Theban Sightseeing
LouiseAl
Lived and worked in Egypt. Egyptologist.
1 Jun 2008
based on 14 votes
Do you want to really get underneath those pharaoh's skin? And do you also want to check out possibilities outside your already booked package? Then check the lists, divided into days, which includes a lot of the major sights in the Theban Area.
There are a number of ways to do tours in Luxor. Some come with a pre-arranged tour package from home, others prefer to book when arriving in Luxor, some prefer to go with a guide, some without, some will rent a bike (probably too hot during summer), some will go by coach etc. There are pros and cons to all solutions, but keep in mind, that if you are doing the Westbank tours by yourself, make sure that you know where to buy the tickets for the sites, as it may vary whether you buy them on site or through a central ticket office, located some hundred meters from the Colossi of Memnon. Bring lots of water. Even during the coldest winter months, the Westbank can be very, very hot.
Underneath you will find a lot of text explaing just a little about the various sites I have chosen to put on this list. There are lots more to be said. Lots. I recommend a handful of good guidebooks if you are not doing this with a living guide. Also, the entrance tickets to the various sites will put a pretty large dent in your pocket. It it not that visiting those sites are more expensive than visiting an art museum anywhere in the world, but being a family of maybe four or five and visiting maybe three or four sites a day for almost every day during a week will indeed be very expensive. Also remember that taxidrivers driving you around, your tourguides, "friends" helping you locate the tombs etc will expect a decent tip.
Some of the text here has been copied from my own reviews of the same attractions in the review section of TA.
Have a great trip :o)
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Explore locations featured in this Traveler List:
Luxor, Nile River Valley
- Category: Perfect week or more
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Traveler type: Culture, Sightseeing
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Appeals to: Singles, Large groups, Seniors, Students, Budget travellers , Tourists
- Seasons: Winter, Spring, Fall
- Tags: Egypt, Pharaoh, Theban, Egyptology, Culture, Luxor, Valley of the Kings, Temples and Tombs
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You will begin your Egyptology Expedition at the end. The end of Pharaoh's life, that is. Nearly all the rulers of the 18th, 19th and 20th Dynasty (aka New Kingdom) was buried here in the mountains in deep, rock cut tombs. At this time, pharaohs had been ditching the pyramid-tradition for generations, and the new burial-style was the rock cut tombs. On the walls you will find paintings of god and goddesses and long, hieroglyphic texts, all supposed to help the deceased pharaoh to be able to "walk into the light", be reborn and connect with Osiris, the god of the Netherworld. On his way, pharaoh had to encounter numerous enemies, and the Ancient Egyptians believed that overcoming all this would be easier if there was a "manual", a guide book, written on the walls of the tomb. From the deepest end, pharaoh began his descend upwards, so in fact, you have to walk all the way down to the burial chamber and then follow the texts, paintings and reliefs and end up walking into the light yourself when you exit the tomb.
Try to see a tomb from all three dynasties mentioned above to be able to compare the shift in architecture and decorations.
You could bring "The Treasures of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings" by Kent Weeks as a handy companion, helping you decipher some of the mysterious artwork and texts. |
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2. Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari
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Now that you've seen where the king was buried, you head to his memorial temple. In this case you head to HER memorial temple, as this temple was built by the female pharaoh Hatshepsut. But the temple is special in a number of other ways too. First of all, the traditional memorial temple was supposed to be build just where cultivation ends and the dry desert begins. But Hatshepsut planned her temple as a rock temple. It wasn't a novel idea though. If you look to your left, you may be able to see the ruins of a previous rock temple, build generations before Hatshepsut by a previous pharaoh called Mentuhotep II. It might be from him, that Hatshepsut got the idea to build her own rock temple. A memorial temple was where priests made sure, that the pharaoh's memory was kept alive through offerings, rituals, festivals and celebrations. Hatshepsut's temple has been very heavily restored and much of what you see is not original. Even some of the reliefs are fakes, the real ones being at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. But there is still lots of real reliefs to be seen. A fave is the one where Hathsepsut drinks milk from the Hathor-cow, Hathor being one of the Egyptian goddesses associated with motherhood. You will find this relief in the Hathor chapel to the left of the second pillared terrace.
