Tombs, temples and a hot air balloon

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 Queens.

I spent two days in Thebes which was barely enough even for the main sights only. On the first day I hired a bicycle (LE10 per day) and set off to explore the more accessible sites. The next day, I took a taxi (LE 100 for 5 hours) to visit the remaining sights.

Day 1 - Colossi of Memnon

I started the day with a quiet breakfast in the walled garden of the El Fayrouz hotel. I picked up a bike from a nearby bike rental and cycled towards the mountains. Cycling is a particular dangerous activity in Egypt, since most drivers are both careless and ruthless. Also, don't forget to bring plenty of water even in winter - it is still hot and sealed water bottles are not always available along the route.

I had cycled for some 2km when I arrived at the Colossi of Memnon. The colossi are in a rather poor condition (which is probably why they are the only site which is accessible free of charge). Originally they stood guard in front of Amenhotep's III mortuary temple. All that now remains are these twin giant sandstone seated statues of Amenhotep III himself, towering 18 metres high. In its day, the mortuary temple was actually the largest and most opulent in Egypt. However, standing on the edge of the Nile floodplain, successive annual flooding gradually eroded the foundations whilst some parts of the temple may also have been dismantled and reused for other monuments.

A bit further down the road is the ticket office, next to a police checkpoint. This is actually the only place where you can buy tickets for the Ramesseum (LE25), the Tombs of the Nobles (around LE25 per ticket, three available) and Medinet Habu (LE25) so make sure to stop here.

Ramesseum

The Ramesseum is the mortuary temple of Ramesses II and is situated 1km north of the ticket office. Ramesses III ruled for 67 years during the 13th century BC and left what is perhaps the most indelible mark on the country. His legacy can be seen most clearly in the archaeological record - in the many buildings that Ramesses modified or constructed from the ground up. The magnificent temples of Abu Simbel are one of the finest examples.

Surviving records indicate that work on the Ramesseum began around 1270 BC and continued for 20 years. The main building featured two stone pylons some 60m, one after the other, each leading into a courtyard. Beyond the second courtyard was a covered 48-column Hypostyle Hall, surrounding the inner sanctuary. Although most of this once magnificent mortuary temple is now in ruins it still is an impressive sight. It was really quiet and peaceful and I spent some two hours here.

On my way out I had an expensive Egyptian tea at the Ramesseum guesthouse. Here, I read a few pages about the the Tombs of the Nobles which were next on my agenda. I think once you know what to expect in a tomb or temple it makes life much more difficult for the so-called guides (who usually don't know the difference between Anubis and Anis and will tell you loads of crap just to get a tip). Besides, I usually prefer to be on my own rather than shadowed by a nattering guide all the time.

Tombs of the Nobles

I cycled a few hundred metres to the village of Old Gurna, built amidst more than 400 private ancient tombs. The largest and most famous ones are accessible. Note that entrance tickets must be pre-purchased at the official ticket office near the Colossi of Memnon. There is a choice between three different tickets, each one granting access to two or three tombs. I chose the tombs of Rekhmire and Sennofer (LE20) and the Tombs of Ramose, Userhat and Khaemhat (LE25). A third ticket allows access to the tombs of Nakht and Menna (LE20) however I considered 5 tombs to be enough.

I left my bike at the bottom of the steep hill and tried to find the entrance to the first tomb. There were only very few signs however I had the map and description in my guidebook so I could find my way around (if you don't have a map don't worry - there are many local children who are only too happy to act as a guide and earn themselves a tip - "Baksheesh, Mister").

Eventually I found the entrance to the tomb of Sennefer who was the mayor of Thebes in the reign of Amenhotep II. At the end of a steep tunnel I found a small chamber featuring paintings of Sennefer and his wife. Through a low doorway I reached the four-pillared main chamber with more paintings. The ceiling was decorated with either geometric motifs or grapes and vine - which is why the tomb is sometimes called the tomb of grapevines. The nearby tomb of Rekhmire is also very rich in painting. Rekhmire is shown doing his job as a judge and collecting treasury. The reliefs include different scenes of foreign tributes brought to Egypt including animals like giraffes, cattle, monkeys and baboons; goods like gold, tusks and chariots. Userhat had a number of responsibilities, his most prominent was 'Scribe who counts breads in Upper and Lower Egypt.' His painted tomb is well-preserved. Userhat is shown hunting in his chariot, firing his arrows at fleeing desert animals with his military escort following behind. Ramose was a governor of Thebes and a vizier and his tomb is the largest in the necropolis. The paintings in the tomb show Ramose's funeral procession with the gathering of mourners, wailing women and funeral dancers. Finally, Khaemhat was a royal scribe during the reign of Amenhotep III. His tomb is unique for its carvings which include scenes of Khaemhat reporting his work to the Pharaoh and offering scenes.

