habu (Funerary Temple of Ramses III) 25/15
Ramesseum 25/15
Temple of Seti I 25/15
Tombs of the Nobles (Tombs of Khonsu, Userhet & Benia) 12/6
Tombs of the Nobles (Tombs of Menna & Nakht) 20/10
Tombs of the Nobles (Tombs of Neferronpet, Dhutmosi & Nefersekheru) 20/10
Tombs of the Nobles (Tombs of Ramose, Userhet & Khaemhet) 25/10
Tombs of the Nobles (Tombs of Sennofer & Rekhmire) 20/10
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Museums
The Luxor Museum (Map; Corniche el-Nil; adult/student E£75/35; 9am-3pm & 4-9pm Oct-May, 9am-3pm & 4-10pm Jun-Sep) is definitely worth a peek for its selective and excellently displayed collection, dating from the Old Kingdom to the Malmuk period. In the main downstairs hall, don’t miss the finely crafted and well-preserved relief of Tuthmosis III, statue of Thuthmosis III, alabaster figure of Amenhotep III, and rare Theban relief dating from the Old Kingdom of Unas-ankh. The newest wing of the museum showcases the splendour of Thebes during the New Kingdom, with the highlight being two unwrapped royal mummies of Amhose I and possibly Ramses I, eerily presented in darkened rooms.
For mummy buffs (and who isn’t one?), visit the small but interesting Mummification Museum (Map; Corniche el-Nil; adult/student E£40/20; 9am-2pm & 4-9pm Oct-May, 9am-2pm & 4-10pm Jun-Sep), down the steps opposite the Mina Palace Hotel. Its well-thought-out displays tell you everything you ever wanted to know about mummification and the journey to the afterlife.
West Bank
The lush Egyptian countryside of the bucolic West Bank conceals what has come to be known as the largest open air museum in the world. It was here, on the flood plains of the Nile and under the watchful gaze of the Theban hills, that the pharaohs built their memorial temples as a standing reminder of their immortality. Hundreds of tombs were excavated into the hills, built for kings, queens, royal children, nobles, priests, artisans and even workers. The most impressive burial chambers housed the bodies of mighty rulers, along with their wealth, their families, servants and anything else that might come be useful in the afterlife.
To see every site would cost nearly E£500 (without student card), take many days, and be utterly exhausting. It’s best to select a handful of sites that you are most interested in and plan one or two days for your visit. Except for Deir al-Bahri (the Funerary Temple of Hatshepsut) and the tombs in the Valleys of the Kings and Queens, you can’t pay for admission at the individual sites. Instead you must buy tickets in advance at the Antiquities Inspectorate Ticket Office (Map; 6am-4pm Oct-May, 6am-5pm Jun-Sep) on Main Rd, 500m west of the Colossi of Memnon. Tickets are valid only for the day of purchase, no refunds are given and students pay half price. Note that photography is strictly forbidden in all the West Bank tombs; if you’re caught using a camera, guards will confiscate the film or memory card.
To give you an idea of the distances involved on the West Bank, from the local ferry landing it is 3km straight ahead to the Antiquities Inspectorate Ticket Office, past the Colossi of Memnon. From there it’s 1km to the Valley of the Queens and 5km to the Valley of the Kings.
It should cost around E£100 to hire a taxi to bring you here from the East Bank and transport you from site to site. Alternatively, you can hire a bicycle on the East Bank and bring it over on the ferry. If you’re footing it, you can catch the ferry, take a local pick-up truck (25pt; ask for ‘Gurna’) to the Antiquities Inspectorate Ticket Office, and then hire a rattletrap bike from the bike hire place (Map; per day E£10) next to the Nour el-Gourna hotel and pedal yourself around.
Colossi of Memnon
These 18m-high statues (Map; admission free) are all that remain of a temple built by Amenhotep III. The Greeks believed that they were statues of Memnon, who was slain by Achilles in the Trojan War.
Temple of Seti I
This pharaoh expanded the Egyptian empire to include Cyprus and parts