Luxor's streets were buzzing with tourists on Friday, a day after the painstakingly restored Avenue of Sphinxes reopened in a glitzy ceremony.
Drawn by the splendor of Thursday’s ceremony, which was televised and broadcast live on social media, hundreds showed up to walk the 2.7-kilometre avenue, which connects the famous Karnak and Luxor temples.
The demeanor of police officers, hundreds of whom were stationed around the avenue on Thursday to secure it before President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s arrival, was markedly different on Friday.
Some were rather short-tempered on Thursday, shooing locals away from the ceremony site. But on Friday, many officers gave off a genial air, posing for photos along the length of the avenue with some of the hundreds of sphinxes that line it.
“There’s really nothing quite like Karnak Temple. It’s truly unique and surprisingly large,” Maximilian Martin, a German tourist visiting the temple, told The National.
Luxor’s stretch of the Nile is usually quite busy, since it is the locals’ only way to cross easily between the eastern side of the city, where most of the tourist hotspots are, and the western side, which is predominantly made up of residences and farmland.
After a city-wide notice was issued by security officials on Thursday, the river, usually dotted with various boats making the journey between both banks, was markedly clear.
In sharp contrast, on Friday, the air was full of the sound of the city ferry's foghorn making its first trip of the day, bringing locals over to the eastern side.
The ferry was followed by tens of boats returning to the Nile’s waters, as tourists, many of whom watched last night’s ceremony from inside their hotels, rushed to the Luxor Temple to catch a glimpse of the event's decorations, which still had not been dismantled.
Three gilded boats carried by performers during Thursday’s ceremony had been left in the centre of the avenue - the perfect prop for selfies.
“I woke up really early today to come here. We showed up about half an hour before the temple opened so we had to wait a little while. But I was so happy to find the ceremony’s decorations still in place,” says Bridget Trent, an English engineer who came to Luxor from Cairo to witness the event.
Some of the ceremony's performers returned to the avenue to greet guests on Friday and pose for pictures. The National spoke to Aysel, 7, who was among a group of children dressed in period costumes to receive Mr El Sisi when he arrived to open the event.
“My favorite part of last night was definitely meeting the president,” Aysel says excitedly.
Her mother explained that modelling agencies nationwide were asked to send in the resumes of their best child models for the event and she was ecstatic to find that her daughter had been chosen.
By the time the sun started to disappear behind the peaks that tower over the city’s Valley of the Kings, as the western bank and the length of the Avenue of Sphinxes was lit up, hundreds of Egyptian tourists had arrived to visit both temples. Many said they had decided to make the journey from neighbouring provinces to see the site.
“I am from Minya, it’s about five hours by train from here. Since it was the weekend, my husband, my kids and myself decided to take the early train to come down and see the avenue for ourselves,” said Seham Mohammed.
“It was stunning on TV and we just had to come see it. We’re taking the night train back.”
Throughout the city's marketplaces, many of which are situated amid networks of narrow cobblestone alleys, speakers blared songs from Thursday’s ceremony, particularly a folkloric anthem brought to life by a local band during the parade.
At Karnak Temple, a marching percussion band was waiting to play for arriving tourists. The band performed several consecutive numbers as tourists danced and took photos.
The Avenue of Sphinxes opening ceremony - in pictures
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Fireworks explode during the opening ceremony for the restored Avenue of the Sphinxes, or Road of the Rams, a 3,000-year-old path that connects Luxor Temple with Karnak Temple, on November 25, 2021. Reuters -
After years of renovation and in a bid to reinvigorate Egypt's tourism sector, the 2,700-metre Avenue of the Sphinxes was reopened in a grand ceremony. Getty Images -
Performers dance during the official ceremony outside Luxor Temple. AFP -
The 2,700-metre Avenue of the Sphinxes is lit up for the event. Getty Images -
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi attends the opening ceremony at Luxor Temple. EPA -
Journalists wait by the pylon and remaining obelisk at the entrance of the temple. AFP -
Egypt unveiled the sandstone-paved path lined with ram-headed statues and sphinxes dating back more than 3,000 years. AFP -
Thousands of actors, dancers and drummers participated in the parade. Getty Images -
Dancers take part in the performance, which featured songs composed specially for the occasion. Getty Images -
A guard stands at the restored Avenue of Sphinxes. EPA -
The grand ceremony marked the official reopening of the Avenue of Sphinxes. EPA -
A procession of hundreds of costumed performers set out from Luxor Temple to Karnak Temple. EPA -
The procession winds its way between the two temples. EPA -
The avenue has been carefully restored in a bid to reinvigorate Egypt's tourism sector. EPA -
The avenue, as well as the two temples it connects, are set to be an open-air museum after years of excavation and restoration. EPA -
The day after the parade, the entire length of the avenue and all the temples it includes opened to visitors free of charge. EPA -
Luxor Temple before the start of the parade. Getty Images -
Sphinxes sit near Luxor Temple before the celebration. Getty Images -
The entrance of the Avenue of the Sphinxes. Getty Images -
Sphinxes line the 2,700-meter avenue. Getty Images
