Day 7      11/8/22

Egypt - Luxor

Frank's Trip

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Luxor is the modern name of the ancient city of Thebes

Valley Of The Queens and more...

The current city of Luxor is the site of the famous city of Thebes of Ancient Egypt. For a time beginning around 2000 BC it was the capital of Ancient Egypt

The West Bank of Luxor is where the funerary complexes are. The Valley Of The Queens and Valley Of The Kings and other sites.

This is where many of the "ruins" weren't "ruined". The interiors of the tombs and burial chambers, while not new and pristine, do come relatively close to that - especially considering they are thousands of years old.

Today was EXTREME - very long and lots of sights... Burial Chambers at Deir El Medina and the ruins of the village and temple, the Tomb of Queen Neferatari and other tombs, and Medinet Habu. LOTS of pictures here and some VIDEOS, too.

Deir El Medina

The ancient Egyptian name of Deir El Medina was "ta set Maat" which means "the place of reality." This town was constructed to host the workers and the artists who built the royal and private tombs on the Western Bank of Luxor. As with anywhere else, some of these individuals were far wealthier than others and held greater positions with more status. Today, some of the graves of these people are tombs cut into the mountain and some are very well preserved. Part of the site has these burial chambers and part of the site is the ruins of much of the town itself and its temple.

Tombs and Burial Chambers

For some of these I have names... but not for all of them. These tombs and burial chambers are in the range of about 3,500 years old to about 3,100 years old.

Tomb / Burial Chamber of Sennutem / Sennedjem

An artist who lived in the reign of Sethos I and Ramses II, the tomb of Sennedjem is among the most famous tombs in the Necropolis of Deir El Medina because the tomb was finely preserved when it was discovered to the extent that the paintings seem as if they were completed only a few years ago. This tomb was created about 3,200 years ago.

Video: Sennutem Burial Chamber

I was fortunate to get to Deir El Medina early - before the "tourists". I was able to go into the burial chambers alone with a guide that accompanies all visitors. Each one involved some work getting into and it was quite warm. In speaking with the guides, I found that when there are a number of tourists (e.g. a tour group) they bring as many as 12 people in at a time. These chambers are pretty small. With more than 3 or possibly 4 people they will be cramped and much warmer and it will be difficult to get photos. Great reason for not going with tour groups - this will become much more evident to me as I go through more of the Valley of the Queens and Valley of the Kings.

Burial Chamber of Inherka / Inerkhau

Inerkhau, the headman of the lord of the two lands in the place of the truth during the reign of Ramses III and Ramses VI had his tomb constructed in the tombs of Deir El Medina which are featured with paintings illustrating passages from the Book of the Dead.

Video: Inherka Burial Chamber

There videos aren't easy to take - so the quality can vary. Inside the burial chambers it involves sitting on the floor, gradually spinning around and doing a sit up -or the reverse- to video the ceiling. So, please forgive the many flaws in the videography.

Video: Nebenmaat Burial Chamber

The paintings in these chambers are protected by plexiglas panels on all sides - but not the curved ceilings. This accounts for the sometimes weak quality of some of the photos & videos of the sides of the chambers.

Burial Chamber at Deir El Medina

This burial chamber has largely succumbed to the ravages of time and humidity

Burial Chamber at Deir El Medina

Sorry... Don't know whose Burial Chamber this is. But it is nice!

Deir El Medina

The ruins of the village and temple that served artisans and workers for over 400 years after its founding around 1540 BC - 3,500 years ago.

Valley of the Queens

There is nothing to see on the surface at Valley of the Queens. Everything is in the tombs cut into the hillsides. In these pictures the entrances to some of the tombs show up and, along with the walkway, that's it.

Tomb of Queen Nefertari

Nefertari was the first and favored wife of King Ramses II - not to be confused with Nefertiti.

Nefertari's Tomb is quite large and in beautiful condition with absolutely striking pictures and hieroglyphs on all walls and ceilings. Many people bypass it because of the extra price for entering it (above the price for admission to Valley of the Queens and the other tombs). Nefertari's tomb is by far the most spectacular in both size and adornment.

Tomb of Queen Titi (Tyti)

Tyti was an ancient Egyptian queen of the 20th Dynasty. A wife and sister of Ramses III and possibly the mother of Ramses IV.

The plexiglass and glare on it made photography very difficult here - and in other tombs.

Tomb of Prince Amen Khopshef

Amun-her-khepeshef was the crown prince of Egypt for the first 25 years of Ramses II's reign but eventually predeceased his father in Year 25 of his father's reign.

Tomb of Prince Kha Em Waset

Son of King Ramses III and Queen Isetnofret

Medinet Habu & Mortuary Temple of Ramses III

Built around 1200 BC - about 3,200 years old

The complex consists of a small, older temple built during the 18th dynasty and enlarged in the Late Period, and the great Temple of Ramses III, associated with a royal palace, which was surrounded by a battlemented enclosure wall four meters high.

Dedicated to Amun. The reliefs here are some of the best to be seen on the West Bank.