The views from the upper terrace is magnificent, but please note that Deir el-Bahri is one of the hottest spots on earth, and while it may seem like a good idea to walk back and forth from the parking lot, and not waste time going with the little "train" you should do so to save your energy. |
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3. Valley of the Artisans (Deir el-Medina)
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| By now, you have an idea about the whole concept of death and burial of the pharaoh (from the tombs in Valley of the Kings) and what was needed to be done after his (her) death (from memorial temple of Hatshepsut). But who build and decorated the tombs? And what did people outside royalty and nobilty do in Ancient Egypt? Get some answers from Deir el-Medina, which is the modern name covering the remains of the workmen's village, located in a little valley not far from Hatshepsut's memorial temple. Now, to be true, those people working and living here were not exactly poor. And they were also somewhat protected by pharaoh, but what we know from this village is still giving us a very vivid image of what life was like for normal people bakc then between 1500 - 1000 BC. In Deir el-Medina you will be able to see the tiny tombs the workers built for themselves and their families plus the remains of ther small row-houses, nestled side by side on narrow streets. You need a good guide or a good guidebook to learn about how they striked from work if they did not get their "pay check" or if you want to know how they wrote loveletters to each other or sued each other over the tiniest arguments. So after seeing the wonderful tombs, find a good place in the shade and read about it or question your guide until he or she is blue in the face. There are so many things to be said about this place and you will want to learn more :o) |
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We are at the end of the first day. By now all you want is to get back to your hotel for a relaxing afternoon by the pool. But before that, make a quick stop by the Colossi of Memnon. The huge statues are not actually depicting Memnon (a Greek god) but pharaoh Amenhotep III. In ancient times, the colossi marked the entrance to the largest memorial temple of them all, larger even than the Medinet Habu temple of Ramesses III. But over the millenia, the flooding of the Nile, agriculture and the robbing of stones from the temple (something which began already in ancient times) has reduced the temple to nothing. Archaeologists are digging away these years and unearthing many interesting things, so fortunately, the temple has not disappeared completely.
The statues was named Memnon by the Romans. Cracks in the huge figures apparently made them "sing" in ancient times, and before they were restored, also by the Romans, people said that they was showing Memnon, singing to his mother, who was Aurora, the rosy red dawn, when he saw her each morning.
Snap some images of the huge things and travel back to your hotel where you can prepare for the next Theban sightseeing day. |
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5. Ramesseum (Mortuary Temple of Ramses II)
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| The Ramesseum is the first sight on the Theban Sightseeing, day 2. Ramesseum is the memorial temple of well known pharaoh Ramesses II. This was were the dead pharaoh's memory was going to be kept alive, but it was also a very lively place in it's time. Lots of bureaucrats and magistrates worked here where some of all the grain harvested from the fields around the temple was harvested. There were offices, storage rooms and much more, so the quietness and the romantic peace hovering over the site today is nothing like in ancient times. Not many tour groups visit the Ramesseum, so it can really be quiet specially in the early morning hours. There is not much left of the temple, but fine reliefs can be found everywhere and if you are lucky, maybe the guards will let you stroll around among the remains of the storage houses. Sometimes a few pound notes will make all the difference. The large fallen colossus of Ramesses II in the second open court yard is what inspired Shelley to write the sonnet Ozymandias. Also remember to have your picture taken between the huge feet or hands lying in the first open court yard and once belonging to yet another one of those colossal statues that Ramesses II seemed to really like. If you are into Ramesses II, you will find very interesting war-reliefs in Ramesseum. |
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6. Tomb of Ramose TT 55
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It is easy to get from the Ramesseum to the tombs of the nobles, scattered around the hillsides and among the houses in the village called Old Gurna. Just cross the street to the parking lot and make your way to the first tomb, the tomb of Ramose, number TT (Theban Tomb) 55. If you haven't got a guide with you, a lot of kids will befriend you immediately and be happy to show you how to find the tombs. But perhaps it is preferable to befriend an adult instead and tip him accordingly afterwards. It is not that the village is so huge that you will be lost, but if you haven't been there before, some of the tombs will be hard to find. Ramose's tomb is, however, pretty easy to get to: from the parking lot you head up and to the right. Passing by some houses and the "Ramose Shop" (great place for refreshments) you are nearly there. A few more steps straight ahead, and you will see a broad set of stairs. They lead down to the small forecourt in front of Ramose's tomb.
Ramoses was a courtier and nobleman during the reigns of both Amenhotep III and Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten. His tomb is large and spacious and while not finished, it contains some of the most wonderful reliefs in any tomb in all of Egypt. This tomb is a definite must-see, not-to-be-missed and all that. The scenes on the walls show the funeral banquet for Ramoses, seated with his wife. Note the exquisite carvings in low relief, the unfinishness only adding to the experience. Only the black eye paint is seen on the reliefs. On the back wall, upper register, is more funeral scenes, those ones are painted and not cut into relief. Note the wailing women and children mourning the death and funeral of Ramose. On the back walls are interesting scenes, also unfinished, from the reign of the heretic Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten, made in a different style than the rest of the decoration.
