Luxor
Life on the Nile
Determined by the course of the Nile, the southern part of the country is known as Upper Egypt-the northern region from Cairo to the Mediterranean comprising Lower Egypt. At its heart are Luxor and Karnak, which together formed Thebes, the national capital at the height of the empire, around 1500 BC. Here are the great temples. Across the river on the west bank, carved out of the rock in the Valley of the Kings, are the tombs of the pharaohs, where the treasure of Tutankhamun was discovered. Excursions north and south of Luxor take you to other major sanctuaries built by the pharaohs and by their Greek and Roman successors.
But Upper Egypt also gives you a close-up view of rural life in the Nile Valley. On the river early in the morning, from your cruise boat or felucca, you will see white-clad farmers or their little boys riding donkeys past the minaret of the village mosque to the green fields of sugar cane, corn or cotton. Wife and daughter prepare a bean-stew outside the mudbrick houses or wash clothes down by the river. To irrigate the fields, some of the water-pumps have electric motors, but most are much the same as those depicted on frescoes in the tombs of the pharaohs.
Luxor's name comes from the Arabic El-Uqsor (palaces), temples being regarded in the Middle East as the palaces of the gods. The riverside town has grown up around the tourist industry since the 19th century, but beyond the hotels, it has quickly taken on the aspect of a traditional Egyptian community. Side by side with the Tourist Bazaar for souvenirs and craftwork is the more lively townspeople's bazaar selling fruit, vegetables, spices and household goods. The pleasantest way to get around town, whether visiting the temples or markets, is by horse-drawn caleche or more leisurely feluccas. You can also rent a bicycle.
