Egyptian excursions

Day 1 - Late arrival in Luxor

2010-01-18T12:00:00.014-05:00

We are here. It is truly only through our own persistence that we arrived. Alitalia airline canceled the Miami – Rome connection and never notified us. They then took it upon theirselves to change the Rome to Luxor connection to the next day. On the computer we found a flight out of Miami to Atlanta and then to Rome and requested that they book us on it. I can see why they are always on the verge of bankruptcy. After messing up the beginning of our trip they were in no way at all helpful in repairing it. Every time we contacted them we got different answers and never any resolution or help. Alitalia did not print my wife’s boarding pass out of Atlanta correctly. She was almost not allowed on the plane and when we arrived in Rome they had me on an Egyptair flight leaving 11 hours after hers. It was only from the help of our travel agent Beth, the people at the Miami Delta airline desk and the people at Egyptair in Rome that we arrived here. It was all very stressful but we finally arrived about 4 hours ago, 7:30 pm Luxor time.

We got a taxi to the Mercure. As for the Mercure, in the States we would consider this a two star hotel. The refrigerator does not work, the toilet never stops running, the toilet seat is broken, the bed covers have burn holes in them, the carpet is badly stained as is the bath tub and the lamp shades have burn spots on them from the light bulbs. They also informed us that we can not use our laptop because they don’t know how to connect it to their line. They have no wireless available and we did not bring a floppy disk (does anyone anymore?) to transfer files from our computer to theirs. The only internet access is two terminals in the lobby which cost $6.00 / half hour so no pictures until the trip is over. We can not afford to wait while they download.

Well that’s enough about the problems. We are on the 5th floor in front of the Nile and from our balcony we can see much of the west bank and have a good view of the Nile and Hatshepsuts’ temple. I can hardly wait to see it in the daylight. We don’t plan on spending much time in the room but if we do we will be on the balcony.

Written at 1 AM on the morning of Nov. 4 but for us it is still the end of day one. After we got settled this evening we walked down the Corniche (the main road parallel to the Nile) and saw the Luxor temple lit up. As I walked along staring at the Obelisk, 1st pylon and Colossi of Rameses the Great,

the colonnade of Amenhetep III

and the sun court of Amenhetep III

- it did not seem real. I have looked at it literally thousands of times in pictures and I still can’t quite believe that I’m now here looking at the real thing. It is truly awe inspiring.

The temple was closed but we took these pictures from the street.

We just got back from the front desk. There was no notification from AWT as to when we are to meet for the tour tomorrow and the front desk has no messages for us. They gave us the name of the tour guide, his room number and told us to call him after 7AM. We asked for a 6 AM wake up call.

So far we have had our ups and downs but tomorrow is a new day. A day full of walking the West Bank temples and a reception with Kent Weeks, which we are sure, will be great.

Day 2 - The West Bank Temples

2010-01-17T12:00:00.003-05:00

Written at 9:30 PM on Nov. 4. Got the 6 AM wake up call and jumped out of bed to the balcony to see the view. Wow, there it is, the west bank of Thebes. All of the daily balloon rides were just taking off and I could actually see Hatshepsuts’ Temple accross the Nile!

What a beautiful day. I went down to the front desk at 6:30 to find out if this morning someone might know something about the time the tour was going to start. They told me “ Oh, look over there. We have a board for Kuoni with schedules.” That sure would have helped last night. The board said the Kuoni representative would be in the lobby everyday at 9:30.

I went back to the room to give our AWT tour guide a call and hoped that the tour group had not already left for the temples. He was very polite and told me that the tour would begin at 10:30 in the lobby area. Now I felt a little better. At least we had not missed anything!

After breakfast we went down to the lobby to talk to the Kuoni representative. It was about 9:15. I requested a change of hotels and told her for multiple reasons (contact with family members in ill health, work and the blog) that internet access was essential and that we were not happy with this hotel. She told us we could go to the Winter Palace to use our computer. “They have wireless there”. A 15 min. walk each way with a laptop in tow every time I wanted to log on. I don't think so. I told her we needed to be transferred to the Winter Palace but she said she could not help. She then went to the front desk and called the representative from AWT (the younger man) to come down to talk to us. We explained that we needed to be moved or some type of resolution needed to be made for daily internet access. He offered to drive us. A very nice gesture but not something I wanted to do every day. He was very polite and we may have to take him up on his offer but not really satisfied with this as resolution for all our complaints. We also told him that we needed to know what times the tour would start and end each day because we had to arrange a time to meet with Mr. Wazery, the director of the Valley of the Kings, to see the tombs of Amenhetep II and Horemheb. We have received antiquity permits from Dr. Hawass to see these two tombs. The tour guide said that he would check and get back to us by the end of the day.

We decided to wait in the lobby for the bus and who do you think walked up and sat down right beside us, none other than Dr. Weeks and his wife Susan. I introduced myself and made a little small talk. As it turned out he was on our bus that day. I was able to sit right across from him during the entire day. We talked about several different areas of excavation currently underway in KV 5 (the tomb of the sons of Rameses II).

After getting on the bus we then went to the Winter Palace to pick up other people. I could not believe this was actually happening. After being told by AWT that for “group integrity and insurance purposes” we must all stay at the same motel, here we are stopping to pick up 4 people at the Winter Palace. Well, I wasn’t going to let it ruin the rest of my day but it really made me mad.

After about a half hour drive south of Luxor and over the bridge to the ticket office just past the Colossi of Memnon, the busses stopped to let the guides out to go get our tickets for the day. The first stop was at the northern end of the west bank – Sety I’s temple. When everyone got off of the busses and gathered in the first courtyard of Sety I’s temple Dr. Weeks gave a small explanation of what we would be doing the rest of the day. He is not allowed to explain about the things we would be seeing.

Only Egyptian guides may describe and explain the history of Egypt and we had a terrific guide. He was a very learned man and I suspect a professor from the way he handled himself and our group.

Much of the temple enclosure wall has been reconstructed after a bad flood in 1994 ravaged the temple but it did not destroy the west portico,

(That’s Medhat, our guide, in the red shirt. I learned so much from him. He was fantastic.)

the 6 pillar hypostyle hall

and the Rameses I suite which are mostly intact.

