“Town of the palaces”or “Thebes of the hundred gates”

Location:
Located 670 Km south of Cairo, on the right bank of the Nile, where ancient Thebes, the city described by Homer as “Thebes of the hundred gates”, once stood.

The name of Luxor: Comes from the Arabic word el-Uqsur, the plural of el-Qasr, meaning encampment or fortification, with reference to the two military camps built here in Roman times. Thebes, which the Egyptians called “Waset”, extended over the area between modern Karnak and Luxor.


Overview:

When you travel up to the Nile, Luxor is your most likely goal. As well as everybody else’s. If there were no tourists, perhaps there wouldn’t be Luxor any more. But you simple have to go there. Next to Cairo, this is the city holding the most impressive Pharaonic monuments. Valley of the Kings, the Theban Necropolis and Karnak, are all few kilometers away from the city of Luxor. Therefore the name, the palaces, ‘al-Uqsuur, reflects its rich array of magnificent temples and tombs.

The reason for all this is Luxor having been Thebes, the capital of the New Kingdom, and estimates on population run as high as 1 million. Thebes was the city suffering for Akhenaten’s attempts to force a monotheistic religion on the people of the Nile, when Thebes, the centre of Amon worship, seized being the capital. But Akhenaten never succeeded, and at his death power returned to Thebes.

Luxor still attracts thousands of visitors , from east and west alike, who come to admire its vestiges. Each step they take covers a historic era, each stone recalls a legend.
Within confines of Luxor are some of the grandest monuments of the ancient world. On the East Bank. are the splendid temples of Luxor and Karnak besides the Luxor Museum , which houses an impressive collection of local antiquities. An overwhelming array of complex gateways, ruined temples, ancient chapels, gigantic columns and extraordinary tribute to the ancient Egyptians. On the West Bank, is the Valley of Kings and Valley of Queens , another profusion of historic and artistic wealth.

Luxor has been called the world's greatest open air museum, thanks to its fantastic state of preservation. On the East bank of the Nile , in the city of the living, are found the Luxor Temple and Karnak Temples, the largest place of worship ever built. On the West Bank are the Colossi of Memnon, the tombs of the Valley of the Kings and valley of Queens, and a number of commemorative temples and tombs of important officials.

How to reach it?

By air :-
You can reach Luxor by air, as it has an international airport which can receive international flights as well as local domestic flight, you can fly directly to Luxor from several European town .

By Train :-
You can travel between Cairo, Luxor by 3 different types of train:

* Daytime air-conditioned express trains.
* Overnight deluxe sleeper train.
* Overnight air-conditioned express seating trains

Memphis Tours can arrange that for you.