UPPER EGYPT

Luxor

A city built on the site of ancient Thebes, Luxor is divided by the Nile to the West Bank and the East Bank. The West Bank is famous for its Valley of Kings and Queens. Sixty-four of Egypt’s rulers, including the tomb of Ramesseum and Hatshepsut and the newly opened tomb of Neferatiti, were buried in ornate tombs here. All around the hills of the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens are the Noble Tombs. While inside the tombs of the Kings and the Queens the 'walls are lined with Hieroglyphs depicting royal and religious motifs the Noble tombs hieroglyphs depict domestic scenes and are well worth the visit. At the entrance to the valley stand the Colossi of Memnon, huge twin statues, each 63 feet high and hewn from a single piece of rock. In the East Bank are the excellently well-preserved Temple of Luxor, an ancient wonder that was discovered under a hill of rubble, and the Great Temple of Amun-RE, the Temple of Karnak. In the evening, travelers can enjoy the Karnak Sound and Light Show. Here the story of Thebes is brought to life as you walk from hall to hall, while haunting flute music evokes the mystery of the ancient city. At the entrance to the valley stand the Colossi of Memnon, huge twin statues, each 63 feet high and hewn from a single piece of rock. In the East Bank are the excellently well-preserved Temple of Luxor, an ancient wonder that was discovered under a hill of rubble, and the Great Temple of Amun-RE, the Temple of Karnak. In the evening, travelers can enjoy the Karnak Sound and Light Show. Here the story of Thebes is brought to life as you walk from hall to hall, while haunting flute music evokes the mystery of the ancient city.

Abu Simbel 

At the Temples of Abu Simbel, ancient Egyptians carved four figures of King Ramses II out of solid rock. These figures, 67 feet high, form the façade of a temple that cuts 195 feet into an escarpment along the Nile. When the backwaters of the Aswan Dam began to threaten the temples, the government of Egypt, rather than lose the monument to the rising waters, undertook a massive project to move the temples brick by brick to higher ground.For the ancient Egyptians the west, where the sun disappeared at night, was the way to the "Kingdom of the West" where the deceased could be admitted by Osiris to the Day of Judgment. The deceased could only recover their completeness, by gathering together all the elements that made up their identity during their earthly life: Thus In the West Bank of Luxor we find the burial Tombs of the ancient Egyptian in The Valley Of Kings and the Valley of The Queens buried with their worldly possessions.

Kom Ombo

Symmetry has always been a key element of Egyptian architecture. At Kom Ombo the Ptolemaic period temple is equallydivided between two Egyptian gods, Sobek, the local crocodile-god and Haruar, the falcon-headed sky-god.

Edfu and Esna

Edfu was the Greek city of Apollinopolis Magna, and is a religious and commercial center. Located about 33 miles south of Esna and 65 miles north of Aswan, this is a friendly town which produces sugar and pottery. It was the capital of the second nome (Horus) of Upper Egypt. The main attraction here is the Temple of Horus, which is considered by most to be the best-preserved cult temple in Egypt. At Edfu’s Temple of Horus, the importance of the Sun God is reflected in the design and construction found here. The continuum of Egypt’s cultures is evident at the Temple of Khnum in Esna. The temple was started in 180 BC but was actually completed under Roman rule in 250 AD.

Aswan

Aswan is the ancient city of Swan, which was in antiquity the frontier town of Upper Egypt and the gateway to Centtral Africa.  It stood upon a peninsula on the right (east) bank of the Nile, immediately below the first cataract, which extend to it from Philae.   As one of the driest inhabited places in the world (2001, the last rain there was 6 years earlier)so in many Nubian settlements, they generally do not bother to roof all of the rooms in their houses.  Aswan isEgypt's sunniest southern city in Egypt and ancient frontier town located about 81 miles south of Luxor, and has a distinctively African atmosphere.  Its ancient Egyptian name was Syene.  Small enough to walk around and graced with the most beautiful setting on the Nile, the pace of life is slow and relaxing.  Days can be spent strolling upand down the broad Corniche watching the sailboats etch the sky with their tall masts or sitting in floating restaurants listening to Nubian music and eating freshly caught fish. In Aswan the Nile is at its most beautiful, flowing through amber desert and granite rocks, round emerald islands covered in palm groves and tropical plants. Explore the souk, full of the scent and color of spices, perfumes, scarves and baskets.