Tombs, temples and a hot air balloon: Photos 42 to 61

The above panoramic photo shows the funerary procession in Ramose's tomb

My other Egypt blog entries
Diving in Dahab
Egyptian pyramids - Giza, Saqqara and Dahshur
Cairo
Sinai Mountains and Saint Catherine's Monastery
From Abu Simbel to Aswan, Kom Ombo and Edfu
The ancient temples of Luxor and Karnak

Thebes

Thebes was the capital of ancient Egypt during the 11th Dynasty (Middle Kingdom) and most of the 18th Dynasty (New Kingdom). Today, Thebes is probably the richest archaeological site in the world and also one of the largest. It can be divided into three areas: the cultivated land between the Nile and the desert, the low-lying desert and the barren desert cliffs and mountains. Few traces of archaeological evidence can be found near the cultivated land, due to the silt deposited by the annual flooding of the Nile river. The low-lying desert is where the ancient Egyptians built mortuary temples. They also buried their nobles in the limestone hills. Both templeas and tombs have survived more or less intact until today. Finally the barren desert cliffs and mountains are home to over 60 tombs in the well known Valley of the Kings and the less famous Valley of the

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