Karnack: The temple at Karnack is was begun in the 16 century B.C. with some 30 pharaohs contributing to it over the years. It is considered the largest ancient religious site in the world with some extraordinary sculptures and paintings. There is a 45 foot statue of Ramses II, a hall with 134 columns between 50 and 75 feet tall, and the remains of two obelisks.
When the ruins were unearthed (or unsanded), there emerged a new theory on the construction of temples, tombs and pyramids. It is thought that mounds of clay bricks were stacked upon which huge stone blocks could be dragged and pushed. The layers of bricks would be removed by artisans carving and painting the walls until they reached the bottom of the structure.
Valley of the Kings: After the pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx, the Valley of the Kings features what are probably the best known Egyptian ruins. They are famous because of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen (with its rumors of the Curse of the Pharaohs) in the early 20th century.
One reason King Tut’s tomb attracts so much interest is because of all of the treasures found in his unlooted and well-preserved resting place. The tomb itself is not large nor as impressive as others as the boy king lived and ruled for such a short time that he didn’t have the means (mostly time) to have a great tomb built for himself.
Here, as elsewhere in Egypt, we were exposed to the pharaohs adoration of baboons! How smart these people were. They adored cats and baboons. Just to bring us back to ancient history, we rode donkeys to the Valley of Kings and back – and now we know why where the saying ‘stubborn as a mule’ comes from.
Luxor: When not touring temples and tombs, we glide along picturesque scenery on our Nile cruise. The ship is fairly small but features a dining room, bar, sun deck with pool and all the amenities we need. The cruise on the Nile is so smooth, even though the river has a strong current, that we don’t even feel any movement.