Luxor West Bank

When we awoke in Luxor for our boat trip across to the West bank we could see lots of balloons majestically floating above all the ancient sites.

We thought perhaps we had missed out but in hindsight we had made the right decision.

Valley of the Kings

On the West Bank you can see entrances to tombs everywhere.

Set in amongst sun burnt rocks and sand, it is amazing that any of these tombs were ever discovered.

Our first stop was the Valley of the Kings where we went down into four of the tombs.

I had thought that it would be claustrophobic and dark but I was wrong.

The corridors were big and airy and were decorated with very detailed and elaborate reliefs, the bright paint colours have been preserved in the tombs because they are protected from the sun.

It was simply breathtaking.

Of course there are no treasures remaining inside the tombs, many were robbed and those found in tact, such as Tutankhamen, have been removed to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Unfortunately photography is not allowed inside the tombs so you will have to visit yourselves to appreciate the magnificence of the art.

Hatshepsut Temple

Next stop, a tour of Hatshepsut Temple, commissioned by Queen Hatshepsut, one of the most important females in ancient Egypt, reigning over the kingdom for over 20 years, she became Pharaoh in around 1479 BC and died in 1458 BC.

She must have been an accomplished politician and a very charismatic stateswoman to rule the most powerful and advanced civilisation in the World whilst being the first female Pharaoh.

Hatshepsut was one of the most prolific builders in ancient Egypt, commissioning hundreds of construction projects throughout both Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. Arguably, her buildings were grander and more numerous than those of any of her Middle Kingdom predecessors'. Later pharaohs attempted to claim some of her projects as theirs.

Now you see us……………………………………………………….Now you don’t !

The face of Queen Hatshepsut, it is claimed she was very beautiful, despite being a woman you can see her statues still depict the false Pharaoh’s beard since it is a symbol of power.

Some of the reliefs in this temple had retained some of their original colours.

The photo on the right shows that excavations are still continuing today and they are just beginning to uncover some sphinxes which you can see at the back.

Tombs of the Workers

Just as we thought we had seen the best, Fatma, our guide, took us to view several workers tombs.

Much less grand, tiny passages led us to rooms around 2m x 3m however they were adorned with beautiful coloured drawings.

Obviously the workers had access to the coloured paints used for the Kings and their own tombs were even more elaborate and colourful although on a much smaller scale. Sorry – again no photos allowed !

Colossi of Mennon

Our final stop to take a look at the giant statues of Amenophis III, which were erected to guard the entrance to his temple.

Although they are not well preserved and are all that remains of the temple, standing 18m high and weighing around 720 tons they are still a sight to behold.

Back to the boat in time for another buffet lunch !