Luxor Museum, Luxor (must see)

Luxor Museum presents a carefully selected collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts discovered in the surrounding region, offering visitors a clear introduction to the history and culture of Upper Egypt. Opened in 1975, the museum presents selected objects in a spacious layout, covering Egyptian history from the Old Kingdom to the Greco-Roman period. Designed by Dr. Mahmud El-Hakim, the building uses a simple layout that keeps attention on the artifacts.

Among the museum’s most important exhibits are statues, reliefs, jewelry, pottery, and funerary objects recovered from temples, tombs, and archaeological excavations. Several galleries focus on the New Kingdom, when the area served as a major political and religious center. Statues, tools, household items, religious objects, and Akhenaten’s talatat blocks show royal traditions, daily life, and religious change.

One of the museum’s highlights is a group of artifacts connected to the royal mummies discovered in a hidden cache near Deir el-Bahari. These objects show efforts to protect royal burials, while items from Tutankhamun’s tomb add context to his reign. The Royal Mummies Hall displays Ramesses I, returned to Egypt after years abroad, and Ahmose I, founder of the New Kingdom.

A major addition to the museum came after the discovery of a hidden cache of statues beneath the courtyard of Luxor Temple in 1989. Twenty-six remarkably preserved statues were uncovered, including a large red quartzite statue of Amenhotep III, and many are now displayed in a dedicated gallery. With carefully planned lighting, bilingual displays, and chronological arrangements, the museum provides a clear overview of ancient Egyptian civilization through original artifacts and important archaeological discoveries.