The next stop was the Ramesseum, the temple of Rameses the Great. The busses park just north along side the front of the temple and you walk down a path and some stairs into the first court behind the badly degrading first pylon. Even so, it is a massively impressive structure. As you walk from the busses towards the temple you can get a good overview of the entire complex because the enclosure walls are nearly gone and not reconstructed like those of his father, Sety I. The temple has a very similar floor plan as his fathers’ temple. Seeing it for the first time (just like everything I am seeing) it causes a welling up of emotions inside. Hard to explain but I’m sure many of you understand what I mean.

The feet

and torso of Rameses II which originally stood more than 57 feet high.

Stairs leading from the 2nd court to the hypostyle hall.

Osirid pillars in the 2nd court in front of the portico.

Much of the color still remains on the tops of the columns in the hypostyle hall.

Part of the west wall of the hypostyle hall

The cartouche of Rameses II in color. (Usermaatre Setepenre)

After once again having an exciting, informative and educational tour by Medhat and then allowed to wander the site for an hour or so, we headed back to the busses. I forgot to mention that the tour consists of about 48 people divided onto 2 busses. My wife, Viki and I are on the Horus bus.

We next make a short trip to the Temple of Merenptah. This temple of the third son of Rameses II is no where near as structurally complete as the previous two we have visited but it does have a small museum with some beautiful pieces in it. Unfortunately, no photography is allowed in any Egyptian museums anymore so no pictures of the museum pieces but you can find them on the web if you look.

After you exit the museum near the first pylon and proceed past the second pylon you find to the right and left partially submerged rooms with some beautiful reliefs in them.

There is also a nice collection of large and small sculptural pieces in a partially covered open air museum in the rear of the temple complex.

After our tour of the Merenptah temple was finished we headed to one of the most intact and well preserved temples in all of Egypt – Madinat Habu. This temple, built by Rameses III, is such a massive and awe inspiring structure. After passing through the ticket booth we gathered at the High Gate (71 feet high). While listening to Medhat tell us the history of the Sekmet statues in either side of the gate and the explanation of the reliefs, I again felt the emotions welling up inside. Well, yes, I may have even wiped my eyes a little. When you think of all of the pharaohs and other people who have walked these very stones in antiquity how can you help but get emotional? What a tremendous experience.

After you pass through the Gate you are next confronted by the enormous First Pylon (88 feet high and 211 feet wide). We couldn’t even fit it all in one picture frame.

Once through the First Pylon you enter the First Court. Here, at an opening (window of appearances) in the center of the south wall, is where Ramses III would observe the preparation of ritual offerings. To the south of this opening lay the pharaohs palace.

From the First Court you move west into the Second Court. The colors on the columns and ceilings here are very vibrant. You just want to stand there and take them all in. Once again, very beautiful and moving.

Through the second court you move into the first hypostyle hall. Only the lower portions of the columns remain. After Medhat finished with explaining the functions of the encircling rooms around the mostly removed hypostyle halls we went back through the temple, outside of the first pylon and to the south of the temple to see the royal palace area.

On the rear wall of the south section of the first pylon is a dramatic and intricately detailed relief of Rameses III hunting wild bulls in the Nile marshes.

Medhat explained in detail the reliefs on this wall and the southern wall with its massive lists of temple ceremonies with details of the amounts and kinds of offerings given.

We then went back to the bus for the drive back across the Nile. It was almost 3:30 PM, my feet were sore from walking so much but I could hardly notice it because my mind was still racing, going over all of the things which I had seen and trying to burn each into my memory. What an amazing day. I still can’t quite believe that it is all really happening. It’s an almost surreal experience.

We were very hungry when we got back to the hotel so we went straight away to The Oasis. A small (only 4 tables in the smoking room) but cozy and clean restaurant which was only a 5 min. walk right around the corner from the hotel. The food was good and relatively cheap. It only cost 105 LE (about $19) for dinner meals and drinks for us both.

Walking to the Oasis I noticed a little place called The Net. Have to check it out later to see if it might be better than the hotel facilities for internet access. At least I wouldn’t have to bother our AWT guide for rides to the Winter Palace.

The reception was at the hotel bar in the outside covered area that evening. We got down there a little after 6 PM and were not sure we were in the right place. We saw one of the gentlemen from our bus and asked if we could sit with him. Johan was from Belgium and had been here several times before. He and I hit it off from the beginning both having a passion for the ancient Egyptian culture and monuments. We could see Dr. Weeks with his wife at the far end of the bar but he was sitting with a small group of people so it didn’t seem right to go over and interrupt. I had a couple of rum and cokes and Viki had a glass of Obelisk wine. I only saw a couple of people get up and go over to Dr. Weeks and they just wanted to have books signed. About 8:30 Dr. Weeks and his wife got up to leave. As they went past our table he stopped and pulled out 3 copies of a package of papers and told Johan and us it would be useful in the coming week’s lectures.

We left the bar shortly there after. Not the type of reception I was used to for sure but at least we got to talk to him a little. Most people in the bar never got up at all.

It is now 11: 30 and I am going to try to get some sleep. Once again I feel like a kid on Christmas eve. Tomorrow we go to the Valley of the Kings.

Day 3 - Valley of the Kings - Day 1

2010-01-16T12:00:00.013-05:00

Before I start telling you about the tombs I need to give credit and thanks to Francis Dzikowski, the photographer for the Theban Mapping Project and Dr. Weeks. All of the tomb interior pictures were taken by Mr. Dzikowski.

Photography in the tombs is forbidden and they are very strict about this. Do not think that just because you have given the tomb guardian some baksheesh (a tip for services provided) that you are safe. There are plain clothed employees of the SCA (Supreme Council of Antiquities) all over the place and they don’t care if you bribed a guard or not. If you are caught you will be taken to Mr. Wazery’s office and fined 50LE per picture and they are still removed from your camera. Video cameras are forbidden in the entire valley and if you are caught using one the fine is 1000LE!

I used Dr. Weeks' book The Treasures of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings as my reference for spelling and factual details throughout the entire blog.

