Photo Tour: Luxor and East Bank of the Nile
The Nile River has been the center of Egyptian life since the early
days of civilization there. And, during a lot of that time, Luxor has
been an important spot along the Nile -- where temples were built and
royalty was buried.
Actually, the pharaohs and others were buried on the west bank of the Nile -- where, as a
tour guide pointed out, the sun sets. The living -- most of them, at
least -- are on the east bank, where the sun rises. That's still true
today. And that's where I'll start my photo tour around Luxor.
To get a larger version of any picture (except the train tickets),
click on it; a new window
should open. When you close that window, this window should still be
here.
Friends who spoke both Arabic
and English helped me be sure that my train ticket would really get
me to Luxor (actually, Aswan, on the way south, though I got off at
Luxor) and back to Cairo.
If you want the English translation and you don't have friends who
can read Arabic, you could try one of the travel agents in Cairo who
charge you several times as much as you'd pay at the train station
:-(.
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It's a cliché, for sure
-- and obvious, too, in any city that's been there for millenia -- but
you'll see both the old and the new side-by-side in Luxor. On the left
below is a modern childrens' playground in front of some columns of the
ancient Luxor Temple. The people in both photos below are wearing
traditional Muslim dress, which you'll also see everywhere in Luxor.
Several people I met -- including some Christians (who are a sizeable
minority in Egypt) -- insisted that people of both faiths get along
well in Egypt these days. The old and the new coexist in the same way:
Not all of the faithful are happy with this arrangement. The extremist
bombing in Luxor, in 1997, destroyed Egypt's tourist industry. But it's
come back since -- under the watchful eye of the police, who you see everywhere: at checkpoints, on the
streets, and especially at tourist sites. There hasn't been an incident
since. I felt welcomed and comfortable there -- although, if I'd told
people I was an American, I probably would have faced a lot more
questions and hostility. Several people told me, though, that it's not
Americans themselves who are unpopular here: it's the current American
president and his policies.
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You can see evidence of the
majority Muslim faith everywhere. From your hotel room you'll hear the
five daily calls to prayer blast out from the local mosque's
loudspeakers. The week I was there in early October, 2003, was the
yearly visit of the Imam to the mosque. Thursday night was an all-night
party, and Friday was a Carnaval-like procession through the winding
streets: trucks loaded with people in costume (and without) -- and
thousands more walking, waving strong sticks in the air in an
ancient dance. The photo at left below shows one of those trucks, and
the right-hand photo is of crowds watching from building balconies
above.
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The main mosque is just off the
edge of this first picture below, which shows the famous Luxor Temple.
There's a nightly sound-and-light show on monuments
around Egypt -- and the moon had just risen over the temple entrance
when I snapped this shot.
The second picture shows one of the horse-drawn carriages that are
everywhere around Luxor -- for tourists to ride, that is. You do see
plenty of people on horses and donkeys, though, along with the
occasional camel. This carriage has stopped in front of one of the
market stalls that line some of the main streets around the temple and
mosque.
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If you aren't into a carriage
ride, how about a stroll along the Nile? Luxor's riverfront promenade
runs for what must be a couple of kilometers, at least. The people at
left below are enjoying the view, and the shot at the right below is of
felucca boats on the
river. In the background of both shots, you can see the river's west
bank
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North of the Luxor city center
are the fabulous Temples of Karnak; there's one small view at left
below. About 50 km farther north, outside the city of Qena, is the
beautifully-preserved Dendara Temple. The photo at right below is of a
dark passageway to the roof. I'd really recommend a side trip to
Dendara (which, if your trip is like mine was, will be in a
police-escorted convoy).
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West Bank of the Nile near Luxor]
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(These photographs are Copyright © 2003 by Jerry Peek.
Much higher-resolution versions of most images,
and many other images too, are available at
Jerry Peek Photography.
Photos are available at reduced prices, or free, for non-commercial use.)
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