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    Sunrise, Sunset: 24 Hours in Luxor

    Hypostile HallMore Photos
    The great capital of ancient Egypt, Luxor is defined by the river Nile. The river bestowed its bounty in the riches coming downstream from Africa, and upstream from the Mediterranean. Yet if it was a road, the river also functined as a metaphorical barrier. The eastern bank of the Nile was associated with the rising of the sun and hence life in the minds of the ancient Egyptians; it was there that their towns and temples were largely sited. In comparison the western bank was the domain of the darkly-aspected god Set, associated with the setting of the sun and death. This is why tombs were often located to the west of the Nile, whether we are talking of the Tombs of the Nobles across from Aswan, the famous pyramid fields from Giza down to Dahshur... or the infamous Valley of the Kings.

    Even in Luxor today the majority of the hotels and restaurants and almost all of the tourist amenities and civic infrastructure are located in the east bank town. It is here that you will find the great temples of Karnak with its monumental hypostile hall, and Luxor temple itself. The Luxor Museum is also sited here.

    Across the river the West Bank is a parched terrain marked with skeletal ridges and gullies, like a giant's bony ribcage. It is here that you will find the necropolis of the ancients - not just the Valley of the Kings, but tombs of queens, nobles and even working men. Temple precincts here are all for the glory of their pharoanic patron, such as the Ramesseum, Hatshepsut's Deir el-Bahri, and the enigmatic Colossi of Memnon.

    Being in Luxor for a mere 24 hours I had time for only a fleeting glimpse of the town's wonders - Karnak, Luxor Museum, the Valley of the Kings and Deir el-Medina. Do not try to get through the treasures of this town in so short a time. The list of sites I missed pains me - Luxor Temple, Deir el-Bahri, the Ramesseum, Medinet Habu, the Valley of the Queens. Plus I later found that on the very day I decided to bypass the fabled tomb of Tutankhamun, the mangled remains of the boy-king were being displayed to the public in situ for the first time.

    At the very least you would need a full day on the West Bank - longer if you prefer to take things at a more sedate pace and want to wisely keep out of the midday sun. A further day will give you enough time to take in all the glories of historic Karnak, and its smaller sister in the heart of town - though again you might want to spread this out over a longer period to combat temple fatigue! ${QuickSuggestions} The first thing you must see in Luxor is Karnak. Much more than just a backdrop for a Bond movie, it is the pinnacle of religious architecture in Egypt. It is the blueprint for the temples we know in the west, from Athens to Rome to Bath. Its hypostile hall, a massive forest of towering stone columns, is cyclopean in its size. The remnants of gay colouration still cling to its walls, and stiletto obelisks can be glimpsed at the end of the hall's diagonal vistas. I would recommend a guide, or at the very least a guidebook, to get the most of the complex. Just don't anticipate a speedy one-hour viewing - it is endlessly enthralling.

    Point two on any stop-over must be the fabled Valley of the Kings. Again, some kind of guidance is imperative as your ticket will allow you access to three tombs only (not including that of King Tut himself), and it is best to have an idea of what you want to look at. Out of the three I saw I would certainly recommend that of Ramses IV near the entrance with its brilliant illuminations and famous ceiling depiction of the Goddess of Night swallowing the sun after its day's progress. Likewise that of Tuthmosis III, certain to excite all wannabe Indiana Joneses with its hidden location accessable only via a steep stairway up to a secluded niche in the rock and a bridge over a deep pit, would be one I would recommend without a second's thought. (The other tomb I visited, Ramses IX, you can probably skip).

    I enjoyed Luxor Museum, and it does contain the most beautiful statue I found in Egypt (a plum-coloured depiction of Amenhotep III), but it is not an essential part of a visit to Luxor. Maybe going back I would have skipped it and progressed to Luxor Museum. I certainly wish I'd managed to see more of the temples on the West Bank - the Ramesseum, Hatshepsut's Deir el-Bahri, or Medinet Habu.

    I can also recommend a couple of places for grub. The Oasis Cafe is a genteel place cocooning you from modern Egypt and whisking you back to the '20s. For those yearning for home comforts I would recommend the apple pie. On the West Bank the LE25 set lunch on the verandah of Africa Restaurant is a steal.

    But of course the biggest tip is... stay at least 48 hours! ${BestWay} International flights now call at Luxor - I have a friend who tries to book himself a few days in the town every year, continually drawn back to its wonders. Moving on the train is probably a better option that travelling by road. The Egyptian authorities insist on travellers going in convoy so that they know where everyone is in case of emergency. Certainly independent travel in the Nile heartland between Luxor and Cairo is very much frowned upon. In contrast I found the riverside settlements south of Luxor friendly and hospitable. It is much more likely that this is the stretch of the Nile Valley you will be seeing, with the lovely riverside temples at Kom Ombo and Edfu. There are many tours that take in these sites en route from Luxor to Aswan, or vice-versa.

    River-travel is the way to go. Essentially there are three types of boat to transport you up the Nile. I go into the pros and cons of the luxorious cruise-ships and the beautiful dahabiyas in my review of Aswan, 'Frontier of the Pharoahs', .

    I travelled by felucca, a single-masted sailboat without amenities. There are no cabins, only a single shaded deck which is where you sleep. You are without toilets (you have to pull over to the banks and find a bush) or showers, or any sort of privacy. The only kitchen is a gas-powered stove. Yet here you scoot along just above the water, utilising wind and flow the same way Egyptians have for millenia. It is a very natural way of travelling, the best way of understanding the Nile.

    Within Luxor you may use a variety of transport. While the centre is quite compact you would probably want to take bus, taxi or caleche (horse-drawn carriage) up to Karnak. Small boats will ferry you across to the West Bank. From there I travelled to the Valley of the Kings on a most unique mode of transportation - donkey. My mount, who I christened Bugsy, was smart enough to know where he was going but docile enough to let me guide him across to the side of the road. Admittedly, he did have a habit of trying to squeeze between two of his mates, leaving my knees up their bottoms, but this was a small price to pay for a memorable jaunt through fields of sugar-cane and alongside irrigation canals.
    From journal Sunrise, Sunset: 24 Hours in Luxor