Nov. 5 - I woke up several times during the night, mostly due to excitement. I also noticed that Viki was up once but not because she was excited. When we got the wake up call at 5 am I had already been up for a half an hour. Viki was not feeling well enough to go for breakfast. She was feeling really nauseous but still wanted to go with me to the valley today. I sat with Johan at the breakfast buffet and we talked about which tombs we would visit today over a ham and cheese omelet, fresh fruit, pastries and water. I went back to the room and picked up Viki and we got the 6:30 bus. She had a really rough time on the bus ride over and Medhat asked if he could get her something. She explained what she thought it was and he told her that “we (Egyptians) have plenty of experience with this sort of problem”. He said he would get her the proper medications from the pharmacy.

The busses dropped us off at the new visitor center. We were fairly early so we had only a few minutes wait while Medhat bought the tickets. We then all got on two taf – taf’s (train transportation).

and headed up the valley to the ticket check point where we were dropped off and then gathered to hear our itinerary for the day.

Medhat gave each of us two valley entry tickets which allowed us to visit 6 tombs and he told us to be back at the busses by 11:45.

The large “KV” numbers are the tombs we went in today and the numbers in parenthesis after them are the order in which we visited them. Double click on the picture to enlarge it.

The rest of this day consisted of:

KV 34 Thutmes III

KV 43 Thutmes IV

KV 16 Rameses I

KV 47 Siptah

KV 15 Sety II

KV 14 Tausert & Setnakht

WV 23 Aye

Luxor Museum

We all then passed through the ticket check point and gathered at the entrance of KV 5 – sons of Rameses II where Dr. Weeks told us a little about the geology of the valley, the types of tombs and the characteristics indicative of each dynasty during the New Kingdom (1540 – 1075 B.C.).

We then were free to roam the valley and visit any open tombs, 6 today and 6 tomorrow.

I have the lay out of the tombs in the valley memorized from copious hours of studying the TMP (Theban Mapping Project) website and Google Earth. With these websites and many others and pouring over YouTube for many hours - I have visited all of these tombs many times on the internet and found so much visual information that I truly feel like I have been here. What a very strange feeling walking in a place I know so well and now that I’m here it just doesn’t seem completely real. It is kind of like being in a realistic dream where you recognize many things and then something catches your eye that is really amazing.

Viki was still feeling poorly but wanted to go on so I figured we would try to stick to my original agenda and start with the tomb of Thutmes III. This is the farthest tomb from the valley entrance and one of the earliest (dug around 1500 -1450 BC) and has a fair climb up several sets of steps to the entrance and then quite a few more steps down into the tomb. We took several rest stops along the way to the tomb and a final one at the top of the staircase at the tomb entrance.

There is a long fairly steep stair down to the first decorated chamber (E). Thutmes III’s tomb started the addition of a well chamber or chamber E which is usually a vertical shaft. Here in KV 34 the well chamber is decorated with the kheker frieze at the top of the walls and yellow stars on a blue background on the ceiling.

The walls below the frieze are not inscribed or decorated, even so being in this chamber was absolutely exhilarating. The color is vivid and the lay out of the frieze is perfect. This was my first view of real (in situ) tomb decorations. From chamber E we then entered the two pillared hall usually called chamber F. Chamber F in most tombs has two pillars but in some cases it has none and in several tombs it has four pillars. In this tomb chamber F is decorated on all of the walls with 741 divinities from the Imydwat which means "that which is in the netherworld". Neither of the pillars has any decoration.

From chamber F you make a left ninety degree turn and go down another flight of stairs into the burial chamber. KV 34 is one of the earliest tombs dug in the valley and unlike most has a burial chamber with rounded corners making the chamber resemble a cartouche shape. The walls are decorated with the complete Imydwat and the pillars with the Litany of Ra. It also contains Thutmes III’s red quartzite sarcophagus.

It was only 8:30 and already warm in the burial chamber. Viki started feeling ill and had to go back up to the entrance. I noticed Johan was here so we started looking around together and reading the hieroglyphs carefully examining every visible inch of the sarcophagus. It was really fun discussing aspects of the tomb and the ancient Egyptian language with someone who had equal interests.

At first there were only three other people in the burial chamber so I stayed in the tomb about a half hour with more and more people coming in. It was starting to get hot and muggy. After making sure that I had not missed anything I took one more look at Thutmose III being nursed by Isis in the form of a tree. This was the first time I have felt sad since entering the valley. If you look at the TMP website you can find comparisons between this drawing just 30 years ago in pristine condition and now. It is almost indiscernible now due to human abuse.

Time to leave, on the way back up, one more look at the 741 divinities, the beautiful well chamber ceiling and then the long climb out.

This is the best video of KV 34 I have found:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnfD5UGGppU

Here is another video starting in chamber F and going down to the burial chamber:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZNahcz3_CU

Viki was sitting at the entrance talking to one of the guardians. We next started back to the main rest area and office. We had stopped by Mr. Wazery’s office before we went to KV 34 but he was not in. I dropped Viki off to relax and try to feel better. Mr. Wazery had still not arrived so I decided to go up to KV 43 - Thutmes IV’s tomb since it was also a fairly long uphill walk which I knew Viki would not be up for.

KV43 starts out very similar to KV 34. A fairly steep stair through undecorated walls to the well chamber except here the well chamber decorations are more complete than in Thutmes III’s tomb. Here the ceiling and kheker frieze are nearly complete and two walls are decorated with Thutmes IV and Osiris, Hathor and Anubis. In KV 34 all of the figures were small and in a cursive form while here they are lifelike representations of the pharaoh with the gods.

Leaving chamber E I then went into the two pillared hall chamber F. In this tomb chamber F only has the initial masons lay out lines on the ceiling, no decorations. I made a ninety degree left and took the stairs down to chamber I. Chamber I is the only other chamber decorated in this tomb.

The tomb was very quite. Because of KV 43’s distance from the main valley fewer people come to it. The entire time I was there only two other people came and went.

Instead of going straight into the burial chamber in this tomb you make another ninety degree left turn into a huge undecorated six pillar hall with the sarcophagus area on a lower level at the far end of the room. The sarcophagus is featured in the center of the lower area and it is just beautiful. I spent quite a while examining its hieroglyphs before going back up.

This is the best video I have found of KV 43:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0nBQtZD6dg

When I got back to the rest area I met Medhat and he took me into Mr. Wazery’s office and introduced us. When I explained that I had been given permission from Dr. Hawass to see KV 35 - Amenhetep II’s and KV 57 - Horemheb’s tomb I could tell that he had not received any notification. Mr. Wazery told me to give Dr. Hawass a call. Well… I have met Dr. Hawass a couple of times and have recently corresponded with him but I did not feel that this was sufficient to just “give him a call”. I decided to print out the e-mails I had received from him and bring them to Mr. Wazery tomorrow.

