After our arrival in Luxor, we started out with a packed day. We wanted to avoid the sun at it's most powerful time, from about 1pm - 5pm. The heat is really intense here in the summer. It is about 109 degrees in the morning, so the afternoons are pretty intense. There is a cool breeze if you are lucky enough to catch it in the shade, otherwise, you are standing in the sun for about an hour because there is literally no shade in sight!
The city of Luxor is spread out along the east bank of the Nile. In ancient times, it was known as Thebes, one of the ancient capitals of Egypt. Our first stop for the day was the Colossi of Memnon, which is located on the west bank of the Nile. Soaring 60ft. into the sky, the two enthroned statues of Amenhotep III are the first monuments visitors will see when they arrive. They originally guarded Amenhotep's mortuary temple, but the temple lays in ruins with the statues as a reminder of it's existence. Well, if the temple was built for Amenhotep, why is it called the Colossi of Memnon? The legend follows one of the statues would "sing" at sunrise. The Greeks attributed this "singing" to the legendary figure of Memnon greeting his mother Eos with a sigh in the morning. Memnon was a devoted Christian that was killed by the Romans, and his mother cried long after his death, until she went blind - so the legend says. So the "singing" is Memnon trying to console his mother after his death. What actually caused the "singing" was a hole in the head of one of the statues, and the wind going through it. The Roman emperor, Septimius Severus, was so annoyed by this story, he plugged up the hole in the head of the statue, and the "singing" stopped. Amenhotep III's temple is forever known as the Colossi of Memnon - an Egyptian monument that holds the name of a Christian hero.
Our next stop was the Valley of the Queens. The Valley of the Queens lies to the southwest of it's famous counterpart the Valley of the Kings. It holds the tombs of many royal wives and children. Although it was used as a burial sight in the 18th dynasty, it was only from the reign of the 19th-dynasty pharaoh Ramses I that royal wives were laid to rest here. Of the nearly 80 tombs populating the valley, the most famous is that of Queen Nefertari, which, of course, was closed for restoration. Murphy's Law! Actually, most of them were closed for renovation and we only got to see one - the Tomb of Amunherkhepshep. Amunherkhepshep was the son of Ramses III. His tomb is the most well-preserved in the Valley of the Queens, with bright colors and clear paintings and carvings on the walls. Amunherkhepshep is drawn with a braided hairstyle that is characteristic of a prince. Egyptians portrayed people at three age levels. If you were between the ages of infancy and 6 years of age, you were drawn as a baby. If you were between the ages of 7 and 12, you were drawn to the shoulder height of your father. If you were older than 13, you were drawn as an adult. I would like to draw your attention to the age of 13, where one is considered an adult. It is believed that the Jewish practice of Bar and Bat Mitzvah come from this Egyptian practice. When you walk into the tomb, you will see images of Ramses III introducing Amunherkhepshep to the gods. Because Amunherkhepshep was drawn to his father's shoulders, it is believed he did not survive to adulthood. We also saw a mummified fetus that was about 5 months old. The fetus could have belonged to Amunherkhepshep's mother who miscarried and chose to bury the fetus with it's brother, or to a servant, whose wife had miscarried, and chose to bury the fetus with his master, to serve him in the afterlife. The mummy of the fetus was really well-preserved and all the parts were identifiable - so cool! Unfortunately, there were no pictures allowed in the Valley of the Queens.
Our next stop was Hatshepsut Temple. Hatshepsut is the most famous queen of Egypt. She was never supposed to rule. She seized power after her husband died. Being that she and the pharaoh did not have any sons, a son from the pharaoh's mistresses would be chosen to rule, but would have to marry one of Hatshepsut's daughters to properly claim the throne. Tuthmoses III was supposed to rule, but Hatshepsut had him locked away for about twenty years, while she ruled. In order to legitimize her claim to the throne, Hatshepsut, claimed she was empowered by Hathor, the goddess of maternity and fertility. She also began dressing as a pharaoh, so people would see her as a man, and not question her authority. She later died of cancer, but she is forever remembered in Egyptian history with her mortuary temple at Deir al-Bahri. Hatshepsut's temple was designed by Senenmut, and is an extraordinary monument which rises from the desert plain. The temple was defaced by Thutmoses III, as a sign of revenge and disrespect against the women who laid claim to his throne.
The final stop for our morning tour was the Valley of the Kings. The Valley of the Kings was built by the New Kingdom pharaohs. By digging their tombs deep into the Theban Hills, pharaohs from Tuthmosis I on hoped to stop robbers from stealing the priceless possessions buried with them. It was an unsuccessful strategy. Despite their hidden locations, every burial chamber was raided except for those of Yuya and Tuya, and Tutankhamun. The structures themselves remain, their dramatic corridors and burial chambers stunningly adorned with symbolic accounts of the journey through the underworld and ritual paintings to assist the pharaohs in the afterlife. The valley contains 63 tombs, number 62 being that of Tutankhamun.
Tutankhamun's tomb is an incomplete tomb, being he died at such a young age. But the burial chamber still contains his mummy and one of the sarcophagi inside the gilded coffin. You will also see the "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony painted on the walls. But the best wall paintings were found in tomb 14, Pharaoh Sethnakht. The well-preserved wall paintings showed the "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony and the gods greeting Sehtnakhte. It was originally built for Seti II's wife, Queen Tawsert, but Sethnakhte commandeered it when he had difficulties building his own tomb. Unfortunately, we couldn't take pictures in the Valley of the Kings, but Mohammed had some from his previous visits that he shared with us. Yeah, Mohammed!
I have so much more to post, especially our evening at Karnak Temple and down the Avenue of the Sphinxes to Luxor Temple. Stay tuned!
Looks amazing, Korina, and the pics are great! Keep them coming!
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