It’s Good to be the Pharaoh

Tomb of Seti I (KV17)
Tomb of Seti I (KV17)

After Qena the Oberoi Zahra returned to Luxor where we will be spending the next few days. Formally known as Thebes, this location is one of the oldest inhabited places in the world thus is rich with monuments and museums. Across from Luxor on the Nile west bank is a place Pharaohs were dying to go to, the Theban Necropolis.

Mortuary temple of Hatshepsut
Mortuary temple of Hatshepsut

Our first stop in the necropolis was Deir al-Bahari and the Mortuary temple of Hatshepsut. Pharaohs would build two buildings usually during their reign for their memory, a temple where they could be honored and a tomb where their remains and items needed for the afterlife could be stored. A mortuary temple is a combination of the two. Hatshepsut went on a construction spree as soon as she took the throne and her mortuary temple with its ramp and three large terraces is one of the finest examples of ancient architecture to survive.

Hey a picture of us!
Hey a picture of us!
Walking up the ramp
Walking up the ramp
Statues of Hatshepsut
Statues of Hatshepsut
The festival courtyard
The festival courtyard
Inside the crypt.
Inside the crypt.
Illustrations on the walls of the Anubis shrine
Illustrations on the walls of the Anubis shrine
A representation pf a united Egypt
A representation of a united Egypt
A view down the ramp looking towards Luxor and the Temple of Karnak.
A view down the ramp looking towards Luxor and the Temple of Karnak.

I was suprised to learn that Hatshepsut’s temple is actually the third temple to be built at this location, the first temple was for Mentuhotep II and its construction was a break from the tradition of buring Pharaohs in Pyramids. Nice that they are, Pyramids, are expensive, labor intensive and easy targets for looting due to their being conspicuous. So new ways to honor the Pharaohs and protect the goods they would need in the afterlife that were placed with them were sought out.

Mentuhotep II's temple being reconstructed.
Mentuhotep II’s temple being reconstructed.
Another nearby balloon.
Another nearby balloon.

Mentuhotep II’s temple inspired the construction of the Mortuary Temple of Thutmose III and finally the well known Mortuary temple of Hatshepsut. The older temples are to the left of Hatshepsut’s when viewed face on, unfortunately Thutmose III’s was damaged in a rock slide and Mentuhotep II’s was also covered in debris and was rediscovered at the end of the 19th century with restoration efforts going on today.

Our next stop was Wādī el-Mulūk aka The Valley of the Kings. In an attempt to curb looting Pharaohs started having tombs created starting with Thutmose I. Inspite of its name, favored family members and noted officials are also buried in the valley. El Qurn, a peak that overlooks the valley has a pyramid shape which was important in egyptian society previously. Also the valley was rather isolated with a single way in making it easy to guard.

The Japanese Government gifted Egypt with a 3D model of the Valley of the Kings.
The Japanese Government gifted Egypt with a 3D model of the Valley of the Kings.
The model shows the underground shape of the tombs as well.
The model shows the underground shape of the tombs as well.
The modern entrance to the Valley of the Kings. What would the ancients think?
The modern entrance to the Valley of the Kings. What would the ancients think?
The ride in.
The ride in.
A view of El Qurn from the valley floor.
A view of El Qurn from the valley floor.

We managed to visit five tombs:

A few pictures are below, however to keep this post from getting too long I have created seperate pages for each tomb. Click on the links in the list above to view. If you see a tomb that looks incomplete it means the Pharaoh passed before the tomb was ready. Once the Pharaoh passes there is a 70 day process that runs and they are put in the tomb no matter its condition.

A visit to three tombs is included in your Valley of the Kings, Tutankhamun and Seti I were extra tickets which was nice because it thinned the visitor crowd out a bit. Can get a bit warm inside the tombs so if you visit dress appropriately and drink lots of water.

Entrances to to the tombs.
Entrances to to the tombs.
Illustrations in Tutankhamun's tomb
Illustrations in Tutankhamun’s tomb
Tutankhamun's mummy
Tutankhamun’s mummy
Crypt in Ramesses IX's tomb
Crypt in Ramesses IX’s tomb
Illustrations in Ramesses IX's tomb
Illustrations in Ramesses IX’s tomb
Descending into Seti I Tomb
Descending into Seti I Tomb
Tomb of Seti I
Tomb of Seti I

What is interesting is Ramses II has his name and monuments all over Egypt, you cannot miss his name or image. However when he picked his tomb (KV 7) location in the valley he chose poorly, it is heavily damaged and not open to the public.

