King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain inaugurate a new monument night-lighting system at the Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor. Photo: Casa de S.M. el Rey x account
The project represents a significant step toward extending the opening hours of Luxor’s temples, thereby enabling night visits and developing Egypt’s tourism sector.
The new lighting system, part of a major initiative to develop the city’s archaeological sites, was executed by a consortium of Spanish companies, foremost among them Tragsa and the Spanish state-owned engineering consultancy ISDEFE.
The project also introduced professional lighting systems with advanced technologies into the temples, with contributions from Spanish firms such as Varona.
In addition, Spanish equipment was imported from several brands, including Scati (for surveillance cameras), Salicru (for power stabilisation systems and uninterruptible power supplies), and Thomas (for visitor centre lockers).
The project also incorporated various equipment from Spanish firms such as Dorlet (for integrated security systems), Ojmar (for electronic lock systems), Electra Molins (for power generators), and Virtualware (for 3D interfaces).
The implementation included lighting the façades, temples, and tombs using modern LED lamps and spotlights mounted on hand-carved stone bases protected by fibreglass layers with a natural stone finish, ensuring complete harmony between the lighting systems and the temples.
The project, which also addresses challenges related to enhancing security at these archaeological sites, has introduced an advanced security system in Luxor.
On the east bank, the surrounding area of the Luxor Temple was secured. In contrast, on the west bank, the area surrounding the temples of Hatshepsut, Ramesseum, Medinet Habu, as well as the Valley of the Kings, and the surrounding tombs were secured.
Earlier Thursday, the Spanish royal arrived in Luxor, where they were received by Governor of Luxor Abdel-Muttalib Emara, marking the beginning of their visit to Upper Egypt.
Emara expressed his delight at the royal visit, describing it as a historic event that reinforces Luxor’s status as the world’s capital of cultural tourism.
On Tuesday, the royal couple arrived in Egypt for a four-day state visit, accompanied by Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares.
This is considered the first visit by the Spanish monarch to Egypt since King Felipe’s accession to the throne in 2014.
In February, President El-Sisi visited Madrid, where he met with King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.
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