Luxor

Hello, my name is Magnificent Maha.

My dream destination is Luxor city in Upper (southern) Egypt. I visited Luxor city in 1967 and 1980 but it is a fantastic ancient city if somebody visited it once he will like to visit it many times. Many years passed but I didn't forget this wonderful city and my dream to visit it once again. This time I want to go there by floating ship to enjoy with sailing across the river Nile and watch the cities which are on the two banks of the river along the way to Luxor.

Today, my presentation is about Luxor city,it is the capital of Luxor province. Its area is approximately 416 square km. Luxor is located on the same site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes. Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open air museum". The temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor stand within the modern city. Immediately opposite, across the River Nile, lie the monuments, temples and tombs on the West Bank Necropolis, which include the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens. Thousands of tourists from all around the world arrive annually to visit these monuments.

The name Luxor comes from the pl.of Arabic word "al-qaṣr", it means "the palace".

Luxor was the ancient city of Thebes, the great capital of Egypt during the New Kingdom, and the glorious city of the god Amon-Ra, then in a later period, the Greeks called it Thebai and the Romans after them Thebae. Thebae was also known as "the city of the 100 gates", sometimes being called "southern Heliopolis" ('Iunu-shemaa' in Ancient Egyptian). It was also often referred to as niw.t, which simply means "city"

The hottest temperature recorded was in May 15, 1991 which was 50 °C (122 °F) and the coldest temperature was on February 6, 1989 which was −1 °C (30 °F).The best time to visit Luxor at the end of the fall season and the beginning of the winter. The economy of Luxor is heavily dependent upon tourism. Large numbers of people also work in agriculture, particularly sugarcane. The local economy is reliant on tourism, and any riot or violence negatively affects the economy of the city. To make up for shortfalls of income, many cultivate their own food. Goat's cheese, pigeons, subsidized and home-baked bread and homegrown tomatoes are commonplace among the majority of its residents. A controversial tourism development plan aims to transform Luxor into a vast open-air museum. The master plan envisions new roads, five-star hotels, glitzy shops, and an IMAX theatre. The main attraction is an 11 million dollar project to unearth and restore the 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi) long Avenue of Sphinxes that once linked Luxor and Karnak temples. The ancient processional road was built by the pharaoh Amenhotep III and took its final form under Nectanebo I in 400 BCE. Over a thousand sphinx statues lined the road now being excavated which was covered by silt, homes, mosques and churches. Excavation started around 2004. Luxor is served by Luxor International Airport. A bridge was opened in 1998, a few kilometres upstream of the main town of Luxor, allowing ready land access from the east bank to the west bank. Traditionally, however, river crossings have been the domain of several ferry services. The so-called 'local ferry' (also known as the 'National Ferry') continues to operate from a landing opposite the Temple of Luxor. The single fare (June 2008) is 1 L.E. - one Egyptian Pound - per passenger for foreigners. Egyptian nationals pay ¼ of that, 25 piastres. This ferry is mainly used by the locals although a number of foreigners do use it. The sites on the west bank are further than you think and you will need transport - taxi drivers often approach ferry passengers, and it is recommended that a fare be negotiated ahead of time. There are also local cars that reach some of the monuments for 25 piastres, although tourists rarely use them. Alternatively, motorboats line both banks of the Nile all day providing a quicker, but more expensive (5 L.E.), crossing to the other side. The city of Luxor on the east bank has several bus routes used mainly by locals. Tourists often rely on horse carriages, called "calèches," for transport or tours around the city. Do not ask calèche drivers to go to the west bank, because it is too far for the horses, not to mention illegal. Taxis are plentiful, and reasonably priced, and since the government has decreed that taxis older than 20 years will not be relicensed, there are many modern air-conditioned cabs. Recently, new roads have been built in the city to cope with the growth in traffic. For domestic travel along the route of the Nile, a rail service operates several times a day. A morning train and sleeping train can be taken from the railway station situated around 400 metres (440 yd) from Luxor Temple. The line runs between several major destinations, including Cairo to the north and Aswan to the south. Luxor is twinned with: Kazanlak, Bulgaria Baltimore, Maryland, United States, Parintins, Brazil Shenzhen, China, since 1993
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