Luxor

Luxor is one of the oldest inhabited cities on the planet. It has been known as the home of ancient Thebes and the capital of the pharaohs in ancient Egypt. Another thing it is famous for is the fact that it is a place where architecture used to serve as a medium for spiritual beliefs. This is clearly portrayed through the number of ancient temples that stand tall even to this day, acting as witnesses to the religious customs and beliefs of ancient Egypt.

This city’s history is divided into several eras. With the Pharaonic being the first, Luxor saw the rule of kings as Amos, Tuthmosis, Hatshepsut, Ramses II and Ramses III to name a few. During this era, the pharaohs enjoyed this city during the height of their power and did that most spectacularly. Luxor was also known as the home of the god Amon-Ra and a pure embodiment of his relationship with the sun. Its temples were glorious. Even Alexander the Great made his mark in the Luxor Temple by adding a granite shrine.

After the death of Alexandre the great Egypt became under the rule of Ptolemy I Soter, one of Alexandre’s commanders making Alexandria his new capital and seat of power. Luxor has lost its former glory as the power has slowly shifted to Alexandria, the city newly built city by Alexandre the great. However Luxor remained as a sacred and ceremonial place glorifying ancient Egyptian deities which were also revered by the new rulers of Egypt, the Ptolemaics . One of the most iconic places in Luxor is the Luxor Temple, a place of worship and coronation used by all Egyptian kings of the new kingdom. As time went by the new rulers of Egypt were so fascinated by Egyptian culture and mythology creating a new hybrid religion combining both Greek and Egyptian deities. Most notable of these gods was the god Serapis which combined attributes from the Egyptian gods Osiris and Apis and the greek gods Hades, Demeter and Dionysus. The cult of Serapis continued well during the Roman occupation. However, in 395 AD, during the Roman Christian era, the Hypostyle hall was converted into a christian church and remains of another coptic church can be also seen to the west of the temple. For almost two thousand years the Luxor temple was buried under the sand and for many years no traces of it were visible. Eventually the mosque of Shaykh Sufi Abou Al Hajjaj was built over it, the mosque was perfectly preserved when the temple was uncovered and forms an integral part of it today.

Having had a glorious Pharaonic past, Europeans discovered its historical significance and started to flock in the 18th century. And by the 20th, Luxor was already a well-known tourist destination. In 1979, the Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, and the Karnak Temple complex became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.