Wow, what a beautiful day. We sat there in the rest shelter for a few minutes and since the line for KV 16 - Rameses I was not very long we walked over and waited. There was a single file line down the stair around the sarcophagus and back up. It didn’t take very long until we were in the burial chamber. The only decorated walls are in the rather small burial chamber and the rear wall of chamber Jb. This tomb is the smallest royal tomb in the valley.

When Viki and I got down to the burial chamber we stepped out of line next to the corner post at each corner and were able to closely examine the decorations. The colors are beautiful and still very vibrant after 3,300 years. Again, I am just blown away by the whole experience of being here.

The burial chamber is decorated with the king with different gods and excerpts from the Book of Gates.

I felt a special emotional attachment to this tomb. In October of 2003 Viki and I went to the MCCM (Michael C. Carlos Museum) in Atlanta for a reception and lecture by Dr. Hawass. He had come to escort the mummy of Rameses I back to Egypt. During the evening reception I went back up to the room where they had Rameses I and was able to spend a long time alone with him. Having a private audience with the 1st pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty had a very strong emotional impact on me. The walls of the room were silkscreen reproductions of the burial chamber.

Now here I am in the actual burial chamber and once again having feelings too difficult to properly explain with words.

After leaving KV 16 Viki was still feeling squeamish so we only went back up the valley to KV 47 - Siptah.

Corridors B, C and D in Siptah’s tomb have fully intact reliefs with vivid colors.

With simply amazing ceilings.

KV 47 - Siptah’s tomb has been flooded many times and all decoration past the first three corridors is badly damaged or destroyed.

The only thing left in the tomb past corridor D is the sarcophagus in chamber J2 where the four pillars have collapsed.

We weren’t in KV 47 - Siptah’s tomb very long so we decided to go up to KV 15 - Sety II’s tomb but first stop and have some water and relax at the shelter next to Sety II’s tomb entrance. Of course I couldn’t relax at all. All of the images of what I have seen and the excitement over what is to come have my mind racing.

It was almost 10:30 and we still needed to look at KV 15 - Sety II’s tomb and KV 14 the tomb of Tausert and Setnakht before getting back to the buses.

Upon entering Sety II’s tomb the first corridor has beautifully executed raised and sunken reliefs of the Litany of Ra. Just before the end of corridor B the reliefs stop, replaced by red ink. Extracts from the Imydwat in red ink begin in corridor C and continue into corridor D.

Looking from the well chamber back out to the tomb entrance.

After corridor D we enter the well chamber and this one is very different. This chamber is not a vertically descending shaft, which is not unique but the wall decorations are unique. Most royal tomb well shaft decorations are very colorful lifelike representations of the king with various deities but here the decorations are smaller painted panels of images of funerary equipment, divine or royal statues.

After the well chamber we descended through the four pillared hall and into the next corridor which was hastily converted into the burial chamber. In chamber F and J most of the decorations are from the Book of Gates.

The last corridor (not fully cut by the ancient craftsmen), converted into the burial chamber, has only the lid of the sarcophagus in it. The walls have excerpts from the Book of Gates and figures of deities and the ceiling has a large painted figure of the goddess Nut directly above the sarcophagus.

Sety II’s tomb has been open from antiquity as evidenced by more than sixty Greek and Latin graffiti on its walls.

After we finished looking at KV 15 it was just a little before 11:00. We next went down to KV 14 - Tausert and Setnakht’s tomb.

This tomb is the largest and has the most complete decorations we have seen today.

Tausert was the wife of Sety II and they were probably who the tomb was originally dug for but Setnakht, the pharaoh who followed Tausert’s short reign, usurped the tomb. In many places it is very noticeable where Tausert’s titles and in some places her image have been replaced by Setnakht’s and in many other places Tausert’s titles were never touched.

Because this tomb is so large and has so many important and beautiful details it would take me hours to try to explain it like I have the tombs we have already seen. Dr. Weeks, the director of the Theban Mapping Project, has an excellent 3D tour of this tomb on his web site. Please go to this link;

http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/atlas/index_kv.asp?tombID=undefined

and at the bottom of the Valley of the Kings overview page click on “3D TOMB” to hear Dr. Weeks explain the history and the significance of the various decorations while going through the tomb. It is really an exquisite tomb and you can click on the small plus signs during the tour to see each of the decorations in detail.

Here are pictures of the first of its two burial chambers just to give you an idea of how wonderful the tomb is.

This is the only youtube video I could find of KV 14 and the quality is poor but it does show some decorations as the person walks from corridor H through the first and to the second burial chamber:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhfh7OvplPk

I also found this KV 14 video on you tube but I believe the producer just used still shots taken by the Theban Mapping Project and compiled them into a video. It still gives you a good look at the decoration in the tomb:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwGTh2ozVgA&feature=related

What an unbelievable day it has been already and we still have the west valley, WV 23 - Ay’s tomb, to go to before we head back to the hotel. It is about 11:25 so we have to hurry back to the busses.

We were almost the last peopled back to the bus. We were originally going to walk the length (1.2 miles) of the west valley up to the tomb of Ay –WV 23 but it was very hot outside so the busses took us almost to the tomb. I couldn’t believe that they would get the busses up the valley and back out but they did. We all got out of the busses at the last turn before the tomb to walk the last 500 feet or so. Since Viki and I were in the front seat behind the driver I jumped out of the buss to look around. I heard a commotion behind me and turned around to see my wife lying on the steps of the buss. She was really in a bad way and doing a good job of not letting me know because she did not want to distract me any. I ran back to help her up.

Medhat handed out the tickets for the tomb.

Dr. Weeks told us some details about the valley and the history of it. The ancient Egyptians believed that al-Qurn (the Theban hills which viewed from the Valley of the Kings look like a pyramid) was the domain of the goddess Meretseger, her name meaning “she who loves silence” and while walking through this valley it is easy to see why. The valley walls are very steep and high unlike the east valley where almost all of the pharaohs are buried. The silence is profound and the scenery absolutely breathe taking.

We walked up and sat down at the small rest shelter next to the tomb entrance.

