For several thousand years, the site of Abydos flourished as a cemetery for the people of Thinis, the capital of Egypt’s eighth Upper Egyptian nome.[....]
Lying about 70 kilometers (42 miles) north of Luxor, the Ptolemaic temple at Dandara is one of the bestpreserved monuments in Egypt and well worth a visit.[....]
Increasingly, tourist itineraries include visits to Upper Egyptian temples outside Thebes. These include Dandara and Abydos, north of Thebes, which can be visited either by car (currently allowed to carry foreigners only in security convoys), and Isna, Edfu, and Kom Ombo,which are usually visited as part of a Nile cruise ship package. The temples are of considerable interest. Abydos boasts some of the finest examples of carved and painted relief from Dynasty 19; Edfu is nearly intact and gives a wonderful feel for Ptolemaic architecture. Getting to these sites is as enjoyable as visiting the temples themselves, especially if one sails to them. The Nile Valley is stunningly beautiful, the river cruise hypnotically restful, and the opportunities for bird- and people-watching are themselves worth the trip.
From" The Illustrated Guide to Luxor" by kent R.Weeks ,published by the American University in Cairo Press. Copyright © 2005 White Star S.p.a