Marsa Alam, a sea still to be discovered

Dozens of reefs, many still to be discovered, emerge in this stretch of sea, and diving into these depths will be like taking a dive into the past. Luxor: the ancient Thebes of the pharaohs, capital of Egypt at the time of its greatest splendour, situated on the banks of the river a little south of the coastal town. The road linking Marsa Alam to Luxor is in excellent condition and winds through a fascinating landscape: after crossing an initial stretch of flat desert, you slip into narrow gorges between the mountains, then suddenly emerge into the fertile, green valley of the Nile. The vast available labour force and the immense wealth derived from conquests in foreign lands allowed the Thebans to raise the most imposing and elaborate places of worship in honour of the local god Amun, whom they assimilated to the Sun god Ra and worshipped as Amun-Ra.

Built on the eastern bank of the Nile, these sanctuaries celebrated the rising of the sun every morning. Beyond the western bank, however, stretched the land of the dead, where the sun sank every evening. There the pharaohs, adored by their subjects as living gods, had their funerary monuments built. Memnon: leaving Luxor and crossing the river you soon reach the extraordinary pair formed by the Colossi of Memnon, two enormous twin statues depicting the pharaoh Amenhotep III enthroned, standing isolated along the right-hand side of the road leading to the Valley of the Queens: the colossi stand at the entrance to the Theban necropolises. Karnak: for the ancient Egyptians Karnak was "the most perfect of places", and although it is in ruins, it remains spectacular.

Perhaps the most extensive monumental complex ever built, its development went through various phases over more than 1500 years. Enlarged by the generations of pharaohs who succeeded one another, it reveals itself as a collection of sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons and obelisks, resembling a vast historical archive in stone under the open sky. The monumental complex is dedicated to Amun-Ra, the Sun god. Hard to believe, on this holiday besides the sea we also broadened our minds..... And what can you say: for a first time in Egypt it was a lovely holiday, the sea truly unspoilt, the beaches beautiful, the weather exceptional; what can we say, we're in Egypt where the sun shines at least 360 days a year; certainly a holiday to repeat.