Luxor Museum

The Luxor Museum, on the east bank of the Nile, displays finds that reflect the wealth of Thebes during the New Kingdom. The exhibits focus on ancient Egyptian beliefs and on the military successes of the “Age of the Empire”.

The museum opened in 1975, and an annex was added in 2004. From the start it has followed a “quality not quantity” approach. The collection includes fine royal sculpture, mummies and manuscripts, as well as Coptic and Islamic objects, all found in the Theban area.

Highlights

The collection is small and carefully chosen, so almost every piece is worth stopping for. Look out for:

• The Luxor statue cache, a group of statues found buried in the court of Luxor Temple in 1989, now shown in their own hall; the red quartzite statue of Amenhotep III is the star
• Two royal mummies, generally identified as Ahmose I and Ramesses I, shown in a quiet, dimly lit room
• A rebuilt wall of small sandstone blocks (talatat) from Akhenaten’s temple at Karnak, with scenes of daily work and worship
• Fine royal sculpture, including statues of Thutmose III
• The newer wing on Thebes as the military capital of the New Kingdom, with chariot and weapon displays

Visiting tips

Allow one and a half to two hours. The museum is on the Corniche on the East Bank, between Luxor Temple and Karnak, so it fits easily into a day on that side of the river.

A good order is Karnak in the morning, the museum in the afternoon and Luxor Temple at dusk, when it is lit up. The Mummification Museum, also on the Corniche, is a short walk away if you want to add a smaller second stop.

Seeing the museum before the Valley of the Kings helps put names and faces to the tombs you will visit on the West Bank.