Ay’s tomb – WV 23 is fairly small. It consists of two sets of alternating stair and corridors leading into the well chamber all of which are undecorated. From the well chamber you enter into chamber J, the burial chamber which again is beautifully decorated (I’m sure your getting tired of me saying that but I really think they all are beautiful) with the reconstructed sarcophagus in the center. In this tomb the king’s image and cartouches have been destroyed in antiquity. The ancient Egyptians believed that the removal of a persons name and image would keep them from existing in the afterlife. This was probably done as an aftermath of the destruction of everything related to the Amarna period when they were forced to worship only one god.

Here are the four sons of Horus above chamber Ja an undecorated chamber where the canopic jars would have probably been stored.

Notice the destruction of the pharaoh’s face and above him his cartouches.

Viki went back up to the rest area while I spent a while examining and reading the decorations which I have been studying for quite some time. I really did not want to leave but finally took one more look from the well chamber trying to permanently etch the view into my memory before making my way back up to the rest area.

At the rest area Viki was talking to a very nice woman about the trip. Jane was from Canada and had been here before. She was really interesting and fun to talk with. Johan came up and we all chatted a while about the things we had seen so far and then returned to the busses. It was only a little before 1:00 pm.

We got back to the hotel before 2:00. We weren’t in the room more than 5 minutes when there was a knock on the door. Medhat had sent someone to the pharmacy to get the proper medications for Viki and they brought them up to the room. Medhat called and gave her directions on how to take them. I can’t say enough nice things about this man. He was an immense help. Viki took the medications and went to bed. She was really wiped out.

I decided to check out the internet café I had seen around the corner the night before. The café was run by Akmed. I checked our email accounts and sent some emails to family to let them know we had arrived and were OK. After I finished I sat a while and talked to Akmed since we were the only two there. I told him that my AC converter had blown the night before and wondered if he knew of an electrical or computer store where I might be able to find one. He told me to bring it in to him and he could find me another one. I went back to the room grabbed the converter and took it back to him. He called a kid in from outside and gave it to him and off he went. He came back about ten minutes later but had no luck in finding one. Akmed asked me if I could leave it with him. He was sure he could find one. I told him that I would come back that evening before 10:00. I was really impressed by his hospitality and sincere concern to help me.

On the way back I stopped at a small store on the other side of our hotel and bought some water, Coke and snacks to take back to the room. When I got up to the room Viki was still asleep so I decided to take a nap before going to the lecture by Dr. Weeks at the auditorium at the Mummification museum at 6:00. When I woke up it was almost 6:00. I literally ran down to the Mummification museum which was pretty close to the hotel and got there only ten minutes late. Dr. Weeks was just finishing handing out the papers which we had received at the reception the night before. Thank heaven I had not missed anything.

After the lecture the busses were waiting on the Corniche just outside the entrance of the museum to take us to the Luxor Museum.

The Luxor Museum is relatively new (built in 1975) and has some of the finest examples of Egyptian statuary in the world. This statue of Thutmes III is literally priceless.

The pieces in this museum are expertly displayed and not to be missed if you visit Luxor.

Here is a statue of Amenhetep II and the god Sobek.

I was also able to visit with an old friend while I was there. This is where Ramses I mummy is on view and it brought back old feelings to see him again.

Another one of the more important objects in the museum is the talatat (small block) wall which was erected during the Amarna period but later broken down and used as filler inside of the 9th pylon at Karnak.

There are several good web sites which have much more information about the Luxor Museum but I particularly like this one by Sue Bayfield:

http://egyptsites.wordpress.com/2009/02/03/luxor-museums/

We all got back on the busses just before 9:00 and went back to the hotel.

I went up to the room and Viki was still asleep so I went back to Akmed’s internet café to see if he was able to find a converter. He said that he had not found one but there were some other places that he had not tried yet. I decided to log on to the Luxor4U web site and see if any of my Luxor friends might know where I could get one. I told Akmed that I would return tomorrow afternoon. I thanked him and went back to the room.

When I got back it was almost 10:00 and Viki was still in bed but had just woken up. I ordered a burger and fries from room service and told Viki all about Dr. Weeks lecture and the museum.

It was close to 11:00 and my feet were sore and I was really tired but I couldn’t turn off my mind. I just lay there in bed thinking about all the wonderful things I had seen and done today and imagining what tomorrow would bring. Once again, this was one of the best days of my life.

Day 4 – Valley of the Kings – Day 2

2010-01-15T12:00:00.008-05:00

Before I start telling you about the tombs I need to give credit and thanks to Francis Dzikowski, the photographer for the Theban Mapping Project and Dr. Weeks, the director for the Theban Mapping Project and leader of this tour. All of the tomb interior pictures were taken by Mr. Dzikowski.

Photography in the tombs is forbidden and they are very strict about this. Do not think that just because you have given the tomb guardian some baksheesh (a tip for services provided) that you are safe. There are plain clothed employees of the SCA (Supreme Council of Antiquities) all over the place and they don’t care if you have bribed a guard or not. If you are caught you will be taken to Mr. Wazery’s office and fined 50LE per picture and the pictures are still removed from your camera. Video cameras are forbidden in the valley and if you are caught using one the fine is 1000LE!

I also want to give a sincere and deep felt thank you to Dr. Hawass, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, for his very generous permission to view the tombs of Amenhetep II and Horemheb.

I used Dr. Weeks' book The Treasures of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings as my reference for spelling and factual details throughout the entire blog.

Nov. 6 – I woke up just a little before 5 AM and again watched the hot air balloons take to flight across the Nile. From our balcony we can see the Temple of Hatshepsut nestled in the Theban hills.

I’ve been excited about everything but even more so in anticipation of today’s tombs. We will see Tutankhamen and his tomb, six other tombs of our choice and I can give Mr. Wazery the e-mail I have received from Dr. Hawass and printed out last night when I was at Akmed’s internet café.

Viki is still feeling really sick to her stomach so I went to breakfast and had my usual ham and cheese omelet and pastries. I brought Viki back a couple pieces of toast and jam and she ate it on the way to the west bank.

We caught the Horus bus at 6:30 AM in front of the hotel and headed for the valley. When we arrived at the entrance to the east valley Medhat handed each of us two valley entrance tickets and a ticket for Tutankhamen.

