Egypt - Waking the Dead

December 12

Hello everyone!

Death. It happens to the best of us. What I learnt when going to Luxor is that it can be beautiful. If you happened to be an Egyptian King, of course...

Artwork from the tomb of Tutankhamun

The mummy of King Tutankhamun

As with most Ancient Egyptian cities, Luxor is bisected by the Nile. As the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the living resided on the eastern side and looked over to the west - to the afterlife - as the Sun dipped down on the western side of the river.

We had a great view of the Nile and West Bank from our hotel

Taking a hot air balloon over the Valley of the Kings is a popular thing to do

On this western side there are many temples dedicated to different kings. We firstly visited the Habu temple, built by Rameses III. It looks like a fort, demonstrating his style of leadership.

European discovery and excavation occurred in the 19th Century

The sides of the entrance have depictions of wars fought by Rameses III

Lots of fighting, lots of battles, lots of gory consequences.

Much of the back of the temple has been destroyed

Long story, but this shows a pile of chopped-off penises

What was particularly impressive at the time of seeing Habu was how relatively colourful the temple was, especially in areas which are less exposed to the elements.

Most pigments were made of different minerals

This painting is believed to be original and thus almost 3000 years old

Another of the temples on the West Bank is dedicated to a fraud of sorts: Hatshephut. Why, you ask? Well, unlike many modern-day countries, it turns out one of the greatest civilisations in history had a woman as their leader. More than one, actually, with Cleopatra being the obvious other example. The difference is that Hatshephut portrayed herself as a man.

Not a real beard. Obviously.

Many depictions of Egyptian Gods such as Horus

Approaching the three-floored temple immediately cast my mind to Indiana Jones. The fact that it looks like it is carved within the hills surrounding it, the dust flicking up in the air...less so the mass of schoolchildren, admittedly. 

This was her mortuary temple - her mummy was
found in the nearby Valley of the Kings

Bowing down to the women in our group in honour of the female Pharaoh

Apparently Hatshephut (the number of times I’ve misspelt her name is well into double figures) was a very popular queen who increased Egypt’s wealth and prosperity. Unfortunately she seems less popular with her immediate successor and half-brother Thutmose III, who set about chiselling her name and face out of history. That explains some of the missing faces.

Once again, the colour has preserved surprisingly well

Where's your head at?

These are mere appetisers on the West Bank, however. These temples were supposed to be seen. What I saw next is certainly not.

Interior of King Tutankhamun's tomb

Interior from a Valley temple

That big hill behind Hatshephut’s temple is part of the Valley of the Kings. You may have heard of it. If you haven’t, consider your country’s history. List its leaders. Now think of a secret place near the capital. Then picture all of them being buried in secret places in very close proximity to one another. Deep, deep underground.

It may not look particularly special from above ground...

...for the magic is under the surface of the Earth

What staggered me as our dotto train dropped us off was the density of the tombs. Only one person, a vizier or priest, was supposed to know where a tomb was to prevent them from being ransacked. For so many tombs to be in such close proximity to one another was startling.

I imagine the train would be useful in the heat of summer

A map of located temples in the core area

There are 63 known tombs in this valley, where Egyptian pharaohs across the centuries have laid themselves to rest. Excavations are still happening, archaeologists being hopeful of finding more tombs.

Entrances to temples you're not allowed
to access generally look like this

On the hunt for mummies and moolah

The most famous discovery was in 1922, when an excavation unearthed King Tutankahmun. Our guide refers to him as ‘luckiest £$%$ in history’. Egyptologists think that this tomb wasn’t actually meant for him; rather, it was built for his successor, Ay. The tomb where Ay was found is far up the valley and much larger, making many believe that this was originally meant for Tut but that they were ‘swapped’ after Tut died so that Ay could give himself the grander burial spot. Tut was an unremarkable King and is only feted today because of Howard Carter’s discovery. It could have been Ay...

People think Tut's tomb was undiscovered by thieves as it
had been buried by debris from subsequent tombs

This theory is strengthened when you enter Tutankhamun’s tomb. The decorations seem rushed and the number of rooms small in comparison to others. Still, no other tomb in the Valley of the Kings still has the mummy inside it…

Artwork from inside the tomb didn't seem as beautiful as others

Still lying in state after all this time...

Tut was about 1.60m and seems very child-like. He did die young, aged 18 or 19. He has a mark on his forehead - this is from the British having to literally rip his famous mask off his face, taking part of it with it. I really didn’t want a picture of what is essentially a corpse, but the man (who is supposed to stop you from taking pictures in this particular tomb) was insistent.

It's difficult to see the mark - he also had a massive underbite

Tut being blessed by gods

Each tomb I went inside left me speechless in a child-like amazement. The colour and detail of the tomb belonging to Ramses III...

So. Many. Hieroglyphs. 

Lots of pictures depict key moments from their lives

...the sheer depth of the tomb of Merenptah...

Not as well preserved, this jackal, but still clearly visible

How they got this sarcophagus down there
in one piece I don't know, it's so heavy! 

...and the beauty and grandeur of the Ramses IV burial site…

An Egyptian Sistine Chapel

Obviously these people weren't popular with those who found them later...

Then I stopped to think about how these were made, chiselling bit by bit into the had rock under the fierce Sun to create what are really a set of massive underground houses with multiple rooms, all ornately decorated by hand...and my jaw dropped. Well, soon to return to its impish grin which I seem to have had throughout my Egyptian adventure.

Panorama inside a tomb

Jaw-dropping, this place

It’s nice to remember that there are things which can leave me in a stupor of awe and wonder. Fit for a King, this valley - and indeed the city of Luxor - has been a reminder of human potential and monumental achievement. What. A. Place.

Stepping back into the modern world

History preserved for many thousands of years

A very special place

Love you all,

Matt