Exploring the Ancient Treasures of Egypt
The Pyramids of Giza, the last surviving wonders of the ancient world, are undoubtedly Egypt’s most-visited attraction, and for good reason. However, farther up the River Nile, the essential artery that blesses the otherwise barren sands of the Sahara with lush life, the tombs and temples of southern Egypt harbor their own complex riddles that lie in wait, ready to be unlocked.
Seeing these magnificent, ancient sites in person allows them to spring to life more than they ever could behind glass in a foreign museum. From Luxor, often dubbed ‘the world’s largest open-air museum’, along the Nile to Aswan, southern Egypt’s temples and tombs stand with their doors open, inviting modern-day explorers to uncover the secrets and mysteries of this ancient civilization in a country that Egyptians today still call Umm Al Dunya, mother of the world.
Karnak
Egypt’s largest temple complex, Karnak, was the Vatican of its day. Ten cathedrals could fit within the space, which covers more than 2 sq km and contains multiple temples, weathered houses, and a sacred pool for offerings and sacrifices. Some visitors never make it past the gargantuan Temple of Amun-Ra, the earthly ‘home’ of the king of the gods and father of the pharaoh, which sprouts with a forest of 10m-tall, hieroglyphic-covered columns (indeed, some might still be lost within this playground prime for hide-and-go-seek). But there’s plenty more to explore, as some areas are still being excavated.
Karnak’s secret lies at its entrance, where it’s tempting to rush past the bland, undecorated walls to explore the treasures within. Over a span of 1500 years, Karnak was constructed, altered, and rebuilt by 30 pharaohs. The farther back you walk into the complex, the further back in time you travel, making the area that you first enter comparatively new. In fact, construction was never completed, and remnants of the mudbrick ramps that workers used to assemble this gateway still lie waiting to be used millennia later.
Luxor Temple
Follow the nearly excavated avenue lined with sphinxes three kilometers from Karnak to Luxor Temple, anchored by two colossal statues of Ramses II, one of ancient Egypt’s greatest leaders known for his power symbolized across monuments. Set in the middle of the ancient capital of Thebes, Luxor Temple has served continuously as a place of worship since its construction in the 13th century BC. Originally built to honor pharaohs and gods revered by the ancients, you’ll find evidence of more modern religious influences if you look closely enough.
Embedded in the temple’s structure are the foundations of the Mosque of Abu Al Haggag, built in medieval times. Luxor Temple was nearly concealed under centuries of debris, creating a new artificial ground level. As a result, the original front door of the mosque now hovers midway up a wall.
Although the mosque may not be much of a secret, especially during the midday azan (call to prayer), which resonates loudly if you’re near the minarets, tucked further away in the complex are faded paintings from the early Christian era, subtly plastered over the hieroglyphics. The muted figures gaze curiously towards an original depiction of a seated Egyptian god surrounded by a ring of etched cobras and cartouches.
Valley of the Kings
In ancient times, the west bank of the Nile, where the setting sun casts its last rays over the golden desert sands, was seen as the home of the dead, whereas the east bank, the first to greet the morning light, was the abode of the living. The hills west of Luxor conceal Egypt’s largest pharaonic necropolis, the Valley of the Kings. At first glance, the tombs appear to be plain, simple entryways carved into the rock, but enter to witness the best examples of art that have survived from the ancient world.
More than 60 tombs have been discovered in the Valley of the Kings, yet only a rotating selection of about 15 are open to the public at any given time. Long since stripped of their sarcophagi and treasures meant for the afterlife—taken to decorate locals’ homes and fill distant Western museums—some tombs may disappoint. However, the recently renovated Tomb of Seti I, which closed in 1991 and finally reopened in late 2016, is immaculate and could be the highlight of your trip to Egypt.