This is a map of the tombs (green squares) we will visit today:

The rest of the day consisted of:

KV 62 Tutankhamen's tomb
KV 6 Rameses IX
KV 1 Rameses VII
KV 2 Rameses IV
KV 35 Amenhetep II
KV 57 Horemheb
KV 19 Mentuherkhepeshef
KV 16 Rameses I
Mummification Museum

We arrived in the valley very early and were in the front of our group. I wanted to see Tutankhamen before the valley got crowded. We went straight to his tomb and there was no one entering, only a couple coming out.

KV 62 plaque:

At the entrance to the tomb we handed the guardian our tickets. From the top of the stair down to the antechamber (chamber I) is only about fifty feet. As soon as you enter the antechamber the mummy of the pharaoh is immediately to your left with his feet away from you at the door to the annex (side chamber Ia). A couple of ladies were examining Tutankhamen when we entered the antechamber so Viki and I went over to the rail which blocks access to the burial chamber (J). The only decorated chamber in Tutankhamen’s tomb is the burial chamber (J).

The last tomb we saw yesterday was for Ay in the west valley so it was still very fresh in my mind. Looking at these decorations it is easy to surmise that both tombs may have been decorated by the same group of individuals.

There were only a couple other people leaning on the rail and looking into the burial chamber and they did not stay very long. Viki and I were alone in the tomb. Of course the guardian was still back by the annex door next to the mummy. We spent a long time looking at the sarcophagus and within it the beautiful golden casket. I really enjoyed reading the actual hieroglyphs and explaining them and the wall decorations to Viki (north wall). I was even able to lean backwards over the rail and get a good look at Tutankhamen, Anubis and Hathor (south wall).

Eventually a group of people came in and crowded us out from the rail so we walked over to look at Tutankhamen. He is almost completely covered but you can look at his face. We stood there in quiet reverence before the twelfth pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty who died around 1323 BC. I found it an emotional experience but felt that this was not the proper setting for the pharaoh. I personally feel that he should be placed with his family in a much more dignified setting at the Cairo museum.

That being said, visiting the tomb was awesome. We spent about 15 min. in the tomb and most of it we were alone. I especially liked finally being able to see the actual places where all of those hundreds of beautiful artifacts were stored for thousands of years. That probably contributes to the reason why I am distressed by the display of Tutankhamen. Where the pharaoh is now placed was a storage area for his chariots and his life size bust.

You can look at all of the tomb items as they were originally found and photographed by Harry Burton on this website;

http://www.griffith.ox.ac.uk/gri/carter/HomePage.html

This is the best youtube video of KV 62 Tutankhamen I could find. It is old but the only thing that has changed is that the wood handrails in the tomb have all now been replaced or removed and the pharaoh is in a glass case just to the left as you enter the tomb.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HKVE5fw9JY&NR=1

When we left the tomb I took a couple of shots of the excavation work going on all around Merenptah’s tomb (KV 8) and some pottery finds. They are looking for the tomb of Rameses VIII.

After a truly exceptional experience in KV 62 we went across the way to give Mr. Wazery the email from Dr. Hawass. He had not yet arrived so we left the email on his desk.

Since KV 6 was just before Mr. Wazery’s office we decided to see it next. It was early so the valley was still relatively calm. There were only twenty or so people in Rameses IX’s tomb.

KV 6 plaque:

This tomb and the next two are from the 20th dynasty. During this dynasty most of the tomb construction was in a straight line into the mountain with wide corridors and a moderate decline in elevation from the front to the rear of the tomb.

This is an unfinished sunken relief of the pharaoh and his cartouches - located in the second corridor (C) of the tomb.

This is the lintel at gate D with the pharaoh on each side of the solar disk.

In 1108 BC when Rameses IX died this tomb was only partially completed so the corridor after the pillared hall F was widened, converted into the burial chamber J and hastily painted.

Here is the only video I could find of this tomb and it is just a short clip of the burial chamber:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogmj-3Zm_VA&feature=related

Although KV 6 is not very large almost every inch is decorated with mostly the different Books of the Netherworld. KV 1 and KV 2 just like KV 6 have many decorations containing portions from the different Books of the Netherworld and all three tombs have been open since antiquity.

When we exited Rameses IX’s tomb (KV 6) I took a glance back at Mr. Wazery’s office window and noticed that he was not there yet so we went back down to the entrance of the valley to see the tomb of Rameses VII (KV 1).

There were only a few people in the tomb so we handed our tickets to the guardian so he could punch them and went on in.

KV 1 plaque:

Rameses VII was pharaoh from 1135 to 1129 BC. Because he died so early in his reign his tomb had only progressed to the beginning of the third corridor. Upon his death the ancient Egyptian workers converted the second corridor into the burial chamber J. They widened the chamber, vaulted the ceiling and dug a pit in the floor for the sarcophagus to be placed in.

This is an enigmatic composition from the left wall, upper part in the burial chamber.

Here double figures of Nut and astronomical figures cover the front part of the ceiling in the burial chamber.

Again in the burial chamber, an enigmatic scene of four gods bending over the corpse of Osiris.

Many of the painted areas in this tomb have either fallen off or been chipped away from the walls and ceiling and there are many graffiti on all of the walls.

We only spent about 10 minutes in KV 1 and then walked next door to the rest shelter outside of Rameses IV’s tomb (KV 2). There was a tour group of people blocking the entrance, listening to their guide, so we sat in the shelter for a little while until they came out.

The tomb of Rameses IV (KV 2) is much larger and its decoration more interesting than KV 1. Rameses IV ruled between 1155 and 1148 BC. Even though his reign was not extremely long his tomb construction had progressed to the corridor past the pillared hall F.

Upon his death the pillars in the four pillared hall were removed, the floor lowered and then sloped from half way through corridor D, through the well chamber E to the pillared hall F which became the burial chamber J. A pit was dug in the center of the chamber and the sarcophagus placed in it.

KV 2 plaque:

The decorations deeper in this tomb are intact and very beautiful. This is the ceiling in the well chamber E.

Looking into the burial chamber J from the well chamber E.

Looking from the burial chamber J toward the rear of the tomb into chamber K.

I thoroughly enjoyed KV 2 and if you have to pick between KV 1 and KV 2 definitely view Rameses IV’s tomb (KV2).

