The overwhelming beauty of Luxor

the winged serpent, Mehen, protected Nefetari

(photos of paintings from the Valleys of the Queens and Kings are from books about those sites since photos are not permitted inside the tombs)

It's hard to know where to start with Luxor.  There is so much to see--and it is all wonderful.  We started with the Valley of the Queens, which many tour groups don't visit because the tombs are too small for a crowd.  In this rugged, rocky and very dry desert valley, nothing grows. 

Valley of the Queens

Here the ancient Egyptians, about 1550 BC, began burying their queens (kings in the nearby Valley of the Kings) deep inside the cliffs rather than in obvious mausoleums like pyramids.  These tombs, they believed, they could hide and keep safe from grave robbers, but this proved futile as wily Egyptians figured out how to steal the rich contents of these tombs just like they did with the pyramid burials.

Nefetari playing checkers in her tomb

The jewel of the Valley of the Queens is Nefertari's Tomb, often closed to public view.  We were lucky; the tomb has been reopened to 150 visitors a day and we were able to get tickets to this gorgeous burial place.  What makes these tombs so remarkable is the quality of the colors that have survived for 3500 years. and the beauty and detail of the etched paintings on the walls.  Deep inside the cliffs, they had no exposure to light or oxygen, so maintain their rich color today.  Nefertari's Tomb has the most vivid colors of all.
There are 72 identified tombs in the Valley of the Queens and 64 in the Valley of the Kings.  But, all you have to do is scan the mountainsides to see that many more exist here, some known and some not. 

Ramses VI as cheetah

The archaeologists do not want to open any additional tombs until they have the resources to stabilize and protect each new find.  Otherwise, the elements will destroy the paintings.
In the Valley of the Kings, our favorite tomb was that of Ramses VI.  Its detail is incredible.  Ramses VI is the only pharaoh found so far who was buried with another pharaoh.  He died before his own tomb was finished, so the Egyptians had to bury him with Ramses V in the latter's tomb. 

pharaoh with jackal god, god of mummification

The workers who did the digging, moving of huge stones, and painting lived nearby in an area called Deir el Medina.  Again, most tours do not visit this superb site, but I recommend it highly.  This is where the workers lived with their families. 

painting from workers' tomb at Deir el Medina

They were taken to the tombs of the kings and queens each day to work, blindfolded so they could not reveal to anyone where the tombs were, riding donkeys led by the workers' leaders.   If they had known where the tombs were, they would have been killed to protect the tombs' inhabitants and possessions, and then there would have been no more artisans to prepare the tombs.
In Deir el Medina, the workers dug small tombs and painted them with leftover paint they'd scrounged from the royal tombs.  Rather than depicting all the gods and royal luxuries, the workers painted scenes from their lives, their animals and crops, as well as some of their favorite gods.  They often had multiple burials in each tomb.

Colossi of Memnon

Just outside these valleys, on the plain, was a huge temple guarded by the Colossi of Memnon.  Excavation is ongoing at this site, so there isn't much to see yet, but the Colossi are worthy of a visit.  I remember seeing photos of them long ago in my history books.  They are massive and impressive.

Luxor Temple at dusk

Luxor has 2 enormous temples that have long been under excavation and study, the Temple of Luxor and Karnak.  Karnak is 8 times larger than the Temple of Luxor, but the two were connected by a long road lined with sphinxes.  Some of these sphinxes are lined up again at Karnak, an impressive sight.
We visited the Temple of Luxor in the late afternoon, along with thousands of other tourists.  It is always busy. 

papyrus columns at Luxor Temple

There is a long boulevard of giant columns, leading to multiple courtyards where the commoners gathered to worship the gods.  As with the other temples along the Nile, only the king and high priests could go into the inner chamber which housed the altar for offerings to the gods. 

mosque at Luxor Temple

Also as with the other temples, Luxor was painted in brilliant colors to further awe the gathered masses.  Later, a church occupied one of the large courtyards.  Since sand filled much of this temple, there is also a mosque high up on one wall, built from the base of the top of the sand.

courtyard with columns at Karnak

Karnak Temple takes your breath away.  It is not only enormous (and still under extensive excavation), but it has what I think is the most beautiful courtyard of all the temples I've seen--the courtyard of columns.  Each column was carved and painted.  Two obelisks, one the largest left in Egypt, occupy prime spots in its Karnak's central corridor.  There are many large statues cut from single blocks of stone guarding the temple.

remains of mud-brick ramp at Karnak

pharaohs at Karnak

In order to build walls of such great height (over 70 feet tall), workers constructed mud-brick ramps as they built higher so that they could build, plaster, engrave and paint these walls.  At Karnak, one of these ramps still partially exists because  Karnak was never fully completed during its long period of construction.

row of sphinxes at Karnak

Karnak obelisk