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ILENE COX - WINTER IN ISRAEL - PART 8
Thursday, March 19, 2009
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| Inside the Ancient Tombs |
Egypt Part 2
After two days in the hustle and bustle of Cairo traffic, I was ready to leave Cairo for our Nile Cruise. We took a very early morning flight ---arrived in Luxor and hit the ground running: our first stop --- The Valley of the Kings.
Located on the west bank of the Nile, the Valley of the Kings was the necropolis (cemetery) of the New Kingdom pharaohs. By digging their tombs in a remote area deep in the Theban Hills, pharaohs, beginning with Tuthmosis I (c. 1500 B.C.E.), hoped to stop the grave robbers from stealing the priceless possessions buried in the tombs. The idea was good, however, it didnt work. Despite their hidden locations, every burial chamber was raided, except for three --- Yuya and Tuya, the great-grandparents of Tutankhamun, and Tutankhamuns tomb, discovered in 1922, with all its treasures intact.
To date, 62 tombs have been found in the Valley of the Kings; all numbered in their order of discovery. Because of the vast number of tombs, not all are opened to the public at the same time. We visited three different tombs: Tawosert- Setnakhte (11-85-1182 B.C.E.), the largest tomb in the Valley. It has double burial chambers, one used for Queen Tawosert, the other for King Setnakhte. We also visited Ramses VI and the tomb of Tutankhamun, the most famous of all the tombs.
To describe each tomb would take several articles. What I found most amazing were the wall decorations and the vividness of the drawings after three thousand years. In most instances the walls and passageways were decorated with scenes that are guides to the afterlife for the pharaoh. They depicted the gods he would meet and the perils and trials he would face in his quest for immortality.
We continued our journey through the Valley of the Kings to the Temple of Hatshepsut, a stunning sight nestled at the foot of a sheer limestone cliff. Hatshepsut was the fifth pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of ancient Egypt (1479-1457 B.C.E.). According to our guide, Amr, she was one of the most successful pharaohs, reigning longer than any other woman of an Egyptian dynasty.
The Valley of the Queens lies to the southwest of the Valley of the Kings and holds the tombs of many royal wives and children. Of the 80 tombs that are in the valley, the most popular is that of Queen Nefertari. From everything I have read, the tomb of Queen Nefertarim wife of Ramses II, is regarded as the most beautiful tomb in Egypt, decorated with scenes evoking the ritual journey of the soul to the underworld.
When we arrived at the tomb we discovered it was closed for a renovation project. To say I was disappointed is an understatement.
Seeing all the tombs and learning about Egyptian history and archaeology is absolutely fascinating , but after three or four hours, my brain goes on overload. I was ready to go to the ship. However, Amr, our guide, wasn't quite ready, so we did make one more stop at the Colossi of Memnon. Amenhotep III (18th Dynasty) built a mortuary temple in Thebes that was guarded by two gigantic statues on the outer gates. All that remains now are the 75 foot high, one thousand ton statues of Amenhotep III, known as the Colossi of Memnon. Though damaged by nature and ancient tourists, the statues are still impressive.
We made it to the ship by early afternoon and settled in for our four-night cruise up the Nile. After our hectic schedule I was truly looking forward to some lazy days on the river. As much as I was looking forward to being lazy, it never happened. There is just too much to see along the Nile.
Before leaving Luxor the following morning, we visited the Karnak Temple Complex, a group of ruined temples, pylons, buildings and other monuments that showcases some of the finest Egyptian designs and architecture. The Karnak Temple is the largest temple complex in the world and is dedicated to Amon-Re, the pre-eminent got of the New Kingdom.
From Karnak we continued on to the Temple of Luxor and the amazing Avenue of the Sphinxes. Like the Temples at Karnak, it lay buried until the mid-19th century, and excavation has been ongoing since then. Luxor Temple is about two miles from the Temples of Karnak, and the two sites were once connected by an avenue of sphinxes. Much of the Luxor Temple was built by the New Kingdom pharaoh Amenhotep III. Today, it is a beehive of activity, with the Luxor bazaar directly behind the Luxor Temple and all sorts of shops and tourist restaurants nearby. The Temple of Luxor is not as large a site as Karnak, but the statues, hieroglyphics, pillars, and obelisks are just as impressive.
Once back on the boat we set sail for Edfu. The weather was warm and it was great sitting on the upper deck watching life along the Nile pass us by. Actually, its the other way around --- we passed them by, but it was fun watching the fishing boats and feluccas sailing along with us.
In the evening we had our Welcome to Egypt party and dressed for the occasion. It really was fun and I now have a great costume for Halloween or Purim!
Join us next time as we explore the Temple of Horusin at Edfu, considered the best preserved of all the large Egyptian temples.
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