Hardly visited due to its somewhat steep entrance fee (LE1000, about £40), Seti I’s tomb feels like a hidden gem in plain sight, making the splurge worthwhile: this is one of Egypt’s greatest underappreciated wonders, despite its accolades. This tomb is the longest, deepest, and most complete in the Valley of the Kings, and its art set the standard for every subsequent tomb built here. As the first to have paintings adorning every passageway, Seti I’s 137m-long tomb is a testament to a golden age of art in ancient Egypt. Stars twinkle across the ceiling, painted as black as the night sky. Vivid scenes of Seti I with the gods and passages from the Book of the Dead and other ancient funerary texts are depicted on every wall and across the domed ceiling (the first of its kind) in the burial chamber. The colors have been wonderfully restored, making it look as though the artists finished their work just yesterday.
Temple of Edfu
Dedicated to the sun god Horus, the Temple of Edfu is among the best-preserved in Egypt and one of the few with its roof still intact, making it easier to envision the atmosphere of the inner sanctuaries thousands of years ago as you gradually journey from bright desert sun into cool, still darkness. Its late construction—beginning only 2700 years ago—contributed to its preservation, but that’s not to say it hasn’t been modified over time.
Hidden among the Egyptian hieroglyphics on the enclosing back wall is an intriguing carving. Chopped away from the original stone, this unexpected symbol—a fish—serves as a Christian emblem that hints at the later uses of this temple, signifying how congregants began to worship a new ‘sun god’, Jesus Christ. Look up as you traverse Edfu’s inner rooms to see the sooty black residue from fires burned here after Christianity took hold, leading to the closure of pagan temples like this one.
Kom Ombo
Proudly set on a bend in the Nile, the temple of Kom Ombo, Egypt’s only double temple, was dedicated to two gods: the crocodile god Sobek and falcon-headed Horus. Nile crocodiles once freely roamed the temple grounds and were mummified upon death. Over 300 croc mummies have been unearthed around the premises, now displayed at the Crocodile Museum near the temple’s exit.
In addition to his other divine responsibilities, the ancients believed that Horus was a healer, and they would travel to Kom Ombo seeking cures. Hieroglyphics on the temple’s back wall are regarded as the first records of medical tools. About 40 medical instruments, ranging from forceps and scalpels to knives and a vase with ever-burning incense, are carved here.
Philae
Located at ancient Egypt’s southern frontier, the Temple of Isis on the island of Philae was among the last pagan temples to operate after Christianity arrived. The rising seasonal waters of the Nile would partially submerge the temple, making the flooded remains a favorite for Victorian explorers who rowed their boats amongst the columns and kiosks. Additionally, 20th-century dam construction projects threatened to drown the temple completely, leading to its relocation block by block to higher ground on a nearby island after UNESCO intervention.
This temple is believed to be where the last hieroglyphic was inscribed, carved in AD 394, before Christianity became prevalent. Many reliefs of ancient Egyptian gods at this temple have been defaced, with Christian symbols carved over some, including numerous Coptic crosses and an altar.
Abu Simbel
Chiseled into the side of a mountain, the mighty temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel appears imposing. Four 20m-high stern-faced statues of the most recognizable pharaoh guard the entrance. The ever-shifting Sahara sands had covered the structure up to the statues’ shoulders when Swiss explorer Jean-Louis Burckhardt accidentally encountered it in 1813, after rediscovering Petra for the West the previous year.
Like the temple at Philae, the temples of Abu Simbel, threatened by rising river waters from dam construction on the Nile, were relocated to higher ground in 1968. The original temple was oriented such that every year on 21 February and 21 October, Ramses’ birthday and coronation day, sunlight from the sunrise illuminated part of the darkest chamber, where statues of three gods and another carving of Ramses II are positioned. However, since the temple’s relocation, this illumination now takes place on the 22nd.
Getting a Guide
Hiring a guide is worthwhile for your explorations, as there is almost no signage at any of these tombs or temples. While these wonders are magnificent enough to walk through, the best (and often only) way to grasp the stories behind the symbols is to hire a guide specializing in Egyptology. Guides are not allowed inside the tombs at the Valley of the Kings; however, they can provide explanations with pictures outside before you enter.
Getting Around
The best way to witness these temples and tombs is on a Nile cruise. Boats travel the river between Luxor and Aswan and will make stops at these sites over the course of a few days’ sailing.