Don't forget to bring a torch since it is dark in the tombs and the lights don't always work or are too weak. Also, have plenty of LE1 bills handy - a fistful of these can magically open 'closed' tombs or light up dark chambers. In Ramose's tomb for example LE5 bought me an exciting trip down a steep and long, pitch black tunnel to the unfinished tomb which I could explore with my torch.

Medinet Habu

Medinet Habu is the name commonly given to the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III. The temple is some 150m long and the best preserved among all temples of Thebes. The entire Temple of Ramesses III, palace and town is enclosed within a defensive wall. The entry is through the fortified Highgate.

Its massive First Pylon is decorated with bas-reliefs showing Ramesses III in the process of ritual massacre of his enemies. The reliefs show some of his military campaigns and how "Ramses scatters hordes of Libyans in his chariot. Afterwards, scribes tally up the severed hands and genitals of dead foes" Nice.

Entering through the massive Pylon (27m high and 65m long) is the First Court. Reliefs on the south wall are of Ramesses' victory over the Libyans. The Second Court is accessible via a ramp up and through the second pylon. The most beautiful columns and pillars can be found here, some of them still featuring the original paint. Only the base of the 24 columns that supported the ceiling of the Hypostyle Hall now remain, however both these columns and the surrounding walls feature beautiful bas-reliefs.

Once I had seen the temple I climbed the fortified wall which surrounds the whole complex. It offered a breathtaking view of the temple complex in front of the dramatic backdrop of the mountains.

Day 2 - Ancient Thebes from a hot air balloon

The next day I took a hot air balloon ride. A minibus picked me up just after 5am and dropped me off at the balloon launch site. It was still pitch black and all I could see was the occasional eruption of a balloon gas-burners. Someone with a torch marched us from the minibus to one of the balloons. I climbed into the large crate and listened to a short briefing which included the procedure for landing. The sun was still behind the horizon but the break of dawn enabled me to make out the other balloons now. And then, very soft and slowly - we lifted up towards the sky.

At first, everything was still in the shades. But a few minutes later the sun rose and the nearby Hatshepsut's temple was lit up by the rays of the rising sun. What an awesome sight! We remained static near Hatshepsut's temple for a while before the wind directed us to and past the Ramesseum. We followed our shadow across the green sugar cane fields. Silence enveloped the balloon except for the occasional roar of the balloon's gas-burners. Everybody was thrilled and enjoyed the stunning scenery. The balloon ride was quiet, smooth and peaceful and the views out from the slowly rotating crate were simply magnificent. The sun continued to climb and immersed the rocks, the temples, the desert and the tiny houses in the villages in its soft orange light.

We passed the Colossi of Memnon and eventually drifted silently over Medinet Habu. This impressive temple looks even more spectacular from the air. After that the shadow of our balloon moved into the desert and we were preparing to land. The ground team had followed us in their mini buses and was already near the anticipated landing spot. Once we were only metres above the ground they simply reached out for the crate and held us firmly down. The landing was as smooth as the whole ride and once the balloon was deflated everybody climbed out of the crate and I was back on firm ground. A minibus waited and took me back to my hotel.

So how much did I pay for the luxury of slowly drifting over the Theban necropolis in a hot-air balloon at sunrise? It was low season and thus rather easy to get a good rate - I paid LE 270 only (some EUR 35) with Sindbad Balloons which I believe was excellent value-for-money.
If you're interested, Sindbad Balloons deals are on offer at the Nefertiti Hotel near Luxor temple.

Valley of the Kings

After breakfast, I walked to the main street in Gezira and spoke to the first taxi driver I met. As expected he was more than happy to take me around to a few sites in Thebes. We settled on LE20 per hour and he drove me to the Valley of the Kings where I arrived at 10.30am. This seemed to be a good time of the day since I could see a number of tour groups already leaving again. My plan was to visit some tombs and then hike across the hills to Deir el-Bahri. I informed the taxi driver that he would have to pick me up there some 3 hours later so he went back home for lunch (I had not paid him any money at this stage - always pay at the end of a journey).

