The next morning, we drove 18 miles north to Luxor to visit the legendary Valley of the Kings, about 30 minutes northwest of Luxor. We crossed the Nile to the first monument on our journey, the imposing 59-foot-tall Colossi of Memnon. It consists of two massive stone statues, Pharaoh Amenhotep III and Pharaoh Amenhotep III, which stand at the front of the ruined Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III, the largest temple in the Theban Necropolis.             

 

The Valley of the Kings has two main sections: the East Valley, where most of the royal tombs are, and the recently discovered West Valley, the Valley of the Monkeys. This tomb, tucked away in West Valley, is noted for its scenes of King Ay hunting hippopotamuses and fishing in the marshes and for a wall featuring 12 baboons, each representing the 12 hours of the night.

 

The East Valley is studded with decorated pharaoh's tombs, some of which you can enter. Some of the tombs are so well preserved that the colors of the incredible pharaonic friezes are still as vibrant as when they were first painted. The best-known tombs are Ramses II (KV62), Seti I, Amenhotep II, and, of course, the tomb of King Tutankhamun (KV7). The Valley of the Kings is the burial place of 63 Pharaohs, Queen Hatshepsut, the first female Pharaoh, and 62 Kings.

                                                                                               

The day we visited the Valley of the Kings was hot, so we drank lots of water and Gatorade and sat in the shade when possible. The tombs we visited that day were much cooler than outside.  The royal tombs are decorated with traditional scenes from Egyptian mythology and reveal clues to the period's funerary practices and afterlife beliefs. Although almost all of the tombs seem to have been opened and robbed in antiquity, they still give an idea of the great wealth and power of Egypt's pharaohs.  The last tomb we visited was Deir al-Bahri, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Rising out of the desert plain in a series of terraces, it is one of Egypt’s most photographed monuments. It’s difficult to describe “The Valley of The Kings,” but it was spectacular.

 

We returned to the East Bank that afternoon and relaxed at the hotel before visiting the colossal Temple of Karnak. Today, it is considered the largest temple complex ever constructed anywhere in the world. It was developed over 1500 years, added to by generation after generation of pharaohs, resulting in a collection of temples, sanctuaries, pylons, and other unparalleled decorations throughout Egypt. The Temple of Karnak isn't merely an archaeological site. It's a portal into the soul of ancient Egypt, where human ambition met divine inspiration. A place where the echoes of millennia-old chants are still heard in the whispers of the wind, reminding us of a civilization that once was and its quest for eternity. It is believed to be the earthly residence of the gods and a portal connecting the mortal realm to the divine. The rituals performed within its walls aimed to honor the gods, seek their blessings and ensure the well-being of Egypt and its people.

 

It is believed that there were about 170 pharaohs in all; 21 of these were women.  The last, Queen Cleopatra VII, is the most famous pharaoh, thanks to her brief romantic relationships with Julius Caesar, the powerful general and self-appointed dictator of Rome, and another Roman general, Mark Antony. Cleopatra VII was married to both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. The tomb of Antony and Cleopatra VII is the undiscovered burial crypt of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII from 30 BC and is assumed to be located in Alexandria, Egypt. According to historians Suetonius and Plutarch, the Roman Augustus (also known as Octavian), the first emperor of ancient Rome, permitted their burial together after he had defeated them. We also stopped to visit Luxor Temple, which Amenophis III built. The temple looks stunning at night when hundreds of lights illuminate it.