10/50.- Luxor, people

The city of Luxor was already a tourist destination 2000 years ago. First the Greeks and later the Romans visited the many monuments in the area. Since then, visitors have admired the ruins of the pharaohs. In 1979 the UNESCO added Luxor, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens to its world heritage list.

Currently the city has 150,000 inhabitants, most of them work in the tourist industry. If you visit Luxor in summer you will notice this everywhere. Yes, locals will harass you all the time. Although people from Luxor are very nice and friendly, most visitors only meet the locals used to deal with tourists. They will try all the tricks they know to sell you something: a falluca trip in Corniche, a souvenir in the shops, fruits in the markets, and so on. Kids will ask you for a baksheesh (tip). You will have to learn to say no thanks, "la shukran" in Arabic. These words will be very useful, so try to remember them.

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