It cost me LE70 to enter the Valley of the Kings - after all, the most famous necropolis on earth. However, the entrance fee included a visit to three tombs only (the tickets are perforated at each tomb). So I bought a second ticket enabling me to see six tombs in total. Although the valley contains more than 60 tombs some are not open to the public at all. More important, there are only 10 tombs open at a time. A list of these 10 tombs is available at the ticket booth. I used my guide book to identify the 6 most interesting ones out of these 10.

The Valley of the Kings was used for burials from approximately 1539 BC to 1075 BC. Today, the tombs are numbered in the order of their discovery - from Ramesses VII (KV1) to the recently discovered KV63. The most famous discovery of modern Western archaeology was made here by Howard Carter in 1922: King Tutankhamen's tomb was the first royal tomb to be discovered that was still largely intact. However, it is actually one of the smallest and least interesting tombs. It also requires an additional entrance ticket so I didn't bother to visit it. I went to the tomb of Ramesses V (KV2) which is cut into the base of a hill and consists of a 88m long corridor. This tomb has been open since antiquity. There are over 700 Greek and Latin graffiti throughout the tomb. The impressive tomb of Twosret and Setnakht (KV14) is nearly 160m long. The wall decorations in Tuthmosis' III (KV34) tomb are executed in a rather simple way whilst the tomb of Tuthmosis IV (KV43) features beautiful and well-preserved paintings as well as the Pharaoh's stone sarcophagus. Ramesses I (KV16) ruled for less than 2 years and his tomb is only 29m long. However, it is decorated with vivid, colourful scenes from the the Book of Gates. Ramesses III's (KV11) tomb is an impressive 188m long and again beautifully decorated.

Dr Ken West's excellent web site on the Theban Mapping Project contains in-depth information on all the tombs in the Valley of the Kings including a commentary, detailed 3D plans and plenty of images.

Once I had visited the 6 tombs I made started to climb one of the steep paths next to Ramesses I tomb. The hike across to Deir el-Bahri was wonderful and offered spectacular view on the Nile valley. Once I had crossed the ridge I could see both Hatshepsut's and Mentuhotep's temple directly beneath the sheer cliff. I followed a narrow path down to the temples and I arrived at Deir el-Bahri some 40 minutes after I had left the Valley of the Kings.

Deir el Bahri

Deir el-Bahri is a complex of mortuary temples and tombs. Actually, a shaft tomb located at the southern end of the complex contained some 40 royal mummies, moved there from the Valley of the Kings. The bodies had been placed there by priests most likely to prevent further desecration and looting.

The first monument built at Deir el-Bahri was the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II. The more famous Hatshepsut's temple was built around 1478 BC. The temple consists of three colonnaded terraces connected by ramps. The famous Punt (today Somalia) relief is engraved on the southern side of the second colonnade. The journey to Punt is the first recorded pictorial documentation of a trade expedition in ancient Egypt. The scenes depict the maritime 3-year long expedition that Queen Hatshepsut sent to Punt via the Red Sea around 1482 BC. Hatshepsut was the first woman to take the title of Pharaoh. After her death, many of her monuments were destroyed or defaced - the latter also applies to her mortuary temple.

I met my taxi driver again and he took me down the road to the Valley of the Queens.

Valley of the Queens

Although it is not as famous as the Valley of the Kings it is nonetheless worth visiting the Valley of the Queens. The name is misleading though - in ancient times, the place was known as 'the place of the Children of the Pharaoh'. This was where many princes and princesses together with the royal queens were buried. This necropolis is said to hold more than eighty tombs, the most famous one being that of Nefertari. However, only three tombs are open to the public at present and it is easily possible to visit these within one hour.

Amunhirkhepshef was a son of Ramesses who died at a young age. The vivid murals in his tomb show how his father conducts him through the funerary rituals. Khaemweset was another son of Ramesses III - again, the murals depict how Ramesses leads his son past the guardians of the Netherworld. The murals in the tomb of Queen Titi are badly damaged, however it is possible to make out the jackal, lion and baboon guardians in her burial chamber.

Once I had seen the three tombs the taxi dropped me off at my hotel. I paid him LE90 (EUR 11) for nearly 5 hours of his time and retired to the hotel gardens for a cup of tea.

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