| Luxor and the East Bank | | | | most important cities in the world, and certainly at the |
| | | | | centre of political, economic, religious and military life of |
| To say Luxor is one of the world's greatest cities is | | | | Ancient Egypt. |
| nothing less than an understatement. It is, in fact, one of | | | | The Luxor of today is a compact city, running |
| its most astonishing, if not singularly the best, outdoor | | | | lengthways along the banks of the Nile and bordered |
| museum anywhere on the planet and offers visitors | | | | by the desert. Its population stands at around 380,000 |
| the chance of seeing almost a third of all the ancient | | | | with a regular stream of international visitors increasing |
| antiquities knownto man in just a few kilometres. The | | | | this figure during the spring and autumn months when |
| temples and structures that have stood for thousands | | | | the temperature is at a pleasing level for sightseeing. |
| of years are beautifully preserved. | | | | Temperatures of 31-40°C (107.6°F) in June to |
| Home to the city of Thebes, the ancient capital of | | | | August are not uncommon. |
| Egypt during the Pharaonic New Kingdom period, along | | | | The city is said to have gained importance as early as |
| with the fabulous Karnak Temples, Luxor Temple and | | | | around 2000 BC under the rule of the 11th dynasty. In |
| the necropolis of the Valley of the Kings and the | | | | ancient times it was known as Luxor's size makes it |
| Valley of the Queens, Luxor can trace its history back | | | | easy to navigate. It's a short hop of 20 minutes or so |
| to unimaginable times. It actually has three distinct | | | | from the Luxor International Airport into the city centre, |
| areas, the city centre on the East Bank of the Nile, | | | | which largely only comprises three main roads. The |
| Karnak which is a town in its own right and lies just to | | | | corniche, a pretty tree-lined boulevard that runs along |
| the north and Thebes, location of the Valley of the | | | | the banks of the Nile in an esplanade fashion, is central |
| Kings. | | | | for all the city's attractions. It is home to the Winter |
| Waset, a name that indicated its power, and later | | | | Palace Hotel, now run by the hotel group Sofitel, that |
| Thebes under the Greeks. Homer is said to have | | | | was where Agatha Christie is said to have penned her |
| described Luxor as the ‘City of the Hundred | | | | classic work ‘Death on the Nile'. |
| Gates'. It was, for a great many years, one of the | | | | |