Namjooning at the Luxor Museum
Even though I am back in Egypt every year, it has been some time since I last visited this museum. As I am here in the heat of the summer, I figured an indoor activity would give me some respite. It has recently been in the high 40s/low 50C temperatures during the day (if you are out near the desert).
I wanted to spend some time looking for particular artifacts to photograph for research. The current entrance fee (in 2026) is 400 EGP (Egyptian Pounds - equivalent to $11 Canadian).
We took the ferry across the river (from Qurna) as the museum is close to there, and we wouldn’t need to find parking for the motorbikes.
Statues outside the museum
We exited just before sunset and the light was casting a warm hue.
I include (below) a few of my favourite objects from the museum. Notably, many of the objects that were previously in this museum have been transferred to the new Grand Egyptian Museum (in Giza).[1] However, there are still some very nice artifacts here.
Three statues of the Goddess Sekhmet (of more than 500 found at the Temple of Mut at Karnak). New Kingdom/18th Dynasty/King Amenhotep III (1390-1352 BC)
Head of King Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) (profile and frontal views)
“One of the most controversial kings of ancient Egypt, he is renowned for introducing a religious revolution centered on the worship of a single deity, Aten. He relocated the capital from Thebes to the newly founded city of ‘Akhet-Aten’ (Horizon of Aten), it is now the village of Tell al-Amarna, establishing it as the center of the new religion. This shift is reflected in Amarna art, a style noted for its realism. The head portrays the king wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, with the royal cobra or ‘uraeus’ on his forehead and the ceremonial false beard.”
New Kingdom/18th Dynasty/King Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) c. 1352-1336 BC/ Sandstone/ Thebes (Karnak) [2]
Even though the museum felt a little more bare than the last time I visited, it still has many wonderful artifacts and is worth a visit.
I took many more photos. If any archaeologists are looking for images for research please reach out and I can share what I have.
Luxor Museum website: https://sis.gov.eg/en/egypt/tourism/cultural-tourism/museums/luxor-museum-1/
Nam·joon·ing v. The act of living as Kim Namjoon. This includes taking walks in the parks, admiring nature, hanging out with crabs, and having fun with friends.
[1] I worked at the GEM in 2014-2016, while it was still under construction. It opened last year (2025) just after I left Egypt, and I hoped to go this year, but my schedule just didn’t work this time. Perhaps I will get to finally see it completed in 2027.
[2] Luxor Museum label
