Temple complexes of the necropolis in Thebes. Ancient Thebes with their necropolises

In the book of V. Zamarovsky “Their Majesties the Pyramids” it is fascinatingly narrated about what wonderful giant funerary structures - the pyramids - were erected for themselves by the pharaohs of the Ancient and Middle kingdoms. In accordance with the location of the political centers of Egypt in these epochs, pyramids were created in the northern part of the country in the region of Memphis and Fayyum. In Egypt, however, there is another district, literally crowded with gigantic monuments of ancient architecture and many magnificent tombs, - the district of Thebes, the center of the 4th Upper Egyptian nome and the capital of Egypt during its highest political power, which he achieved during the era of the New Kingdom. We would now like to tell about the huge world of tombs that spread beyond the Nile in the western part of Thebes.

A provincial region of Egypt in the era of the Ancient Kingdom, Thebes gained political significance from the time when (around 2100 BC) their princes from the so-called XI dynasty, having defeated the stubborn and lengthy struggle of the Heracles of the Pharaohs, became supreme rulers all of Egypt. However, the Theban pharaohs reached true power later, in the era of the New Kingdom, after the militant rulers of Thebes from the XVII dynasty, expelling the Hyksos aliens from the country, allowed Egypt to become (during the reign of the pharaohs of the XVIII-XX dynasties) the most powerful power of the ancient Near East of the second half of the second half II millennium BC e. It was at this time on the eastern bank of the Nile that the giant temple ensembles of Parnik and Luxor were erected, dedicated to the gods of Thebes, and first of all, Amon-Ra, and on the eastern shore the vast city of the dead, consisting of several necropolises and many memorial temples and tombs belonging to Pharaohs, their wives, children, nobles and individuals of various social status.

The Theban city of the dead began to be “settled” in the so-called 1st transitional period - between the eras of the Ancient and Middle Kingdoms. Currently, two burials of these troubled years are known (No. 185, 186), one of which belongs to the Theban nomarch Ihi (No. 186) and is located in the necropolis of El Hoha south of the beautiful temples in the gorge of Deir al-Bahri. In total, there are 13 necropolises in the Theban city of the dead scattered over the hills, foothills, gorges of a mountainous plateau on the west bank of the Nile, stretching from the north-east to the south-west for several kilometers along the edge of fertile land. These are the necropolises:

I. Necropolis of Intef.

II. Necropolis of Mentuhotepov II and III.

III. Necropolis of Mentuhotep V.

IV. Necropolis of the XII – XIII dynasties.

V. Necropolis of the XVII dynasty.

VI. Necropolis of Dra abu l-Negga.

VII. Necropolis of Asasif.

Viii. Necropolis of El Hoha.

Xi. Necropolis of Sheikh Abd al-Gurn.

H. Necropolis of Gurnet Murai.

Xi. Necropolis of Deir al-Medina.

XII. Royal Necropolis in the "Valley of the Kings".

Xiii. The royal necropolis in the "Valley of the Queen".

I. The oldest necropolis of Iptef, dating back to the time of the reign of the princes and the first pharaohs of Thebes from the XI dynasty, is located at the northern edge of the Theban city of the dead, not far from the modern settlement of Gurn on the plain, which the Fellah called "Et-taraf" ("The End"). Here, many consecutive stelae were discovered, which originally stood against the walls of the tombs and are now stored in many museums around the world. Most steles mention the name "Intef", beloved in the princely family of the ancestors of future pharaohs of the XI dynasty. This name also determined the modern name of the necropolis, which extends at the edge of the desert about 1200 meters long and 500-600 meters wide. The burials of this necropolis have the form of either elongated pits located on the plain - graves, or tombs of the so-called rock type, slightly buried in the ground. Since this area does not have steep mountain ledges, for rock-type tombs it was necessary to tear open the front yard, deepened into it by 3-4 meters in solid soil, the back wall of which formed the front side of the tomb, whose interior premises were arranged in the thickness of the hill. Rectangular openings in this wall led from the front courtyard to the interior of the tomb, which seemed to be framed on the front by pillar-like columns forming an open gallery. Usually, passages to the side rooms were also cut down on the sides of the front open courtyard, which created the impression that the front courtyard was surrounded on three sides by a colonnade. Arabs call this type of tomb “saff”, which means “row”. Of the nearly 100 tombs of this type in the Intef necropolis, three tombs stand out for their enormous size. Their open front yards reach a width of 60–70 meters, and they are deepened into the ground by 5–7 meters. The front yard of the largest tomb is 250 meters long. Behind such elongated front yards on the hillside once stood small brick pyramids, from which O. Mariette discovered only miserable remains in 1860. There is reason to believe that these three burials with the largest front yards belonged to the first three pharaohs of the XI dynasty: Intuf I, Intuf II and Mentuhotep I. In the burial chamber under the pyramid of Intef I O. Mariette discovered an interesting stela depicting the pharaoh along with his five hunting dogs.