After leaving KV 2 we had just started back up toward the main rest area when one of the SCA employees came running down to us. He said that he had been all over the valley looking for us. Mr. Wazery had contacted Dr. Hawass and was having the keys retrieved for the tombs which Dr. Hawass had given us permission to enter. The tombs in the valley which are not open to the public are padlocked and lead sealed and the keys kept seven miles from the office.

We all walked back up the valley to Mr. Wazery’s office. I was simply ecstatic, I mean almost coming out of my skin with excitement. I wasn’t even thinking about the possibility of seeing these tombs today and now here we are on our way to see the tombs of Amenhetep II and Horemheb. Unbelievable!

When we got to Mr. Wazery’s office the keys had not arrived yet and as it turned out they were also bringing the keys for KV 5 and KV 55 for our group visit tomorrow. I sat and talked with Mr. Wazery, Dr. Weeks, Ali (SCA inspector for KV 5) Medhat and several other SCA employees for a while until the keys came.

When they arrived Mr. Wazery gave the keys for KV 35 and KV 57 to the same gentleman who had found us and the three of us were off to see the tomb of Amenhetep II. Here he is opening the tomb up for us.

Amenhetep II’s tomb is fairly large and follows the 18th dynasty bent axis floor plan. After leaving the pillared hall (F) the stairs make a ninety degree turn to the left and go down to the burial chamber (J), the same lay out as KV 34 Thutmes III. The sarcophagus is still in the tomb and there were also still three mummies in chamber Jd. I thought that this chamber had been resealed but it was wide open and we were able to get a good look at all three mummies.

A little bit of history here. Amenhetep II was found still in his coffin and this tomb was used in ancient times as a storage area for several other pharaohs; Thutmes IV, Amenhetep III, Merenptah, Sety II, Siptah, Rameses IV, Rameses V, Rameses VI and Setnakht. The mummies remained undisturbed until they were discovered by Victor Loret in 1898.

KV 35 plaque:

KV 35 is undecorated except for the burial chamber (J) but this is one of the more beautiful ones with vibrantly decorated walls and columns. The color has not faded at all since antiquity. I walked around slowly in absolute awe of the decorations. First I examined each of the pillar decorations. They were amazing. The burial chamber is a large six pillared hall and at the far end you go down a central staircase to the lower level which is about one third of the chamber and has the sarcophagus in the center.

After looking at all of the pillars I went down to get a close look at this magnificent sarcophagus. Our SCA escort and I started to discuss the hieroglyphs. He was working on his Master’s in Egyptology and knew the hieroglyphs well.

Suddenly the silence of the tomb was broken by the noise of a group of people coming down the upper corridor. They had opened the closed unguarded door and decided they would just come on in.

Our SCA escort said that he would go stop them. I asked if we should just go ahead and leave and he said “No! Please, stay as long as you like. I will be at the entrance.” Viki stayed with me a couple more minutes looking at the sarcophagus and then said she was going back up.

Here I was, in dead silence, in the middle of the tomb of Amenhetep II, pharaoh from 1424 to 1400 BC and ruler of the most civilized society in the world at that time and I’m totally alone. For me this was one of the finest experiences of my life. I am truly blessed.

I finished examining the sarcophagus and started looking at the walls of the tomb. The walls of the burial chamber are covered with the complete Imydwat written in red and black ink in a cursive form like the decorations in the burial chamber of Thutmes III. They are applied to perfection by an expert artisan. Simply beautiful.

I spent another ten minutes looking around and checking out the three mummies in chamber Jd and then started to leave. I stopped at the burial chamber gate and looked back one more time at a sight which will only come once in a lifetime if you’re really lucky. Wow, unbelievable! Thank you Zahi!

Now for the trek back up. I met my wife and our escort at the entrance. They were busy turning people away. He padlocked the tomb door and we were off to see the tomb of Horemheb.

KV 57 plaque:

Horemheb was pharaoh between Ay and Rameses I. He is considered the last pharaoh of the 18th dynasty but he was more of a transition pharaoh. Here our SCA escort is unlocking the pharaoh's tomb.

As he opened the steel door our escort said for us to take our time and go on down and he would wait at the entrance to stop others from entering while we were down there. OMG, I was beside myself with excitement.

This time we walked slowly down the stair until we reached the first decorated chamber which is the well chamber (E). We walked on to the bridge over the well shaft and looked at the raised painted reliefs all around us. All of the wall decorations are of the pharaoh with and making offerings to different deities. The colors are vivid and the carving and painting are done in expert detail. The dresses and hieroglyphs are possibly the most intricately decorated of almost any tomb in Egypt. This tomb is the first to have raised painted relief on the walls.

This is the representation of Osiris, Anubis and Horus on the wall facing you as you enter the chamber (E).

I found the way the hieroglyphs were carved and decorated to be almost mesmerizing. The detail was astounding. I gazed at them for a while before going on into the first pillared hall and taking another set of stairs down to the antechamber which was the next decorated chamber (I).

This tomb was the first to alter from the previously used bent axis structure. Instead of making a left ninety degree turn out of the two pillared hall (F) the axis remains straight but is offset to the left by almost ten feet.

This is the view walking into chamber I, the antechamber. It is decorated in the same manner as the well chamber and equally as beautiful. The walls are again decorated with the pharaoh and different deities. The next chamber is where the pharaoh was buried.

The burial chamber of Horemheb’s tomb is a six pillared hall with a lower level at the far end where the sarcophagus rests. It is not fully decorated and only the walls are finished in several preliminary stages. You can actually see how the walls are first plastered, then smoothed, then the red outlines of the figures and hieroglyphs are drawn, then corrections are made in black. The next step is the partial removal of the plaster around the images. These stages are shown in detail in this picture.

After the relief carving the pigment was applied and this seems to be done in individual colors. One person does all of the green or the yellow and so on and then the blue-gray background is filled in. Every stage is represented in this tomb. It is so interesting that you could spend days studying them.

The wall decoration in the burial chamber (J) is from the Book of Gates. Each of the twelve hours of the night was represented by a gate and this book describes the nighttime journey of Ra the sun god accompanied by the pharaoh. This is the first tomb with the Book of Gates represented on the burial chamber (J) walls and here it replaces the Imydwat which was used in the burial chambers of previous pharaohs.