The columns in the tomb are modern or partly made from fragments of the old ones. |
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7. Tomb of Rekhmire TT 100
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| Rekhmire planned a special tomb for himself. But he probably wasn't buried in it. It looks like this wealthy vizier fell into disgrace at some point in his career, and that he was not buried in the tomb he had laid out in the Theban hills. Maybe some of the paintings and decorations in his tomb was deliberately ruined. But the tomb remains a very interesting one, and is worth a visit. Quoting Kent Weeks, who is quoting the 19th century British traveller Sir John Gardner Wilkinson, the decorations in the tomb of Rekhmire will shed more light on ancient Egyptian culture than any other source know. And Wilkinson did have a point. In the tomb you will see paintings of hunting, people bearing tribute, men carrying offerings to the temples and a lot of scenes with craftsmen doing all sorts of crafts like sealing wine-jars, working on furniture, melting copper, carving huge statues etc. The tomb itself is interesting with it's layout consisting of a transverse hall and a long, narrow passage with about 8 meters to the ceiling, giving Rekhmire ample wall space to decorate. Too bad he probably was never laid to rest there. |
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8. Tomb of Nakht TT 52
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| This small tomb has some wonderful and colourful paintings, but it is indeed very small, and for some it may feel claustrophobic. Only two persons can be inside the tomb at the same time, so if you are visiting during a busy time, there could be a line. Before you enter the tomb itself, there is a small area with info on Nakht, his tomb etc. Inside the tomb you should notice the pretty ceiling which looks like a carpet has been laid across it. It is also in this tomb that you find those beautiful scenes of pretty ladies sitting with perfume cones on their heads, sniffing lotus'es while being waited upon by a little girl and listening to the blind harpist playing. This motif is well known from millions of postcards, but so pretty to see "in real life". Other famous scenes from the tomb of Nakht are those depicting Nakht hunting in the marshes. Actually, it is Nakht and his family hunting, because the wife and children are depicted next to Nakht himself standing on his papyrus boat. This small tomb is full of pretty paintings and definitely one of the more famous Theban tombs. |
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One of the lesser visited temples in Luxor, this one located on the Westbank, is the memorial temple of pharaoh Ramesses III. While not exactly empty, you will often find less crowds here than in the temple complexes on the Eastbank. And visiting this temple really gives you an idea about the grandeur and massiveness of the Egyptian temple.
It is the second-largest temple in Egypt, only the Karnak temple is larger. The temple is nowadays called The Medinet Habu-temple, perhaps from the remains of another temple close to it. But in ancient times, it was the memorial temple of Ramesses III, where his memory was supposed to be kept alive for million of years.
Ramesses III is the last great, Egyptian pharaoh. After his reign, which was filled with problems like strikes among the tomb-builders, war against various enemies and perhaps a harem conspiracy to murder the pharaoh, the Egyptian Empire slowly began to fall, and after 100 years, around 1000 BC, Egypt was under foreing rule, which was to last until modern times.
You enter the temple from what is called The Syrian Gate. It is told that here, in the rooms above the gate, the deceitful women of the harem sat and plotted against their master and pharaoh when the royal family was visiting the temple.
When you enter the large, open space immediately after the Syrian Gate, you stand in front of a mega-massive pylon. This really gives you an impression of just how large a scale the ancient pharaohs used when building their temples. On the pylon you see reliefs of pharaoh slaying the enemies he is holding in his hand, presenting them for two of the major gods of this time: Amun, depicted as a man with two tall feathers rising from his crown (he is on the left side of the pylon) and Re-Harakhte, with a falcon's head, on the right side of the entrance. Under the feet of pharao and the god is rows of captive enemies with hands tied behind their backs.
Now you can do the easy tour, and just head into the inner parts of the temple. The first op courtyard has several interesting things to explore, for instance the reliefs of pharaoh being presented with baskets of hands and penises, which has been cut off Egypt's enemies during battle. You find those reliefs on the back of the pylon, just when you enter the courtyard.
The opening in the south wall in the first courtyard is called The Window of Appereance. Behind this window lies the palace of the pharaoh, where he stayed when he visited his temple. And he could sit in his palace and look into the first court yard, where religious plays etc took place.
