Luxor , situated 440 miles south of Cairo on the east bank of the Nile, was the capital of Egypt during the Middle and New kingdoms, holding the seat of power for more than thirteen centuries. In antiquity, Luxor was called Thebes . Renowned Greek historian, Homer, called Thebes “the one hundred-gated city” because of its buildings and large gates. The city grew over the years, and the Arab Moslems, impressed by its beautiful palaces and huge edifices, re-named it Luxor , meaning “the city of palaces”.

Today, visitors are still awed by this city, made immortal by its huge, pillared-monuments along both banks of the Nile . Luxor is the world's greatest open-air museum, filled with awe-inspiring monuments of ancient civilizations. In the east stands the City of the Living, where the life-giving sun rises; and in the west lies the City of the Dead, where the sun, in its never-ending orbit, bids farewell to life. Surrounded by modern shops and luxury hotels, the temples, tombs and palaces still stand, testaments to a desire for immortality, built for eternity in sandstone and granite.

Luxor is unique among the cities of the world. A visitor can walk through history, past statues with heads of gods and animals, beneath pillars carved with lotus buds and papyrus. You can ride in a horse-drawn carriage, sail aboard a felucca, take a sunset cruise, and even see the city from a hot-air balloon! Wherever you tread, you feel you are experiencing the past and the present simultaneously. There is hardly a place in this city that does not have a relic that tells of the grandeur of the ancient Egyptians.

Sites of the East Bank
The temples of Luxor and Karnak
The Temple of Luxor was completely covered less than a century ago. It was discovered by accident and it took two years to excavate the excellently preserved ruins that are now visible. Amenophis III, Ramses II, Tutankhamun, and Haremhab built the Temple of Luxor during their respective reigns. Along the front of the temple Pylons are six large statues of Amenophis III. Behind the east tower, inside the courtyard of Ramses II, is an ancient mosque built over a portion of the temple. The awe-inspiring Temple of Karnak , a city unto itself, is located about 2 miles north of the Temple of Luxor . The Temple of Karnak was dedicated to the god Amun.

Sites of the West Bank
The Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens
Generations of Pharaohs and Nobles were buried in great splendor in crypts cut into the cliffs. A dramatic landscape of sun, sand and rugged mountain peaks contrasts with the dark silence of some of the sixty-four royal tombs discovered to date. One of these, the tomb of Tutankhamun, was almost completely intact when discovered in 1922. The tomb of Queen Nefertari, recently opened to the public after a three million dollar restoration, is the most beautiful tomb discovered to date in Egypt . Elaborate murals on the walls depict Nefertari's journey to the afterlife. The vibrancy of the colors is truly amazing. Warm ochre, terra cotta, royal blue and green are used to color a parade of gods, humans, animals and magical objects. Nefertari is usually seen in these paintings surrounded by the gods; she wears a golden crown with two feathers and is clothed in a white, gossamer gown. Even though Nefertari died 32 centuries ago, her life will still touch your heart.

The monumental stone temple dedicated to Queen Hatshepsut, the first female pharaoh in Egyptian history, stands in Deir el Bahari. Hatshepsut was the favorite daughter of a popular pharaoh, and was charismatic and beautiful in her own right. She ruled for almost 20 years, and left behind more monuments and works of art than any Egyptian queen to come. Her temple describes, in hieroglyphic inscriptions, the expeditions she ordered during her sovereignty, sending her armies to search for ivory, spices, and gold.

At the entrance of the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens , stand the two imposing colossi of Memnon, faithfully guarding and protecting their rulers as they have through the centuries.