In the hilly hills around the tombs of the first pharaohs of the XI dynasty, burials of their courtiers are located. And later, after Mentuhotep II and Mentuhotep III created a new necropolis in Deir al-Bahri, some dignitaries from the royal circle continued to build their tombs in the ancient necropolis of Intef. Ordinary people were buried here later.

II. Necropolis of Mentuhotepov II and III occupies the southern side of the gorge in Deir al-Bahri, adjoining from the south to the nearby, but built much later magnificent temple of Queen Hatshepsut. The name of the gorge, which in Arabic means "Northern Monastery", comes from the Coptic monastery, which was here in the early Christian period.

The majesty of the new necropolis should have corresponded to the changed position of the rulers of Thebes, who became the pharaohs of all of Egypt. Mentuhotep II began to build this necropolis, but completed all the construction work of Mentuhotep III, who managed to create an architectural ensemble of exceptional beauty and grandeur, combining a tomb and a memorial temple, old and new architectural forms that determined the shape and appeared a little farther north about 400 years later fabulously the beautiful temple of Queen Hatshepsut.

To the necropolis of Mentukhoteps II and III, from the edge of fertile land in the east, a majestic road extends westward 33 meters wide, framed by antiquities on both sides with a wall and alleys of tamarisks, in the shadow of which there were royal statues. The road ended with a spacious courtyard, which in the west rested against a gallery formed by two rows of quadrangular stone columns blocked from above. A wide ramp in the center of this gallery led to the first terrace on which the sanctuary stood. The main part of the sanctuary was surrounded on three sides by a gallery of two rows of quadrangular columns blocked from above, and in the very center of the sanctuary was a massive base for a pyramid towering above it, surrounded by 140 columns of the same type. All columns were blocked from above. To the west of the colonnades of the first terrace was an open courtyard, also surrounded by columns. In the center of this courtyard, the entrance to the underground burial chamber of Mentuhotep III began, and behind the open courtyard there was a huge hypostyle hall with 80 columns in the form of octagonal stone pillars, and further on the holy of holies ... of the whole structure, which abutted in the far west on the steep slope of a steep rock. While Mentuhotep III placed his burial chamber under the open courtyard behind the pyramid, the first builder of the Mentuhotep II complex created it directly under the base of the pyramid. Only the empty sarcophagi were found in the burial chambers of both Mentuhoteps. Mentuhotep II ordered some of their harem ladies to be buried with him under the pyramid, ordering them to create small chapels for them, which were later destroyed by Mentuhotep III during the reconstruction of the entire architectural complex.

The courtiers of both Mentuhoteps sought to be buried next to their masters. The best example of such burials, of which about 40 are known, can be considered the giant tomb of Akhtoy - the vizier Mentuhotep III (No. 311), which consisted of a wide, ascending mountain road, surrounded by a brick wall of an open front courtyard, resting against a rock wall, and the inner chambers of the tomb, carved into the thickness of the mountain. In the quadrangular room of the chapel, where the statue of the deceased stood, the walls were covered with slabs of limestone, on which wonderful murals were applied. The murals also covered a long passage from the chapel to the burial chamber, where the sarcophagus stood, depicting what surrounded Akhtoy during his lifetime: his clothes, weapons, jewelry, his favorite dishes of meat, bread, vegetables, fruits and various goodies, the list of which is given here same on the wall. All this was supposed to magically come to life and please the deceased in his tomb, just as it pleased when he was living in his house at the holiday table.