When you go further into the temple, you also have to note the very well preserved colours still visible on top of columns, on the ceiling etc. The back of the temple with the shrine is very ruined, but still interesting to walk around the storage rooms, looking at the reliefs, colors etc.
You should also walk around the whole temple to have a look at the remains of the royal palace, and all the interesting reliefs to be found on the outer walls of the temple. Note the extremely deep hieroglyphic carvings that Ramesses III did to make sure no pharaoh after him would take over HIS temple. There are also a calendar relief, taking up most of the enormous southern, outer wall.
The whole complex was surrounded by thick walls, which was build as a religions symbol of the primeaval waters, from which life came into existence, but the walls also protected the temple in a very real way. As times grew harder, people started to move in between the temple and the walls to feel safe from attacks. There are still remains of their houses and buildings. You can also find many remains from the not so distant past, where Egypt was Christian.
Ramesses III admired his forefather Ramesses II, and build his memorial temple as a copy of the Ramesseum. Ramesseum has fallen much more into ruin, but by looking and touring the Medinet Habu, you will get an idea about how the Ramesseum also looked in it's heyday. After this visit I am sure you are more than ready to call it a day and head home. |
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| Admitted. Temples and tombs can wear you out, specially if the temps are rising. But still, the Valley of the Queens where courtiers, princes, princesses and queens were buried is still worth a visit. The most famous tomb is, the tomb of Queen Nefertari, is unfortunately closed, but three tombs remain open, and they are small and pretty tombs with beautiful paintings made in delicate pastels, and are a welcome sight for sore eyes. Two of the tombs open to the public are tombs of two young princes of Ramesses III while the last open tomb is dedicated to one of his queens, Titi. You can be in and out in an hour, but you should also remember to have a look at the weird geological formations of the mountains here, forming this little valley. More than 80 tombs has been located in VOQ as opposed to the 64 located in VOK, but as I said above, only three of the are open. When you arrive in VOQ, you have to pass by a line of vendors and when entering the valley, there is still a good walk until you reach the area with the tombs. VOQ could be the first visit on your third day on the Theban Westbank, and if you start early it should not be too hot, of course depending on the time of year. |
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11. Tomb of Sennefer TT 96
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| After the visit in the Valley of the Queens it is time to check out some more noble's tombs in the hillsides of the village Old Gurna. For Sennefer's tomb you will have to climb a hillside, while dozens of children are following you, looking for a pen, a pound or some candy. But the climb and the hordes of children are well worth it. After catching your breath beneath the small roof put up to provide some shade in this barren desert, you climb down and enter Sennefer's tomb. You will see a beuatiful tomb with some extraordinary paintings. Look up and see the bulging ceiling, where the artist has made it look like a carpet has been spread out over the ceiling in the middle, while the sides of the ceiling are decorated with a forest of grapes, hanging all over. On the walls are scenes with Sennefer and his wife in various religious rituals, on boats etc. Notice the exquisite detail with which all the paintings has been made. |
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12. Tomb of Menna TT 69
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| This is the last tomb visit, and after seeing Menna's tomb, you will probably not care about all the other tombs around, that you still haven't seen. But I think there should be something for the next time you go to Luxor and the Theban Westbank. Menna was a scribe and while the decorations in his tomb are not the best craftmanship ever seen, there are much to be learned about everyday life in Ancient Egypt. There are scenes of field work and harvest and a lot of scenes showing offerings being made to Menna and his wife. There are also scenes showing Menna and his wife hunting in the marshes and some very interesting scenes of Menna's mummy being prepared and prepared for burial. When you have studied everything in Menna's tomb, head out into the light and go to your last visit of the third day. You will have to drive a bit, because the last thing on the itenerary is located a bit off the beaten track. |
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The memorial temple of Seti I, father of Ramesses II, is located opposite the winding road leading to the Valley of the Kings. The temple is small and there is not much left compared to some of the other memorial temples on the Westbank. When Seti I's son was building and decorating temples, it sometimes seems as it it could not go fast enough. The father either had better craftmen or a more artful eye, because the reliefs here in his temple are very delicate and very nice. You will also find the temple quiet and free of crowds and you can spend half an hour here unwinding from the visits to the tombs and the Valley of the Queen. Like other temples on the Westbank, the memorial temple of Seti I was ritually connected to temples on the Eastbank and was used during certain religious rituals and festivals.
