Events In Luxor

Moulid of Abu al-Haggag 

It is the town’s biggest traditional festival. One of Egypt’s largest moulids (saints’ festivals), it is held in honor of Luxor’s patron sheikh, Yousef Abu al-Haggag, a 12th-century Iraqi who settled in Luxor.

The moulid takes place around the Mosque of Abu al-Haggag, the town’s oldest mosque, which is built on top of the northeastern corner of Luxor Temple. It’s a raucous five-day carnival that takes place in the third week before Ramadan.

Luxor Marathon 

In late January or early February each year a marathon is held on the west bank. It begins at Deir al-Bahri and loops around the main antiquities sites before ending back where it began.

There are several smaller moulids around Luxor: Abu’l Gumsan, named after a religious man who died in 1984, on 27 Sha’aban near the West Bank village of Tariff; Sheikh Musa and Abu al-Jud in the sprawling village of Karnak; Sheikh Hamid on 1Sha’aban and Sheikh Hussein a couple of days later.

Moulid of Mar Girgis (St George) 

The week-long Coptic takes place at the monastery of the same name at the village of Razagat, culminating on 11 November. This area is officially forbidden to foreigners, but the service taxis that ferry the hundreds of people to the moulid often avoid the checkpoint by taking a desert track.