Egypt Travel Guide

The Great Temple of Abu Simbel was carved in the 13th century BCE by Ramesses II to proclaim kingship and love. Four 20-metre pharaoh statues guard the facade; in the 1960s, to escape the Aswan High Dam's rising waters, the whole temple was cut and moved to higher ground — Egypt's most staggering engineering feat.

The Valley of the Kings lies in a limestone gorge on Luxor's west bank, the resting place of New Kingdom pharaohs and nobles. Tutankhamun's tomb and vividly painted burial chambers are hidden here; in the silent valley lies Egypt's most splendid vision of the afterlife. Dozens of open tombs each hold a painted theme; Tutankhamun's, with its golden mask, is the most famous.

The Saladin Citadel commands a hilltop on the eastern edge of Cairo, begun in 1176 by the legendary Ayyubid sultan Saladin to hold off the Crusades, and home to Egypt's rulers for 700 years. Its jewel is the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, commissioned in the 19th century: twin minarets pierce the sky above a 52-metre dome, the alabaster-clad walls glow in the sun, and Ottoman chandeliers and stained glass fill the interior. The mosque terrace gives THE panorama of Islamic Cairo — minarets cascading to the Nile, with the desert and, on clear days, the Pyramids beyond. The complex also holds the Muhammad Ali Palace, the Military and Police museums and more. The mosque closes for Friday prayers — plan around it; history lovers can happily spend half a day here.

The Egyptian Museum stands on Tahrir Square in Cairo, opened in 1902, and is the world's foremost treasury of ancient Egyptian civilisation. Tutankhamun's golden mask, mummies and countless statues are displayed here — a must-visit hall through three millennia of pharaohs. The upper Treasures Hall centres on Tutankhamun's grave goods; the mummy room needs a separate ticket — never fully seen in one visit.

The Temple of Karnak is ancient Egypt's largest temple complex, begun in the Middle Kingdom and expanded over two millennia. The Great Hypostyle Hall's 134 giant stone columns awes visitors; obelisks and a sacred lake tell of Amun's glory — Luxor's east-bank wonder not to miss. Its axis is famed for the avenue of rams and the hypostyle hall; a scarab by the sacred lake symbolises sunrise rebirth.

Luxor Temple is a magnificent ancient Egyptian temple in the heart of Luxor. Echoing Karnak, with its great pylon, colossal pharaoh statues, towering obelisk and elegant columns, it is a key Luxor sight—especially dazzling when lit at night. Built in the New Kingdom and mainly dedicated to the sun god Amun (and his family), it was linked to Karnak by the Avenue of Sphinxes—a several-kilometer road lined with hundreds of sphinxes (used for religious processions). Though smaller than Karnak, it is still grand and beautiful: at the entrance stands a great pylon, before it two colossal seated statues of Ramesses II and a tall, finely carved pink-granite obelisk (originally a pair; the other now stands in the Place de la Concorde in Paris). Beyond the pylon are courts, elegant columned halls, more statues, reliefs and chambers. A corner also preserves later (Roman and Islamic) layers, including a mosque—a record of layered history. Most enchanting, it sits downtown and stays open at night: when lit, the pylon, colossi and obelisk glow majestic and mysterious. Visiting Luxor Temple—its pylon, colossi and obelisk, especially at night—is not to be missed.