Egypt is one of those countries which contain one of the age-old civilizations in the world. It is a delight, for the history buffs as well as for the others, to contemplate the ancient architecture and get woven into the ancient tales of the kings & queens & pharaohs & sphinx. Luxor and Aswan are two such cities which consist of ancient temples and give a major part towards understanding the ancient Egypt civilization. Therefore, if you plan to visit Luxor and Aswan, here is the list of top temples you should visit:
1) Luxor temple
The first temple you’ll visit on your travels to the ancient cities of Luxor and Aswan is the Luxor temple. As the name suggests, this temple is situated in the city of Luxor. This temple was founded in 1400 BCE and is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Therefore, on entering the temple, one finds hundreds of tall pillars, out of which some of them were destroyed due to floods and wear & tear. However, even today its glory remains the same. Read the review on Trip Advisor
2) Karnak temple
On a distance of about 20 minutes from Luxor temple lies Karnak temple, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the evening the temple was all lit up and these lights added to the charm of this temple. There are lots of stories drawn on the walls of all the temples which portray the life of ancient Egyptians. Also many messages were written in hieroglyphic language some of which even today are yet to be deciphered. Read the review.
3) Abu Simbel temple
Another UNESCO World Heritage Site and apparently the most famous one in entire Luxor and Aswan travel was Abu Simbel temple. This twin temple is carved out of two mountains which made its glory popular worldwide. Photography is not allowed inside these temples as the ancient colour paintings drawn on the wall get affected due to camera flash. This temple is located around 200 km from Aswan with close proximity to the Sudan border.
4) Temple of Hatshepsut
Temple of Hatshepsut was generally constructed for the Pharaoh Hatshepsut and is located beneath the cliffs in Upper Egypt part of Luxor and Aswan. Although I didn’t get an opportunity to visit this temple due to lack of time, there are many stories that I heard from my friends which definitely makes it one of the places to visit in Luxor and Aswan.
5) Temple of Edfu
Another beautiful temple located in Upper Egypt is the temple of Edfu. It is the best preserved temple among others and is dedicated to God of Horus who was a falcon. The walls of this temple explain about the historical stories of ancient Egyptians and provide us with in-depth knowledge regarding the Falcon God Horus.
6) Temple of kom ombo
Kom Ombo temple is one of a kind temple in Upper Egypt in Aswan. All the construction that took place was for two sets of God. That is right from the halls to the rooms were constructed for both the gods in a same manner. This temple also portrays about the lifestyle of ancient Egyptian Gods and their realm.
7) Philae temple
Philae temple is constructed on an island situated in Aswan and this temple is also symbolized as temple of love. This temple is another one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Egypt. Also to reach to this island one needs to rent a ferry from the port.
TIPS FOR LUXOR AND ASWAN
- Apart from temples one can visit many other places in luxor and aswan. There is Valley of Kings, Valley of Queens, Tomb of Tutankhamun etc. These are also as beautiful as the temples in luxor and Aswan.
- While visiting all these temples cover your shoulders and knees.
- One can travel between luxor and aswan by road or by cruise on the river Nile (Cruise is recommended!).
- One can also take the hot air balloon and view the surroundings and some temples from the air.
Also YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdj3rbrkr8Q