A special place among the burials of the Necropolis of Mentuhoteps II and III in Deir al-Bahri is occupied by the tombs of the mass graves of about 60 fallen soldiers, apparently delivered directly from the battlefield, with darts protruding in their bodies, not embalmed and not even in tombs .

For many centuries, up to the time of the Ramessids, the memory of Mentuhotep III as a pharaoh, which gave the Theban city of the dead a special brilliance, was preserved. In many tomb texts, Mentuhotep III is mentioned among the most revered old kings. The very popular Theban Valley Feast, also known to Diodorus, evolved from the solemn ritual of the funeral cult of Mentuhotep III, when the sacred barge with statues of Amon and Mentuhotep III was transported across the Nile from the east bank to the west, delivered to the memorial temple of Mentuhoteps in Deir el , and then returned to the east coast to the temple of Mentuhotep III in Karnak. (V. Zamarovsky offers a different interpretation of the Mentukhotepov necropolis. See pages 322–326).

III. The necropolis of Mentuhotep V - the last representative of the XI dynasty - is located in a narrow gorge south of the necropolis of Mentuhoteps II and III in Deir al-Bahri and southwest of the necropolis on the hills of Sheikh Abd al-Gurn. Gigantic construction work was carried out here, during which about 80,000 cubic meters of rocky limestone were displaced. Apparently, in the necropolis of Mentuhotep V, the idea was to create the same grandiose memorial tomb-temple complex that existed in the necropolis of Mentuhotep II and III in Deir al-Bahri. However, all work was suspended and not completed, undoubtedly, in connection with the change of dynasty. After the vizier Mentuhotep V Amenemkhet became the pharaoh Amenemkhet I and the founder of the new, XII dynasty, the capital of Egypt was transferred to the north of the country to the city of Ittaui. The royal court left Thebes, and therefore the necropolis of Mentuhotep V was abandoned. The huge tomb of the pharaoh and the tombs of his nobles were also unfinished.

IV. The necropolis of the XII – XIII dynasties in Thebes was small due to the fact that the royal court was now in the new northern residence, and the pharaohs built themselves pyramids according to an ancient custom near its capital Ittaui. A small number of burials of this time were created mainly in the old necropolises of the XII dynasty in the area of \u200b\u200bDeir al-Bahri. Several larger burials with wide front yards and a colonnade appeared during these years on some elevations in the Sheikh Abd al-Gurn region. In their structure, they resemble tombs in the Intef necropolis. A small burial complex dating back to the XII dynasty arose on the hills southeast of Deir al-Bahri. Ordinary people used this area, which, apparently, was considered sacred, for the construction of their small chapels here, where their statues and steles with dedicatory inscriptions were placed. The only significant burial time of the XII dynasty that arose at the eastern edge of Sheikh Abd al-Gourn was the tomb of Intofoker (No. 60) - the vizier of Sonusert I. This tomb surpassed all other burials of nobles that had been created in the Theban city of the dead with its size and perfection of frescoes. . This tomb began with a long corridor in the thickness of the cliff, and ended with a wide square chapel, at the rear edge of which a vertical shaft opened, which led into the burial chamber. On the walls of the tomb various labor processes were depicted: plowing, sowing, hunting, fishing and poultry, baking, brewing, as well as religious scenes: transporting the deceased to his tomb and tasting sacrificial gifts.

In later times (XXI – XXIII dynasties), the area of \u200b\u200bnecropolises in Deir al-Bahri became a favorite burial place for many Theban priests and priestesses. Here Nejdemt, the wife of the Theban ruler - the "first priest" of Lyon - Herichor, and their descendants: Pinochem I, Pinochem II, Masaharta, and thus their relatives and close ones were buried.

