The Theban Necropolis

To celebrate their own greatness, as well as the magnificence of the god Amun-Ra, most New Kingdom rulers constructed huge mortuary temples surrounded by palace granaries. These monuments spread across the edge of the fields, as if to buffer the fertile land from the desert. The choice of the West Bank was based on its rugged landscape (which should have kept robbers away), but the overall rationale came from ancient Egyptian religious beliefs. Every night, the old sun set in the west and was reborn the next morning as Khepri, the young sun. By the same principle, the dead were buried in the west to prepare for their rebirth.

The West Bank is not only a royal necropolis, reserved for the sovereign and his family. A considerable number of tombs belonged to Egyptian nobles and other preeminent courtiers. Their sepulchres were of smaller dimensions, but the quality of their decoration was comparable to that found in the tombs of the kings.

Because the tombs of the nobles were dug into the limestone hills at the edge of an open plain, numerous objects were robbed over the centuries. The same destiny was reserved for most of the graves of the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, despite the extreme measures that were taken to avoid it. The remarkable exception to this, of course, is the tomb of Tutankhamun, which archaeologist Howard Carter discovered with its treasures nearly intact in 1922.

To do a full circuit of the various tombs, start making your way around the West Bank at the Valley of the Kings, then move on to the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir al-Bahri, the Temple of Seti I, the Valleys of the Nobles, the Ramesseum, the Valley of the Queens, and Deir al-Medina. End with the splendid mortuary temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu.

June through September are only for the brave—come then if you thrive on high heat and sweat. In these months, bringing a large bottle of water is even more essential than at other times. October, November, April, and May are the nicest months. From December through March, you might want to carry a sweater with you.

The best times of day to see the monuments, especially in summer, are in the early morning or in late afternoon—to avoid the high heat of midday and, likewise the waves of sightseers who begin to arrive between 8:30 and 9 am. In winter, the weather is perfectly bearable, and the main obstacle to seeing the monuments is other tourists. Again, early-morning and late-afternoon forays are best for avoiding crowds. At sunset, the mortuary temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu is extremely pleasant—there is nothing better than relaxing on one of its terraces after a long day of monument hopping.

There are several ways to cross the Nile from Luxor. The least expensive is by local ferry (£e1; tickets are available from the kiosk in front of the East Bank launch), which leaves from in front of the Luxor Temple. The ferry runs from early morning until about midnight, but the boat leaves only when it is fully occupied. For a quicker crossing, special boats can take you across the Nile for £e5. The most hassle-free way is to rent a private taxi in town £e50 per hour or better if you haggle hard, and this will take you across the bridge, which is 12 km (7½ mi) south of Luxor to reach the West Bank.

If you take the ferry, once on the West Bank, there are a few ways to get around. The easiest, fastest, and most expensive is by private taxi, but there are fewer taxis here than in downtown on the East Bank. Service taxis (group taxis) are a very cheap way (£e1) to get to the middle of the tourist area, but they only take main roads and skirt the monuments. To get a service taxi to stop and let you out, knock on the little window in the front.

Alternatively, bicycles (rentals cost £e15) are always an option, as are donkeys. You can hire both at the West Bank docks or by the ticket offices. Cycling, or even walking, is definitely doable in winter, but either is exhausting in summer. As for the donkeys, they bring you through the local village to the sites, and they're an evocative form of transportation if time is not such a concern.