![[Flag of the Governorate of Luxor]](../images/e/eg-luxor.gif)
Last modified: 2021-03-06 by ian macdonald
Keywords: luxor | uqsur (al-) |
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image by Jaume Ollé, 23 February 2007See also:
Founded December 7, 2009, split from Qina Governorate
Location: Upper
Egypt on both sides of the Nile
Area: 2,960 km²
Population: 1.3
million
Capital: Luxor
Ian MacDonald,
16 February 2021
Luxor was separated administratively from Qena
and adopted its flag own before 2003. It is a very complicated design, white with
an emblem in the center showing buildings and sphinxes.
Jaume Ollé, 23 February 2007
Detail of emblem:![[city flag]](../images/e/eg-g-lux1.gif)
image located by Ian MacDonald,
16 February 2021
Source: Frank-René Putz, Der Flaggenkurier 51/2020
Aspect ratios of the flags: 2003: 3: 4, otherwise 2: 3
The symbolism of
the youngest Egyptian governorate, Luxor, is complex. As a city in the
governorate of Qina, Luxor used the flag and coat of arms that
became its symbols when the governorate was founded. The flag shows the Temple
of Karnak with the famous Sphinx avenue. Above it hovers the golden death mask
of Tutankhamen (18th Dynasty, reign 1332-1323 BCE) found in an intact grave in
the Valley of the Kings. Above the death mask is the city name, above in Arabic
script, below in Latin script.
Ian MacDonald,
21 February 2021
The depiction of the death mask remained the central component of the later redesign of the flag and coat of arms of the Luxor Governorate. There were also variants of the city and first governorate flags in which the depiction described above was only placed as an emblem in the middle of a white flag cloth.
As a former part of the Qina
Governorate, the flag of Qina
was also used in the time after the Luxor
Governorate was founded.
Ian MacDonald,
21 February 2021
![[city flag]](../images/e/eg-g-lux2.jpg)
image located by Ian MacDonald,
16 February 2021
Source: Frank-René Putz, Der Flaggenkurier 51/2020
The attentive observer will
notice that the boat flag appears to be shown the wrong way
round. The flagpole is clearly to the right of the flag, so normally the reverse
side would have to be shown. However, from the inscription above the death mask,
you can see that the word Luxor (in Latin letters) can be read correctly, i.e.
the front of the flag can be seen. It should be noted, however, that the Arabic
script is read from right to left and so images are also viewed in the Arabic
language area. In domestic flag and flag usage, the side facing left from the
flagpole or flagpole is the front of the flag. Most of the Arab states have
adapted themselves to international flag usage. In older flag books, however,
the images of Arab flags can be seen with the mast shown to the right of the
flag and the flag itself waving to the left.
Ian MacDonald,
21 February 2021
![[governorate arms]](../images/e/eg-g-lux3).jpg)
image located by Ian MacDonald,
16 February 2021
Source: Frank-René Putz, Der Flaggenkurier 51/2020
The city and first
governorate coats of arms show a boat floating on the Nile, on it the famous
obelisk of Luxor and the death mask of Tutankhamen.
Ian MacDonald,
21 February 2021
![[governorate arms]](../images/e/eg-g-lux4).gif)
image located by Ian MacDonald,
16 February 2021
Source: Frank-René Putz, Der Flaggenkurier 51/2020
On November
2nd, 2010 the governorate was given a coat of arms, which only shows the death
mask (eg-g-lux4.gif). In 2016, a new, light blue flag with this coat of arms in
the center was introduced.
Ian MacDonald,
21 February 2021
