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 The Nile Valley © Jerzystrzelecki Resorts See our separate guides to the following The Nile Valley holiday resorts: Luxor and Aswan Attractions  Nubian Museum © Argenberg Nubian Museum This museum in Aswan is an excellent introduction to the history and culture of the Nubians. It contains a collection of artefacts from Nubia (the region approximately between Aswan and Khartoum in Sudan) and an exhibition of Nubian culture and crafts. It also portrays the history and people of the Nile Valley from ancient times until the present, the project of UNESCO to move monuments like Abu Simbel endangered by the High Dam on lake Nasser to higher ground, and a hall containing impressive statues and tombstones from the region.Opening time: Daily 9am to 1pm and 6pm to 10pm (summer); 9am to 1pm and 5pm to 9pm (winter)  Aman-Ra, Karnak Temple of Karnak The main place of worship in Theban times and built over a period of 1,300 years, the massive Temple of Karnak in Luxor is an incredibly impressive structure. One of the world's great architectural achievements, the Hypostyle Hall, is filled with immense stone pillars still bearing the engraved and painted inscriptions from the 12th Dynasty, and covers an area of 64,583 square feet (6,000 sq metres). The complex also contains the Avenue of the Sphinxes, the Sacred Lake, and many huge statues, halls, ornate wall murals, obelisks and colonnades.Opening time: Daily 6am to 5pm (winter), 6am to 6pm (summer)  Valley of the Queens Tomb West Bank The West Bank is an area of limestone hills and valleys riddled with tombs and temples across the river from Luxor. Goats roam freely among the ruins, and the tiny settlements on the slopes provide a splash of colour in an otherwise desert-like barrenness. The 59ft (18m) high pair of enthroned statues of the Colossi of Memnon are the first things most visitors will see on the West Bank, the only remaining part of the mortuary temple of Amenophis III. Most travellers come to visit the Valley of the Kings where the secretive tombs of the Pharaohs were built to immortalise their mummies and treasures for eternity. In an attempt to thwart tomb robbers, traps and deceptions were part of the architectural planning. Dramatic descents, spectacular murals on the passage and chamber walls and a replica of the original sarcophagus at the end of the tunnel create an awe-inspiring atmosphere. Highlights include the Tomb of Tutankhamun and Ramses II. The country's finest tomb, however, lies in the Valley of the Queens, the Tomb of Nefertari, which has exceptional painted murals, but is at present closed to the public. Also worth a visit is Hatshepsut's Temple, mortuary temple of Egypt's only female Pharaoh.Opening time: Daily 6am to 6pm (summer), 6am to 5pm (winter) Excursions Abu Simbel The two temples of Abu Simbel, the Temple of Ramses II and the temple of Hathor (the Sun God) dedicated to his wife Nefertari, were cut out of the sandstone cliffs more than 3,000 years ago. Not only are these temples among the most magnificent in the world, but also their removal and reconstruction are recorded as a major historical feat during the construction of the High Dam on Lake Nasser. The monuments were threatened with submersion, and after an appeal by UNESCO in co-operation with the Egyptian Government they were dismantled and reassembled exactly, about 197ft (60m) higher up. The intimidating sight that first greets the visitor is that of the four colossal statues guarding the entrance to the Grand Hall of the Temple of Ramses. The interior is highly decorated with relief paintings and is supported by eight statues of Ramses acting as giant pillars. Leading off the hall are painted sanctuaries and chambers. The Temple of Hathor is smaller and simpler, also with statues guarding the entrance and a manifestation of the Sun God portrayed above. It is aligned in such a way that the sun's rays reach inside to illuminate the statues of Ptah, Amun-Re, Ramesses II, and Re- Horakhty twice a year.Transport: Hotels in Aswan organise bus tours to the site; Opening time: Daily 6am to 5pm (summer); 6am to 4pm (winter) Events  Temple of Hathor, Abu Simbel Abu Simbel Festival The festival takes place twice a year, in February and October, in celebration of Ramses II's birthday. When Ramses II built his temple he carefully positioned it so that on his birthday and during the sun solstices the inner sanctum would become lit, the rising sun gradually illuminating the statues of Ramses, Ra and Amun, while the god of darkness, Ptah, remains in shadow. Before sunrise the temple becomes packed with people waiting to witness the spectacular show. The outside celebrations include music, dancing, markets, and food and drink stalls.Venue: The Temple of Abu Simbel; Date: February and October, annually; Time: Sunrise |
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