For thousands of years, the sitting figure of Ramses II watched over the Nil, till the construction of the Aswan dam threatened to drown the ancient temple under the waters of the river.
Balloon rides are a popular way to see the numerous ancient sites which line the banks of the River Nile at Luxor, in the south of Egypt, such as the temple of Karnak and the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
The temple elephant, Lakshmi, carefully lumbers down the long stairs to the river and blesses the pilgrims with a spray of water before receiving her morning bath.