Luxor is located over 700 kilometers south of Cairo, and we arrived by plane, stepping onto this ancient land at 6 AM. This area is part of Thebes, the capital during the most glorious period of ancient Egypt, which thrived from 3200 BC to 2270 BC, bustling with life and prosperity. Today, it is merely a small town with a population of 80,000.
We decided to first explore the Valley of the Kings, home to approximately 500 ancient tombs, with 64 located on the west bank of the Nile. In the Valley, the asphalt road shines black under the sun, flanked by dry, hot, and weathered sandy terrain. Despite the barren landscape, it is ideal for preserving mummies. Among the open tombs, we specifically visited the tomb of Tutankhamun, the last to be discovered and the only pharaoh's tomb that has never been looted.
The tomb of Tutankhamun was opened to the public in 1923, shocking the world. A vast number of precious artifacts were unearthed, including a solid gold coffin, a golden crown and mask, jewelry, statues, chariots, weapons, ornaments, and drawings. The sheer quantity of these artifacts made the cleanup process take three years. Today, this young pharaoh, who died at the age of 18, lies quietly in his marble sarcophagus, seemingly transcending time and evoking deep reflections.
