Hatshepsut Temple

The major attraction on the west bank of Luxor is the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, the female pharaoh. Strikingly modern in appearance, the temple is 3500 years old. The temple presents a dramatic setting against the mountains flanking the valley of the Nile. It is also the site of a terrorist attack by Islamic extremists that killed 62 tourists in 1997. Needless to say, military roadblocks are a common feature of the travelling landscape. Our taxi driver needed a special day-to-day permit to travel outside the city of Luxor.