Tomb of Ramesses V and Ramesses VI. Ramesses V dies young and the tomb was completed by Ramesses VI.
Tomb of Ramesses V and Ramesses VI. Ramesses V died young and the tomb was completed by Ramesses VI.
A view up a different branch of the valley.
A view up a different branch of the valley.

Our final stop of the day was to see the Colossi of Memnon. The easiest stop, these two massive statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III stand at what was the location of his Mortuary Temple, once the largest in the area. The statues are heavily damaged, however due to this it was reported that the northern statue would ‘sing’ in the morning. Since we visited in the afternoon no music for us…

The Colossi of Memnon
The Colossi of Memnon
The Colossi of Memnon
The Colossi of Memnon

Qena

Inside the Temple of Hathor in the Dendera Temple complex.
Inside the Temple of Hathor in the Dendera Temple complex.

The Oberoi Zahra sailed north from Luxor to the city of Qena and a visit to the Dendera Temple complex. This visit was different in several ways, Kim and I have been moving about the country (and on the cruise) independently to this point, for this visit all the passengers from the Zahra grouped together and sent in a police escorted convoy to the temple. We still had our own guide (Mohamed) and driver (also Mohamed) but we were told it was safer to move as one. Once at the temple a burly policeman greeted us and asked how we were doing, also a first. A low key, friendly interrogation IMHO. Later, other passengers said they heard there is some ill will between villagers nearby but no real reason was given and guide Mohamed did not know.

I thought this may happen at sometime, we read about visitors being escorted. Also a friend of ours, Carrie Schroeder is a Coptic scholar who visits Egypt frequently and her husband Eric Johnson told me that she was frequently escorted by armed police. So just another truth about visiting Egypt.

Ok, back to our story. First serious construction began at Dendera in 1995 BCE, the best preserved structure being the Hathor temple. Hathor is the egyptian goddess of many things, love, beauty, music, dancing to name a few. She was also the mother of Horus, god of the sky, and Ra, the sun god. The Hathor temple itself is well preserved with large columns and striking art with depictions of Cleopatra VI, Cleopatra VII (the more well known one) and her son Ptolemy XV who was fathered by Julius Caesar.

Temple of Hathor in the Dendera Temple complex.
Temple of Hathor in the Dendera Temple complex.
The ceiling at the entrance to the Temple of Hathor.
The ceiling at the entrance to the Temple of Hathor.
The entrance to the Temple of Hathor.
The entrance to the Temple of Hathor.
Inside the Temple of Hathor.
Inside the Temple of Hathor.
Inside the Temple of Hathor.
Inside the Temple of Hathor.
Inside the Temple of Hathor.
Inside the Temple of Hathor.
Exploring with Mohamed.
Exploring with Mohamed.

There are also some small crypts that the adventurous can explore which was not available at other temple complexes we visited. Thanks for the help with the video Mohamed!

Inside the crypt.
Inside the crypt.
Inside the crypt.
Inside the crypt.
Video from inside a crypt in Hathor temple.
Old gray hair emerging from the crypt crawl.
Old gray hair emerging from the crypt crawl.
Kim’s view of my crypt crawl return.
My shirt was damaged during my crypt crawl.
My shirt was damaged during my crypt crawl.
Down to another crypt.
Down to another crypt.
Inside the crypt.
Inside the crypt.
Inside the crypt.
Inside the crypt.

One interesting thing I learned here was about the the staircases in temples, why the one for going up is a spiral and the one for going down is straight. This is to imitate a falcon, spiraling up in the sky to hunt and diving down once it spys its prey. Fascinating.

The falcon spiral way up.
The falcon spiral way up.
On the roof of the Temple of Hathor
On the roof of the Temple of Hathor
Inside the roof kiosk where rituals for Hathor were performed.
Inside the roof kiosk where rituals for Hathor were performed.
The roof of the kiosk.
The ceiling of the kiosk.
Depiction of Hathor on the roof of the kiosk.
Depiction of Hathor on the ceiling of the kiosk.
The view from the top of Hathor temple.
The view from the top of Hathor temple.
The falcon dive way down.
The falcon dive way down.

Apparently Elon Musk has a fascination with Egypt and has tweeted about Dendera specifically the Dendera Light which represents creation. Not a light bulb

The Dendera light, etching that fascinates Musk. No, it is not a light bulb and battery, it depicts the Egyptian creation myth.
The Dendera light, an etching that fascinates Musk. No, it is not a light bulb and battery, it depicts the Egyptian creation myth.
Our convoy forming up to head back to the Oberoi Zahra.
Our convoy forming up to head back to the Oberoi Zahra.