V. The necropolis of the pharaohs of the XVII dynasty - the victors of the Hyksos - stretched a narrow strip near the eastern edge of the Dra abu l-Negga hills, touching in the north with the beginning of the road to the "Valley of the Kings" and the Intef necropolis, and in the south adjacent to the road that led to Doir el Bahri to the memorial complex of Mentuhotepov II and III. The burials of this necropolis, destroyed and looted in antiquity, in the era of the New Kingdom, are very poorly preserved. They once looked like small, but relatively high brick pyramids, which do not contain any rooms inside, usually created in the rock under the pyramid or at its eastern edge. From these rooms, a vertical shaft or a descent with steps led into the burial chamber, in which there was a sarcophagus, sometimes cut down in a rock. Only two of these sarcophagi were found in their places. The rest in ancient times were destroyed or hidden in hiding places, where they were found already in diarrhea time. All these sarcophagi are very peculiar but in their appearance, as they resemble the figure of a man covered with feathers. Arabs designate this type of sarcophagus with the word "rishi". Such sarcophagi were typical of the transition period from the Middle Kingdom to the New, and in the burials of private individuals were used during the first pharaohs of the XVIII dynasty. Tutankhamun was buried in such a sarcophagus. The mummies of the kings of the XVII dynasty were made so that in modern times they were usually found already crumbling. In their accompanying funerary inventory weapons occupy a large place. Two mummies of kings from this dynasty were discovered with tiaras on their heads. In a cache in Deir al-Bahri, in the tomb of Queen Inhapi, along with the mummies of many great pharaohs of the New Kingdom, the mummy of Pharaoh Sekenenra was found, who was the first to fight the Hyksos and die in battle. Deep wounds are visible on his head, his whole body is writhing, embalmed, apparently in a great hurry.

In the tomb of Tsarina Yahhotep, the wife of Sekenenra and the ancestor of the pharaohs of the XVIII dynasty, as well as in the tomb of her son Kamos, rich treasures of precious jewelry were found, which now occupy a prominent place in the treasure hall of the Cairo Museum.

Corresponding to the turbulent time of the struggle against the Hyksos, in the necropolis of the XVII dynasty (at its southern edge) there are mass graves of fallen soldiers. In the northern part of this necropolis at the beginning of the road to the “Valley of the Kings” Fl. Pitri found the undisturbed burial of a noble lady whose mummy rested in a sarcophagus, which at present can be considered the best specimen of “rishi” type sarcophagi.

All five necropolises, which we described above, are among the most ancient Theban cemeteries. The remaining eight arose later, in the era of the New Kingdom, and it was they who determined the characteristic appearance of the Theban city of the dead. Of these, two necropolises are royal - “Valley of the kings” (Biban el-moluk) and “Valley of the queens” (Biban el-harim). The other six necropolises are filled with tombs of private individuals, mainly grandee-approximate pharaohs of the XVIII – XX dynasties. (Later burials are also scattered around the necropolises of private individuals.)

In the six necropolises of private individuals, stretching from north to south through the whole Theban city of the dead, by the mid-30s of our century, 371 tombs were registered. (Now 409 tombs are known.) Of these, 326 burials belong to the New Kingdom (173 tombs belong to contemporaries of the pharaohs of the XVIII dynasty, and 153 belong to contemporaries of the pharaohs of the Ramessids (XIX – XX dynasties)), 7 tombs belong to the close pharaohs of the XXI and XXII dynasties, 3 the tombs date back to the reign of the Ethiopian pharaohs (XXV dynasty), and 19 tombs to the Sais era (XXVI dynasty). In addition, another six tombs of different times were revealed in six Theban necropolises of private individuals. In addition to the large graves calculated above (mainly nobles), the Theban city of the dead has many small burials lurking everywhere among the hills, from mountain ranges, gorges and deserts in the west to a strip of fertile land in the east off the coast of the Nile. These are burials of representatives of the lower social strata. Their mummies were stacked in a narrow pit, over which, according to ancient custom, a small hill of sand and pebbles was poured, sometimes faced with bricks, and a tombstone was set with the name of the deceased. Similar burials are found in all the necropolises of Thebes, to the description of which we now proceed.

