Al Moudira

Al Moudira stands on Luxor’s west bank, on the side of the Nile the ancient Egyptians associated with the afterlife. Thousands of years ago pharaohs crossed to these hills for their tombs and funerary temples. Today people cross for something considerably lighter: lunch by the pool and one of Egypt’s most unusual hotels.

Many guests assume they are staying in a restored palace from another era. They are not. Al Moudira was conceived by Zeina Aboukheir in 1999 and opened in the early 2000s. Building an elaborate world of domes, courtyards and gardens on a quiet stretch outside Luxor was hardly an obvious move at the time. Looking at it today, it is difficult to imagine the landscape without it.

The interesting part is how convincing the illusion becomes. Antique doors, painted ceilings, Syrian furniture and collected architectural details create the feeling that the place gradually assembled itself over decades. Walking through the hotel can be oddly disorienting in a pleasant way. A passage opens into a fountain, a courtyard turns into a garden, and somewhere along the way you realise you stopped thinking about where you were going several minutes ago.

The location helps. You are close to the Valley of the Kings and the great archaeological sites of ancient Thebes, yet removed from the movement around the Nile and the choreography of cruise boats and buses. After a day among temples built for rulers and gods, returning here feels surprisingly calm.

This place has personality, and quite a lot of it.