In Aswan we took a felucca ride to KitchenersIsland where the noble lord created a superb botanical garden, importing plants from all over the world. Returning to the mainland we were accosted by two small boys in a ramshackle canoe, singing ‘Row, row, row your boat’, as they caught on to the side of the felucca. Hearing German, they immediately switched to a German folk song, followed by an Italian aria. An English vicar gave them a couple of pens but they hung on until I handed them an Egyptian fiver. They grinned and let go but continued singing as they faded into the distance to waylay the next boat. That night we enjoyed a splendid fancy dress party on board. Most of us raided the souks of Aswan to get our costumes so it was a motley collection of Arab Sheiks and Belly Dancers that collected for dinner. Next morning we headed back to Luxor.
With only two days in Luxor we had a lot to cram in so rushed off to the massive Temple of Karnak as soon as we docked. This vast complex was built over a time span of a millennium and a half. It was the most important temple in Egypt and the main centre for worship of Amun-Re, Mut and Khonsu. We entered along an avenue flanked with Ram’s headed sphinxes towards the enormous 1st Pylon that opened into the Great Court. Beyond this the Great Hypostyle Hall is a forest of stone pillars stretching up to the sky. The daily sound and light show here crams 1500 years of history into an hour and a half but it’s as good an introduction to Karnak as you’ll get and the spectacle alone is worth the money.
The tiny city of Luxor occupies the site of ancient Thebes, one time capital of the Pharaohs and the finest open-air museum in the world. At its heart is the mighty Temple of Luxor, once linked by a sphinx-lined avenue to the temple complex at Karnak. With more monuments and antiquities per square inch than practically anywhere else in the world, we could only scrape the surface in our two days.
In the final part I’ll conclude with a visit to the Theban Necropolis across the Nile from Luxor and the Valley of the Kings.
My trip was organised by Libra Holidays
Egypt -Nile Cruising - Part I
EgyptNile Cruising – Part II
Egypt Nile Cruising Thebes - Part IV