The temples on the Westbank are, for the most part, memorial temples. They are also called mortuary temples, although using memorial temple is more correct. By know you will know that the Westbank was supposed to be for the dead, while the Eastbank was for the living. That is why the memorial temples and the tombs are located to the West and why the temples for the Gods, who were considered to "be alive", was placed on the Eastbank. When you are done doing the Westbank, you can return to East and use another day or two exploring the large temples over there plus the really great archaeological museum. |
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The huge temple of Karnak in Luxor, Egypt, is definitely a sight not to be missed. The temple is one of the largest religious buildings in the world, and you will be lost for words when you first enter this magnificent ruin.
The Ancient Egyptians laid the first foundations to the temple around 2000 BC. At that time Luxor, which was known as Waset (it was the Greeks who named the city Thebes, but that did not happen until later on) was on the rise. Some of the first pharaohs of this particular period (Middle Kingdom) was from Luxor, and thus the city was elevated from being a fairly unknown and sleepy provincial town to the nations capital. Through the next 1000 yeard, the local god, Amun, also rose to become a national god, worshipped all over Egypt.
From around 2000 BC and until around the year 0, every pharaoh added something to the temple, restored it, tore down old buldings, did maintenance etc. For 2000 years there was constant activity going on in this temple. No wonder it is such an amazing maze today.
You enter through the first pylon after having walked down an alley lined with ramheaded sfinxes. The first pylon belongs to some of the younger parts of the temple, having been added lated in the story of Ancient Egypt. In the first courtyard you then have several options. You can visit the barque-chapel of Seti II (that is the small "shack" of stone divided into three seperate champers on your left) or you can visit the small temple within the temple, build by Ramesses III (to the right). Or you can gaze at the still visible huge ramp which was used when building the first pylon. It is also from the first courtyard that you can walk to the Open Air-museum (extra entrance fee). When you are done perusing the first courtyard, you might want to walk through the remains of the second pylon.
The second pylon was build by Ramesses II and his father Seti I, and from the opening you enter the enormous forest of columns, which is breathtaking. Try and move a little into the hall, away from the tourgroups and yelling tourguides and try imagining the ancient priests moving hastily from one part of the temple to another, pausing briefly to send a prayer to Amun.
From the hall of columns you follow the straight axis through the remains of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth pylons/gates. Admitted, there is not much left, but if you are aware, you can clearly see where the gates once stood. You will pass two obelisks, the smaller one erected by Thutmosis I and the larger one erected by infamous queen Hatshepsut.
At the end of the axis you will find the shrine, build in Greco/Roman period. Behind the shrine is an open courtyard with the oldest remains of the temple. After this open courtyard follows the Festival Temple of Tuthmosis III, and when you have walked through that, you climb over the wall, walk next the outher wall and end up next to the sacred lake, where the priests in ancient times had geese, the goose being one of Amun's sacred animals, and where they perhaps enacted "ritual plays".
From the sacred lake and the cafeteria, you pass a huge granite scarab, and you'll see dozens of dizzy tourists running around this monument. That is because their guide tells them, that running three times around the scarab will make you happy. If you want to do something like that, please do. But just bear in mind, it wasn't something the Ancient Egyptians made up, it is something made up in purely modern times.
Not far from the scarab lies the remains of queen Hatshepsut's second obelisk, and if you enter through the doorway to the left, you will enter the open courtyard called "The Karnak Cachette". In this yard, archaeologist in the early 1900's found thousands of statues and bronze figurines buried in a cachette underneath the floor. At some point in antiquity, the temple has simply been filled up, and instead of throwing the statues out, they were buried in an enormous pit here.
You are also on the axis going north/south, where the seventh, eight, ninth and tenth pylons are. This area is usually closed off.
From a doorway you are led into the great hall of columns and from here you just follow the axis out of the temple again.
This overview covers a very basic tour through the temple. It will take you about 1½ hour inlcuding a pit stop at the café. But if you are interested, you can easily use much more time. This overview only covers a part of what is known as "Precinct of Amun". Other parts of the temple may be closed.
Tickets are sold outside the temple. Bring a trustworthy guidebook if you are not travelling with your own living guide ;o) Otherwise one stone will quickly become more boring than the next. |
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This pretty little temple lies smack in the middle of the bustling city of Luxor, close to the Corniche and the Nile.
You enter from the Corniche and walk down a pawed path until you are in front of the temple's large pylon. Looking back you see the remains of the alley of sfinxes leading north to the great temple of Amun in Karnak. But the temples were not only connected physically. Their connection also played a major religious role.
Each year, at the so-called Opet-festival, (the image of) Amun, residing in Karnak, travelled to the Luxor Temple in an enormous procession ending in the Luxor Temple. Here the festivities centered around the pharaoh's renewal as divine child of Amun.
