Luxor (الأقصر) - the capital of Upper Egypt, is of key importance for Egyptology. The current city is a modern agglomeration located on the east bank of the Nile, about 800 km from Cairo. Its Arabic name al-Uqsor, which means "palaces", was given by the conquerors, who had no idea about the origin of these monuments.
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| Luxor Egypt |
Luxor is a real gem of Egypt. A small town on the right bank of the Nile, located 500 km south of Cairo, was once the famous capital of ancient Egypt. This is the world center of archeology, and there is no other city in the world where such a huge number of ancient monuments would be concentrated. The honorary status of the "pearl" is confirmed daily - by countless tourist buses arriving here from all the famous resorts of the country and cruise ships plying the Nile. Alas, where there are many tourists, there are many who consider it their duty to profit at their expense. Be prepared for this and do not hope that the helping hand offered to you when leaving the boat will not turn into the hand of the one asking in the very near future.
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| Luxor Egypt |
However, if you do not pay attention to such trifles as importunate merchants or beggars, then Luxor will certainly impress you - after all, the beauty of this ancient city was admired even a thousand years before our era. Just don't forget long-sleeved clothes, a hat and a bottle of water when going on a tour. The sun is merciless here, and there is almost nowhere to hide.
How to get there
Luxor can be reached by bus from Hurghada, Makadi, Safaga or El Gouna. Travel time is 4-5 hours. From Sharm el-Sheikh, you can only get here by plane. EgyptAir (Corniche el-Nil; 8:00-20:00) operates regular flights from Luxor to Cairo (1 hour and 5 minutes on the way) and Aswan (40 minutes).
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| Luxor Egypt |
By bus from Cairo (11 hours on the way, 2 departures per day), Hurghada (5 hours), Dahab (16 hours), Sharm el-Sheikh (15 hours), Port Said. But this is not the most comfortable mode of transport that runs to Luxor. It is better to travel from Cairo by night train, breakfast is included in the ticket price. It is also worth using the train if you want to get to Luxor from Ausan (three times a day, 3 hours on the way, stops in Edfu, Kom Ombo). The railway station (Midan al-Mahatta) is located almost in the center of the city.
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| Luxor Egypt |
During the season (October to May), a whole armada of cruise ships arrive in Luxor, which ply the Nile between Aswan, Kom Ombo, Cairo and so on.