From Cairo to Luxor to Esna

Last updated on: December 31, 2018 at 7:33 am by Dan Peterson

From Cairo to Luxor to Esna 2018-12-31T07:33:56-07:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Colossi of Memnon (Wikimedia Commons public domain image))
These two statues of Amenhotep III (Eighteenth Dynasty; ca. 1350 BC), located on the western bank of the Nile, across from Luxor, are all that remains of his massive memorial temple.

We were up very early on Saturday morning, well before dawn, for a flight from Cairo southward down to Luxor – in other words, from the vicinity of the Old Kingdom capital of Memphis in Lower Egypt down to the New Kingdom capital (sometimes known as Thebes) in Upper Egypt.

We went directly from the Luxor International Airport past the so-called Colossi of Memnon (actually, the two massive statues of Amenhotep III that stood by the entrance to his now largely vanished mortuary temple) to the Valley of the Kings, where we visited the tombs of Merneptah, Ramses IV, and Ramses IX, and where, at extra charge, most if not all of us also visited the famous tomb of Tutankhamun.

Afterwards, we dropped by Tomb 39, where the Joseph Smith Papyri (of Book of Abraham fame) were found, took a look at the spectacular mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, and spent some time looking and shopping in an alabaster factory. Then we boarded our boat, the Radamis, and rested for a while. In the evening, we took a wonderful carriage ride through the back streets of Luxor, passing by the Avenue of the Sphinxes that once connected the temples of Luxor and Karnak and by the beautifully lit Temple of Luxor itself.

On Sunday – it’s hard to know which day to call the Sabbath here, since the Cairo Branch meets on Fridays – many of us were up very, very early to watch the sunrise over the west bank of the Nile from a hot air balloon. It’s a favorite activity for those who experience it. The views of the Nile and the green fields of sugar cane and alfalfa and the surrounding desert and the great funerary temples of Deir al-Bahri and Medinet Habu and so forth are magnificent.

After a brief breakfast back on the boat, we headed over, first, to the enormous Temple of Karnak and then to the Temple of Luxor. The boat set sail for the south in the afternoon. For part of that time, I held forth on Egypt-related subjects in the ship’s bar to a politely attentive audience. Following my remarks, we all went up to the sundeck, where we enjoyed crepes and hot chocolate – the crew had been forewarned about our peculiar drinking habits – while watching the gorgeous landscape of Egypt as the boat passed by. The evening was capped off by watching from the sundeck as the Radamis went through the locks at Esna.

I’ll probably post more — and post more photos — later. Here on the upper Egyptian Nile, internet access is spotty and frustrating and expensive. That it exists at all, though, is astonishing. Even the pharaohs’ wifi access was pathetic by today’s standard.

Posted from Kom Ombo, Egypt

Uncategorized

Previous Post

December 28, 2018

"The Interpreter Foundation and an Apostolic Charge"

Next Post

December 31, 2018 My alleged war against the Maxwell Institute

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who told Saul, "To obey is better than sacrifice"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

David Nathan Eli Samuel