Luxor, Egypt and the Great Temple of Karnak! AWESOME!

We ate lunch at a large hotel in Luxor that fronted the Nile.  It is slightly more affluent here but only a little although it is beautiful by the Nile.......

We stopped to see the Temple of Luxor.......

Then proceeded to another of my bucket list destinations, the Temple of Karnak.  These are pictures of areas surrounding the temple prior to entering......

And this is a statue of Ramses II.  The small sculpture in front is his daughter....

Then we entered the Temple of Karnak and it is spectacular!!!

Built by Seti I and Ramses II, it is a wonder to behold.  My pictures do it zero justice.

The place is immense......

The pillars were not built in sections like the ones in Greece which are stacked one upon another.  These were built in sand, higher and higher until they reached the desired height , then the sand was removed exposing the pillar...



All surfaces have intricate carving....

 

 

 

 

It was built in 1450 BC and I was amazed that parts still retain their original color.  These pictures are of the underside of the structure build and placed at the top of the pillars and therefore were not exposed to the sun......

 

 

 

 

 

One of the pillars still has some of its original color so you can imagine what this place looked like....

 

 

 

The pillars of the temple have walls surrounding them that are covered with all manner of Egyptian art.......

 

 

The temple itself has other out buildings and obelisks that were also part of the entire complex.....

 

 

But the centerpiece of the area is this great temple!!! Wow!

Egypt! The Nile and Valley of the Kings!

We cruised the Red Sea until we reached our next port of call, Safaga, Egypt.

The good news is that we are no longer on pirate watch and the Royal Navy bid us adieu.....

The bad news is we are in the middle of BFE, literally.....

The good news is we are on our way to Luxor and the Valley of the Kings!!!!

We traveled in a convoy for three hours to reach our destination.  The trip took us by the Nile.....

And through the villages that dot the area and are dependent on farming.....

 

 

Egypt, although famous for its stunning antiquities, is a poor country......

The people live a subsistence lifestyle centered on making it through every day....

Although liberal by Islamic standards, I still did not see a single woman in western dress.  ALL the women wore the head to to toe burkas, usually in black and rarely in a color or pattern.

 

 

 

 

The farmers homes are along this irrigation canal fed by the Nile....

They toil in the fields using these donkey carts and harvest sugar cane, wheat and tomatoes....

Their enjoyment comes from sitting around small shops and socializing (mainly men) although many homes have satellite reception........

After traveling for three hours we finally approached the Valley of the Kings!!

These statues are at the entrance to the tombs.......

And there are numerous ruins as you enter.....

As well as these that were the ancient granaries for the workers....

The Valley is dotted with several pharaohs tombs.....

 

 

The most famous of which is King Tutenhamen, mainly because he was the only one that had not had his tomb robbed by looters eons ago.  It was eerie seeing his tomb because they have taken his mummy back to its original tomb and although it could not be photographed, lies across from this sarcophagus.

 

 

He is exposed with head and feet showing.  He was absolutely tiny and died from a fall from his chariot and a wound that did not heal.  (He had an inner ear problem that caused him to lose his balance.)

We also visited Ramses VI tomb as well as one other, and like Tut's, we were blown away by the still intact colors and incredible detail found throughout........

 

 

 

 

Venturing through a place like this is a trip through time and a solemn experience.  You cannot help but be taken aback by the incredible detail, amount of work and fabulous treasures they must have once held.