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REVIEW BY SARAH GRIFFITHS
Ever since Michael Haag’s Luxor Illustrated was published in 2009, it has been an indispensable guide for travellers visiting Luxor and other sites in Upper Egypt. This new edition has been completely revised by Aidan Dodson to take account of more recent developments, such as the clearing of the Avenue of Sphinxes. Most of Haag’s original photographs are included, with a couple of additions from Dodson.
The guide covers all the major sites in Luxor, and also Dendera, Abydos, the Ptolemaic temples to the south, Aswan, and Abu Simbel, illustrated with photographs of monuments, tomb scenes, temple reliefs, and Nile scenes. It is a shame that the images of Dendera and Esna were not updated for this volume to reflect the recent restoration work that has brought the vibrant colours in each temple back to life.
While billed as a new ‘easily portable format’, the book is not exactly pocket-sized, and is more likely to be read before and after a visit to the sites. But for tourists travelling to Luxor and southern Egypt, this is a good general introduction to the wealth of ancient monuments they can visit.
Luxor Illustrated with Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Nile
by Michael Haag; revised, updated, and with a new introduction by Aidan Dodson
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO PRESS, 2024
ISBN 978-1-649-03338-3
PAPERBACK, £19.99
