Egypt Travel Part III: Hot Air Balloon and Karnak Temple Complex
Egypt Travel Part III: Hot Air Balloon and Karnak Temple Complex
Day 3 Friday, 15 Dec 2017
Early in the morning, we left our cruise boat at Luxor City and went to a place near Del el Bahari where Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut is located and oh the west bank of River Nile.
Tour group going off for hot air balloon ride at sunrise
Tour group going off for hot air balloon ride at sunrise
Hot Air Balloons in the Sky
On arrival at the site, we saw several hot air balloons that were already flying in the sky.
Several hot air-balloons were already in the sky at sunrise in Luxor
Warming-Up
Before we got into a balloon basket, we warmed up first.
Tour group warming up and getting ready for a hot air balloon ride in Luxor
Gas-Burners
The balloon was filled with air and then heated by gas-burners to get the balloon upright.
Balloon is filled with air which is then heated
Hot Air is Light
Gas-burners are used for heating the air in balloons to make them light.
Gas-burners heat the air in the balloon which then rises.
Three Cylinders of Gas
Three cylinders gas are used for heating the balloon.
Three cylinders of gas for heating hot air-balloone, 24 of us, got into a large basket and soon we were flying in the sky.
Large Basket
24 of us got into a large basket of the hot air balloon and soon we were going up in the sky, slowly.
24 tour-members going up in a hot air-balloon
Bakr, the Pilot of the Hot Air Balloon
The pilot of the balloon was Bakr from Hod Hod Soliman Company, Luxor. As we were flying over the fertile flood plain of River Nile and the historical Thebes Necropolis where graves of ancient Egyptian royal members and powerful nobles are sited, Bakr would point at the important sites below and beyond and tell the tour-members about them.
Bakr, the pilot of the hot air balloon
Bakr piloting the hot air-balloon
Hot air in the balloon makes the balloon rise
Hot air in the balloon making the balloon rise
Panoramic View of the Thebes Necropolis, Luxor
The panoramic view of the Thebes Necropolis and fertile flood plain of River Nile was breathtaking.
Panoramic view of the Thebes Necropolis from the hot air-balloon is breathtaking.
Aerial View of Thebes Necropolis and Fertile Flood Plain of River Nile
Aerial view of Thebes Necropolis and fertile flood plain of River Nile
Ruined Temples
There were a few temples which were already in ruin in the Thebes Necropolis. Among them was the ruined Temple of Ramesses III which we sighted.
Area view of the ruined Temple of Ramesses III in Thebes Necropolis, Luxor
Valley of the Queens
Looking further away we saw the Valley of the Queens where pharaohs’ wives were buried.
Valley of the Queens where Pharaohs’ wives were buried in Thebes Necropolis, Luxor
Fertile Flood Plain
The aerial view of the fertile flood plain adjacent to the Thebes Necropolis was spectacular. It was richly cultivated and inhabited by farmers.
Aerial view of fertile flood plain of River Nile adjacent to Thebes Necropolis, Luxor
Landing
After flying for more than an hour in the sky and enjoying the awesome sights of the place, we finally landed, safely, on an empty land which was a couple of km away from the site where we lifted off. Then we were each given a certificate from Hod Hod Soliman Company that stated that we had flown in a hot air balloon.
Exhilarating Feeling
While I was on the ground, my exhilarating feeling of flying in the hot air balloon lingered on for awhile.
Tour Members receiving certificates of successful hot air balloon ride
Happy tour group receiving certificates of successful hot air-balloon flight in Luxor
Visiting Karnak Temple Complex
After the unforgettable hot air balloon experience, we went to an ancient temple complex located about 2 km north of Luxor town.
Karnak Temple Complex
Karnak Temple Complex consists of some temples that were built several thousand years ago. The temples are already in ruin but restoration works have been on-going.
Temple of Ramun-Ra, the Sun-God
There is one, Temple of Ramun-Ra, that has been partially restored and opened to public. It was dedicated to the Sun God, Ramun-Ra.
Model of the Temple of Ramun-Ra in the Karnak Temple Complex
A picture showing the model of the Temple of Ramun-Ra in the Karnak Temple Complex
Old Photo of the Aerial View of Temple of Ramun-Ra
An old photo showing an aerial view of the Temple of Amun-Ra in the Karnak Temple Complex, Luxor
The Front of the Temple of Ramun-Ra
The front of the Temple of Amun-Ra in the Karnak Temple Complex, Luxor and the Sphinx Avenue
Entrance to the Great Hypostyle Hall of the Temple of Ramun-Ra
Entrance to the Great Hypostyle Hall of the Temple of Amun-Ra
Statues of Ramun-Ra and his daughter, Meri-Amun, at the entrance of the Great Hypostyle Hall of the Temple of Ramun-Ra
Statues of Amun-Ra and his daughter, Meri-Amun, at the entrance of the Great Hypostyle Hall of the Temple of Amun-Ra
134 Columns in the Great Hypostyle Hall of the Temple of Ramun-Ra
134 tall columns in the Great Hypostyle Hall were built to support a stone roof of the Temple of Amun-Ra
Obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut at the Temple of Ramun-Ra
Obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut sited in between the 4th. and 5th. Pylons
Obelisks of King Tuthmosis I and Queen Hatshepsut at the Temple of Ramun-Ra
Obelisk of Tuthmosis I on the right and Obelisk of Hatshepsut on the left at the Temple of Ramun-Ra
A Pylon of the Karnak Temple Complex is Under Restoration
A pylon in Karnak Temple Complex is under restoration
A Ruined Temple at the Karnak Temple Complex
A ruined temple in the compound of Karnak Temple Complex that cannot be restored.
A Relief of the Temple of Amun-Ra
A relief on a wall of the Temple of Amun-Ra in the Karmak Temple Complex, Luxor
Egyptian Hieroglyphs in the Temple of Amun-Ra
Egyptian hieroglyphs on a wall of the Temple of Amun-Ra in the Karnak Temple Complex, Luxor
Sondos Papyrus
After the visit to the Karnak Temple Complex, we went to a shop, Sondos Papyrus in Luxor City. It was selling arts on papyrus papers.
Sondos Papyrus, a shop in Luxor, selling arts on papyrus papers
Egypt Travel Parts I to XII
Egypt Travel Part I :Salah el Din Citadel, Muhammad Ali Mosque, Tahrir Square and Egyptian Museum
Egypt Travel Part II :Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and Colossi of Memnon
Egypt Travel Part III :Hot Air Balloons and Karnak Temple Complex
Egypt Travel Part IV :Papyrus Paper-Making, Luxor Temple and Esna Lock
Egypt Travel Part V :Edfu Temple, Kom Ombo Temple and Galabia Party
Egypt Travel Part VI :Abu Simbel Temples and Nubian Village(Elephantine Island)
Egypt Travel Part VII :Unfinished Obelisk, Aswan High Dam and Philae Temple
Egypt Travel Part VIII:Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel, Moon Beach(Ras Sudr), and St. Catherine
Egypt Travel Part IX :Mount Sinai, Catherine’s Monastery and Sharm el Sheikh
Egypt Travel Part X :Sharm el Sheikh
Egypt Travel Part XI :Cairo Food, Saqqara Step Pyramid Complex and Memphis
Egypt Travel Part XII :Great Giza Pyramid Complex and Khan el Khalil Bazaar