Luxor

Luxor (Arabic الأقصر, DMG al - Uqsur; ancient Egyptian Ipet reset) is an Egyptian city on the eastern bank of the Nile approximately in the center of Upper Egypt. Luxor is the largest city in Upper Egypt ( 2006 census: 451 318 inhabitants, calculations for 2010: about 487,000 inhabitants) and the administrative seat of December 7, 2009 the newly created provinces of Al- Uqsur. It can be regarded as a center of the region, thanks to the variety of cultural sites and the connection through the International Airport.

The present name Luxor, meaning " the city of palaces " possibly comes from the Arabic al - القصور Qusur " castles " or al - Qasr " the barracks " back, a Arabization into German acquired the Latin castrum a fortified place. In ancient Egypt, Luxor temple served as district, which bore the name Ipet reset - in short form also Ipat / Ipet - and part of the ancient Egyptian king city was Thebes.

Geography

Geographical Location

Luxor is located on the southeast side of a 120 kilometers long river loop of the Nile towards the east, which starts at Ad Dīmuqrāt 25 km south-west of Luxor and up Hammadi 55 km northwest reaches of the city. The also located on this river loop capital of the province, which is about 222,000 inhabitants Qinā, located 50 kilometers north of Luxor. The government Qinā extends on both sides of the banks of the Nile in the south to 20 miles behind Esna and northwest to 5 kilometers from the ruins of the ancient Egyptian city of Abydos.

In Luxor, the water of the river ensures each about five kilometers wide green strip of land on both banks, followed by the east the Arabian Desert and to the northwest followed the Libyan desert. North of the city reaches the Libyan desert approach almost to the banks of the Nile. The Arabian desert separates Luxor from 165 km away, the Red Sea to the northeast.

With Qinā Esna and Luxor along the Nile is connected by a railway line that skirts the eastern river bank in the south to Aswan. The main train station is centrally located just 800 meters from the Nile. In addition to the web, a road linking the major towns on the banks of the Nile. Here its tenth kilometers southwest of Luxor via the bridge at Aḑ Ḑabīyah the only road link to the west bank of the river between Esna and Qinā. The international airport of the city is located seven kilometers south-east of the city center on the edge of the Arabian Desert.

In and around Luxor are some of the most important archaeological sites in Egypt, due to which the tourism is one of the most important industries of the city. Are known in the midst especially the Luxor and the Karnak Temple and north of the urban area and the Valley of the Kings and the ancient Egyptian temple ruins in Thebes - West, the western bank of the Nile. On the Nile as a major thoroughfare run from Luxor as a starting or ending point of many cruise ships to Aswan in the south as well as north to the ancient Abydos. The boat docks are within the city along the entire eastern bank of the Nile.

Climate

The prevailing desert climate in Luxor is characterized by very low humidity and virtually no rainfall from. Only in October there may be no measurable rain. The average annual temperature is 24.3 ° C, the maximum values ​​at an average of 33.4 ° C. In the hottest season from May to September, the maximum values ​​increase to around 40 ° C, nighttime temperatures are 20 to 24 ° C. In the winter months the air is heated to 23 to 25 ° C, night temperatures drop to values ​​around 5-7 ° C.

Attractions

Famous is the temple of Luxor, a temple dedicated to the god Amun, the most part of Amenhotep III. was built.

One of the granite obelisks were erected in front of the temple, now stands in the Place de la Concorde in Paris (see the Obelisk of Luxor ). In addition to the colossal statues of Ramses II there is also a small white mosque, which houses the relics of local saints Abu l - Haggag. They are also guided at its anniversary in a boat with a large procession through the city, as did the ancient Egyptians with the barque of Amun.

Also worth seeing is the Luxor Museum. Here recent finds from the area are exhibited.

Directly on the promenade along the Nile River is the 1886 Victorian- style Hotel Winter Palace.