When you turn around and look at the pylon again, squeeze your eyes and you may be able to see the faint reliefs on the pylon depicting some of the scenes from Ramesses II and his Battle of Kadesh. The large statues in front of the pylon is also of Ramesses II. Entering the temple, you will see a building incorporated into the temple walls in the first court yard. That is the Mosque of Abu el-Haggag, built sometime in the 13th Century AD. The statues placed between the columns in the first court yard are all of Ramesses II. If you stand with your back to the entrance between the pylon and head towards the right seated statue (Both of the colossal statues originally of Amenhotep III but usurped by Ramesses II), instead of continuing straight to the colonnade, make your way between the two stautes missing their heads. You are now standing in front of a ruined wall where you can see a very interesting relief depicting the facade of the temple in the time of Ramesses II. Note the towering flagpoles, reaching beyond the pylon!
As you go deeper into the temple, the buildings become older and older. The colonnade was bulit by one of Ramesses II's predecessors, Amenhotep III. On the walls on each side are faint but delicate reliefs showing the festivities connnected to the Opet Festival.
The large open courtyard, the peristyle court, was also built by Amenhotep III. In 1989 archaeologists found a cache of hidden statues in the open court yard, stautes you can see at the wonderful Luxor Museum 15 minutes walk from the temple. Perhaps the court yard was built to celebrate the Aten, the sun disc, who definitely became more and more important in the years following Amenhotep III.
As you go deeper into the temple, passing through a small columed hall, you will come to a room many guides call "The Church". Look for faint traces of frescoes in the left upper corner of the southern wall. The room was probably not a church at all, but a place for the cult of the Roman Emperor. In Roman times the temple was a fortification, and there are still remains around the temple from this Roman fortification. It is belived that around 1500 men lived in the temple during it's time functioning as a fortification. So it makes good sense that the soldiers needed a place to worship the emperor.
After this room, you go through a narrow doorway (probably build by the Romans as well) and enter one of the first vestibules leading to the shrine or sactuary. When you are in the second vestibule, instead of heading to the shrine of Alexander the Great (placed in the middle of a vestibule leading to the original shrine or sanctuary) you can turn left. Then you enter the so-called "Birth Room", where the royal birth is depicted symbolically on the walls. Among other things you can see how the god symbolically impregnates the queen.
The last room in the temple is the shrine / sanctuary of Amenhotep III. To exit the temple, you have head the same way as you came into it. When you are back in front of the pylon, and stand with your back to it, you turn right to exit the area. A short walking distance from the exit you will find the large, new plaza made next to temple, where Egyptian families hang out, play ball, have dinner etc. And you will also be close to MacDonalds and the entrance to the Tourist Suq. |
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| The Luxor Museum is an ideal place to spend a hot afternoon (it is airconditioned) away from the hustle and bustle of the town. But don't go there just to get a whiff of air con. The pieces on display here are masterpieces from Ancient Egypt, put on display in a modern and very appealing manner. You will walk awestruck from one famous piece to another. When you enter the museum, you should begin your tour by heading up the few steps to the first level. Here are the sculptures arranged in chronological order. But first you see a pretty golden cow, the cow goddess Mehit-Weret. The head is from the tomb of Tutankhamun. The massive granite head of king next to the cow head is of king Amenhotep III. When you are up the few steps and begin to look around, you will see another granite head. This one of a sour looking fella with a downturned mouth and heavy eyelids. That is king Sesostris/Senuseret III, who ruled Egypt during the Middle Kingdom. Along the wall are several other fine sculptures and in the middle of the floor, a great staue of king Amenhotep III with the crocodile god Sobek. Continuing straight ahead will bring you to the new wing, where objects dealing with war, technology and science is on display. In the middle, two mummies are tastefully exhibited, and one of the mummies are supposed to be of Rameses I. The mummy used to be part of a "freak show" in an Amercian museum, until it was returned to Egypt under much festivity in 2004. And don't miss the large statue of Amenhotep, son of Hapu, sitting in a scribe's position. Heading back where you came from, you go to level two of the first gallery. Up here you can see some examples of life during the Amarna-period, where the heretic Akhenaten was king. In the basement are one of the most awe inspiring statues from Egypt, namely the pink granite statue of king Amenhotep III. This statue, along with the other statues in the basement, which is not really a basement, just a lower level, were all found in the great court in the Luxor temple in the late 1980'es, buried beneath the floor. |
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Compliment LouiseAl
