Luxor and the Valley of the Kings
Luxor and the Valley of the Kings: Flying direct to Luxor from Birmingham Airport will bring you to the place known as the ‘greatest outdoor museum in the world’. The Luxor area saw the rise and fall of many dynasties of pharaohs, and their millennia-old legacy lives on in the awe-inspiring temples and monuments found here, built on a scale unrivalled ever since.
The Valley of the Kings lies on the west bank of the Nile, at the site of ancient Thebes. A vast series of tombs was built into the hillside over time for the burial of kings and noblemen of the day, including Ramses the Great and Tutankhamun, whose remains still lie inside the tomb. It’s still possible to view some of the hieroglyphic-covered tombs, which remain intact in the neighbouring Valley of the Queens, where the hillside is honeycombed with royal burial chambers.
The River Nile has been at the centre of commercial and cultural life in Egypt for thousands of years. Much of what you will see along its banks remains unchanged since Biblical times – bustling villages, oases of palm, as well as fishing craft and the beautiful felucca boats with their graceful white sails. A great way to see the sights bordering the upper Nile, from Aswan and its man-made wonder in the High Dam, to Luxor and its world-class ancient monuments, is to take a Nile cruise. Step back in time to the era of Agatha Christie on board a luxuriously appointed Nile riverboat and stop off to explore the sights on the way.
Article courtesy of cloudnine