San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-24
Swarms Of Curious From
United States Go to Egypt
and Inspect Ruins in Val
ley of Kings.

Valley Of the kiEg,. Luxor, Egypt.
April "a. Within the last month three
big ocean liners from 'Se United Scales
have touched at Egypt, and swarms
os american tourists lave flo 'ked
dtvn TO the scene "f ENG Tutauca'
smen's terrestrial resurrection in the
Valley of the Kings. American trav-
elers who heretofore have spent their
| winters in the Holy Land, Algeria or
other semi-tropical resorts, have this
year chosen the Nile because of its
nearness 10 the tomb of the ancient
pharoah. The great presidential
shrines at Mount Vernon ana Spring
field. ILL.,, have OF attracted a greater
number of American pilgrims this win
ter than the strange slbtcrranean Sc
pulchre of Egypt.
Have you seen the new tomb?' is
the first question put TO every Amer
lean upon setting foot in Egypt. For
in the popular view, not TO have visited
the now famous mummy chamber is
not TO have been in Egypt. American
visitors, instead % stopping off at
Cairo, as was their habit previously,
now come directly down TO Luxor.
making the 450-mile journey from the
capital in IL hours, or more leisurely
| in one of the river excursion boats.
The finding of Tutankhamcn's tomb
has given this little Nile municipality
an Importance it has not enjoyed in
5000 years.
Luxor is snugly situated on the East
bank Of the Nile, opposite ancient
Thebes. and has population of 10000.
Its chief attraction. apart from the
new royal tomb. is The temple of
Luxor. built by the sOvereigns OF n
forgotten age, and. until 1890. buried
in the accumulated rubbish and mud
of centuries. A Mohammedan mosque
built in the heart of the ruins of the
! temple .strikes an homogeneous mole.
The principal industry of Luxor. be-
sides tourists hotels, is soIvenir-mak-
| ing. The busy and ingenious Arabs
of the town bring quantities of ele-
plant tusks. rhinoceros hides and am
Der from the Sudan and Other areas
ard convert them deity into a thou
sand and one novelties and knicf-
knacks TO attract the tourist. The
latest product If their ingenuity is an
l lNOf,t likult va NhNh
is sold for dollar.
The men of Luxor go about in long
| cotton cloaks and white turbans. while
| the women wear sombrt dresseJ and
| shawls of deep black that cover even
their faces. The children of both sexes
raamble about the streets naked. n
custom dictated both by economy and
| the excessive heat. The only school
| in the town is an American mission
airy institution for girls. Like the
modern GreeAs, the Egyptians of today
take little interest in the history and
achievements of their ancient fore
bears. and Seem quite Indifferent to
the temple and tomb excavating being
carried on by the American. British
and French archaeologists. They are
interested only in the amount of gold
the new tombs may produce. and they
indulge the ruspicion that large guam
titles of this are take, secretly out
of Egypt b. foreigners.
Catboat Are Used
A pleasant 1J-minute sail across the
Nile in catboats rowed by Arabs brings
the visitor to he site of ancient The
bes. in its day the largest and most
sumptuous capital in the world. The
metropolis of antiquity is now vast
expanse of sand, marshes, sugar fields
and struggling farms. The city of
New York night be placed upon the
present plain of Thebes. but part OF
it would overflow into the Nile.
When the west bank Of the Nile is
reached, the visitor usually mounts n
donkey or camel for the two-hours'
ride 10 the Valley of the Kings. He
passes on the way the great Colossi
of Memnon. one of which, according
to tradition. emits sounds when the
suns rays fall upon il. The Emperor
Hadrian came here in the dawn of
Roman history and scratched his ini-
tials upon the pediment of the vocal