Saturday, June 30, 2007

Travel: Luxor

gulfnews.com By Justin Marozzi
A description of Luxor by someone who has genuinely been bitten by the bug. It's not a long piece but it really does convey a sense both of the best of Luxor and the writer's passion for many of the sites and experiences that Luxor has to offer.
Human nature being what it is, the artisans tended to reserve their best work for their own tombs, rather than those of the kings. The tomb of Sennedjem, dating back almost 3,500 years, is one of the most exquisite, with family and funereal scenes in rich colour.

From the political and personal to the sky-soaringly spiritual, Karnak, no matter how many times you return over the years, always thrills, thrusting even the pyramids into a distant second place among Egypt's many wonders. Then there is the Islamic architectural wizardry at Oum al Dounia. You only have to enter the temple's fabled Hypostyle Hall to swoon in neck-craning disbelief at the magnificence of this forest of columns, grand enough to swallow up the sky.

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