Luxor is the modern name for Thebes, which came from “Al Oqsour" meaning “the city of palaces." The renowned Greek historian Homer described it as the city of a hundred gates. It has also been called the "world's greatest open-air museum." Luxor is home to the ruins of Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple, as well as the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens and other monuments on the West Bank of the Nile. Throughout its history, this city drew visitors from all over the world even in ancient times. Today, Luxor is a popular holiday destination. In addition to its own spectacular sights, Luxor offers an excellent base for touring upper Egypt and as a starting or finishing point for our Nile cruises.
Just 10 minutes from Sonesta St. George Hotel Luxor by car (taxis are available front of the hotel). One of the largest and most impressive of all the temple sites in Egypt, Karnak is the culmination of three main temples, several smaller enclosed temples, and a number of outer temples, and is the combined achievements of a great many generations of ancient builders. Although badly ruined, probably no site in Egypt is more impressive than Karnak. The vast complex was built and enlarged over a period of 1,300 years and stands on a site covering 247 acres of land.
Only one of the main areas is currently accessible for tourists and the general public. This is the "main" temple, which is by far the largest part and is known as the Temple of Amun.
The key difference between Karnak and most of the other temples and sites in Egypt is the length of time over which it was developed and used. Thirty different pharaohs contributed to the buildings, enabling it to reach a size, complexity and diversity, not seen elsewhere.
Just 5 minutes from Sonesta St. George Hotel Luxor by car (taxis are available front of the hotel). The name Luxor represents both the present-day metropolis that was ancient Thebes, and the temple on the eastern bank which adjoins the town. "Luxor" derives from the Arabic Al Oqsour, meaning "fortifications." That name in addition was adapted from the Latin castrum which referred to the Roman fort built around the temple in the later third century AD. The temple of Luxor has, since its inception, always been a sacred site. After Egypt's pagan period, a Christian church and monastery were located here, and after that, a mosque (13th century Mosque of Abu el-Haggag) was built that continues to be used today.
In ancient Egypt, the temple area now known as Luxor was called Ipt rsyt, the "southern sanctuary," referring to the holy of holies at the temple’s southern end, wherein the principal god, Amun "preeminent in his sanctuary," dwelt. Amun was a fertility god, and his statue was modeled on that of the similarly Min of Coptos. He also has strong connections to both Karnak and West Thebes.