In the center of the lower level of the burial chamber (J) is a gorgeous carved red granite sarcophagus with sunken reliefs on it. I was able to see everything at my leisure and felt as if my head were in the skies. What an absolutely exceptional experience, yet once again.

Viki and I stopped at the well chamber (E) on the way back out and I could not help but think how amazing that this was all accomplished by people just like us over 3,300 years ago. Horemheb reigned over Egypt from 1319 – 1292 BC.

I didn’t want to leave.

When we got to the tomb entrance our escort was busy telling people that the tomb was not open for viewing. Horemheb’s tomb is a lot closer to the central wadi of the valley so more people noticed that there was something going on at the entrance. After we exited the tomb he locked the door. I thanked him profusely for his time and assistance and gave him some baksheesh.

We then went across the way to the main rest shelter so I could thank Mr. Wazery and tell him how much I appreciated all he had done to make it possible for us to see the tombs.

Viki and I sat in the shelter just outside of Mr. Wazery’s office for a while. It was only 10:30 and I have seen such beautiful tombs today that it has an almost surreal feeling. My mind was spinning with all of these images from yesterday and today. As I sat there I just stared into space. It may sound stupid to some but I was so emotionally wound up I almost felt as if I was having an out of body experience. I never have had such a thing but I could imagine that this is what it might feel like.

Well, it is only 10:45 and we still have several tomb visits left on today’s tickets. Since Viki was pretty worn out I went up to KV 19 to see the tomb of Mentuherkhepshef. It is next to Thutmes IV’s tomb (KV 43) and because it is farther away from the center of the valley it is usually not v
ery busy.

KV 19 is the tomb of Mentuherkhepshef। He is the son of Rameses IX and one of only two known tombs in the valley prepared for princes, the other being that of the sons of Rameses II (KV 5). It has only one decorated corridor (B) and the decorations are very beautiful. The plaster has broken away from the walls in many small spots but you can still appreciate the skill with witch the tomb was decorated. The decorations show the prince in front of and giving offerings to different deities. Also, parts of the Book of the Dead are written in hieratic on painted doors at the beginning of the corridor. The next corridor C was barely started. A pit was dug in the floor of the beginning of corridor C and probably used for the princes resting place.

KV 19 plaque:

Here Mentuherkhepshef gives offerings to Khonsu.

In this scene Mentuherkhepshef is giving offerings to Meretseger, the goddess of the Theban Mountains.

The colors in this tomb were still very vibrant as exampled by this scene of Mentuherkhepshef giving offerings to Sekhmet.

Even though only one corridor of this tomb is decorated it is well worth the visit.

As I began the walk back down to the valley floor, looking around at the mountains, the walking paths crisscrossing about and the tomb entrances in every direction, I felt as if I belonged here. It was a warm, comfortable, happy feeling.

I met Viki back at the main shelter and sat for a little while. We still had some time before we needed to be back at the buss. I noticed that there were no people in line at Rameses I’s tomb and since Viki had seen it with me the day before I went over to spend some time taking a look at it without all the crowds like yesterday.

Even though it has only one decorated chamber I really enjoy being in this tomb. I was alone for a while until a group of eight people came down just chattering away as if they were in a sports arena. You know, these are tombs and I personally believe that your behavior should show respect and reverence while within them but I found that many people had no concern at all for where they were or the other people around them. As I was gazing at the images of Rameses I flanked by the souls of Nekhen and Pe one of the gentlemen pulled out his camera and started taking flash photos of the walls. I kind of surprised myself when I said rather loudly “What are you doing!!!”. Immediately a guardian came running down the steps and grabbed the man’s camera. The gentleman who took the pictures would not let it go and the two of them struggled back and forth with both yelling in different languages. The man with the camera did not know English and would not let go of his camera. I went up to the tomb entrance and told the guardian there what was happening and he ran down to assist. Within a few minutes we saw the man being escorted into Mr. Wazery’s office. I hope he brought some extra cash with him.

It was getting close to time to meet back at the busses so we started back down to the valley entrance to catch the Taftaf (passenger car/trains) back to the information center.

As we left the valley I could not help but think that as I grow to be an old man I will always have these memories to look back upon with a smile and believe that this was one of the finest days of my life.

We arrived back at the hotel about 12:30 and went straight up to the room. Viki decided to stay in the room and relax. I went over to the store and got water, coke and chips. On the way back I stopped in the small café in the hotel again and had a chicken salad sandwich with cheese and fries. When I got back at the room Viki gave me a list of people to e-mail and I headed back out to the internet café.

Akmed was at the “The Net” again and had no luck with finding a converter. I logged on to L4U and was suggested to go to the Luxor Digital Center. Akmed knew exactly where it was and said he would be glad to take me there. He yelled to one of his friends in the street to watch the store. We jumped in his car and off we went. When we got to the store it was closed but would open again later. We went back to his café. When we got back Akmed told me to return later and he would take me to look again. It was refreshing to meet a nice person who wanted to be helpful without thinking about compensation. Whenever you walk down the street you are inundated with people wanting to sell you something and after a while you begin to wonder if everyone is after your money, thankfully all Egyptian entrepreneurs aren’t that way.

I went back to the room and sat on the balcony looking out at the bustling Corniche below and the Nile and Theban hills beyond. It’s difficult to explain the feelings I have, excitement, happiness and very contented at the same time.

It will soon be time to head out to the 2nd lecture by Dr. Weeks. Viki is still not feeling well so she is staying in the room and getting some extra sleep. For her, after spending the day surrounded by ancient Egypt, the lectures would probably be an overload anyway.

I enjoyed the lecture and decided to check out the Mummification Museum afterwards. The auditorium where the lectures are given is in the same building as the museum.

Day 5 - Valley of the Kings - Day 3

2010-01-14T12:00:00.002-05:00

This is our third and final day in the Valley of the Kings. Over the past three days we saw 18 different royal tombs and visited two tombs twice. As in the previous maps I color coded each day and the number in parenthesis after the tomb KV numbers are the order in which we visited them. If you double click on the map you can enlarge it.

Map for day 3:

The rest of the day consisted of:

KV 9 Rameses V & Rameses VI

KV 55 Amarna items or Akhenaten

KV 5 Sons of Rameses II

KV 17 Sety I

I'm working on this - hope to have it up soon!