VI. The necropolis of Dra abul al-Negg is the northernmost of the six necropolises of private individuals, which we, in order not to violate the general order of listing all the necropolises of the Theban city of the dead, we denote by index VI, got its name from the Muslim saint Abul al-Negg (literally “ Dra Abu-l-Negga ", in Arabic means" The Hand of Abu-l-Negga "), in honor of which a small mosque was built in this area. Rock tombs carved in the hills of Dra abu l-Negga stretched from north to south, starting from the road leading from the memorial temple of Seti I in the area of \u200b\u200bthe modern village of Gourna to the Asasif valley. Here are the tombs of such large nobles as Tetiki (No. 5) - “the son of the king and ruler of the southern city” (that is, Thebes), Thoth (No. 11), Mentuherkhopshef (No. 20), Nebamun (No. 24), Simut ( No. 142) - the head of the construction of the temple of Amo-on-Ra in Karnak. All of them were contemporaries of the pharaohs of the XVIII dynasty - Hatshepsut or Thutmose III. Among the close pharaohs of the XIX dynasty here were buried: Bakenhonsu (No. 35) - the “first priest” of Amun-Ra under Ramses II, Nebunenef (No. 157) - another “first priest” of Amon, who led the Theban priesthood at the very beginning of the reign of Ramses II, the vizier of Ramses II Ha and the “royal son of Kush” Setau (No. 289) is also a contemporary of Ramses II. Only one tomb of a later time is known, belonging to the head of the royal scribes Beckenmouth (No. 160).

VII. The Asasif Necropolis is located in a wide hollow, stretching from the southern edge of Dra abul al-Negg to the west to the mountain range that separates it from the Deir al-Bahri gorge. The Arabic name of the locality “Asasif” means approximately: “The underground paths leading to each other”. Here there is only one tomb of the nobleman of the XVIII Haruf dynasty (No. 192) - the "head of the house" of Queen Thei, the wife of Amenhotep III and mother Akhenaten. Images from this tomb are of great historical and artistic significance. In the era of the XIX dynasty, several officials of the second rank erected their tombs here.

The Asasif necropolis acquired great importance in the later times, when some nobles of the Ethiopian and Sais era (XXV and XXVI dynasties) were buried in it. So, in Asasif there are tombs of Mentemukhet (No. 34) - the fourth priest of Amon and the actual ruler of Thebes under the Ethiopian pharaoh Taharka and the tombs of several farm managers of the High Theban priestesses, the so-called “spouse of God” - Harua (No. 37), Sheshenka (No. 27) , Ibi (No. 36), Padineyta (No. 197), Prebesa (No. 279).

The upper destroyed ground brick part of the tomb of Pbes with high walls, pylons, wide courtyards and a brick vault largely determines the characteristic appearance of the Asasiphic necropolis. The cult rooms and the burial chamber of this tomb are carved deep in the rock, forming a real underground labyrinth of passages. Some underground halls of the tomb of Pbes adorn the colonnades. The reliefs and graffiti of the underground halls, columns and passages are close to the images from the tombs of the Ancient and Middle Kingdoms. The original motive is the honey production process.

Viii. The Necropolis of Al-Hoha (literally in Arabic, “The Bee-Honeycomb Hill”) adjoins the Asasif Necropolis from the south. In the second half of the reign of the pharaohs of the XVIII dynasty, many high-ranking officials built their tombs here: Puimra (No. 39) - the “second priest” of Amun under Thutmose III, Ipuki (No. 181) - the sculptor of the times of Amenhotep III, Usherhet (No. 47) - the head of the harem Amenhotep III.

The burials in the necropolis of El Hoh, dating back to the Ramessids era, are not of special interest except for the tomb of Neferrenpet (No. 178) - the manager of the treasury of Amun-Ra under Ramesses II.

IX. The Sheikh Abd al-Gourne necropolis is located south of the Al Hoh necropolis and west of the memorial temples of Thutmose III and Amenhotep II. This necropolis is located on a hill, on one of the peaks stands the tomb of the local Muslim saint Abd al-Gourn, whose name is called the necropolis. All the numerous burials of the Sheikh Abd al-Gourn necropolis are grouped in three areas, of which two areas were already surrounded by low walls in modern times. Many high-ranking close associates of Thutmose III and Amenhotep II found their last reassurance here. In particular, all the viziers of this period, the period of the highest political power of Egypt, were buried here: Yahmos (No. 83), his son User (No. 61), his nephew and heir to Rschmir (No. 100), in whose tomb the most complete text of the so-called "Instructions to the Vizier," Amenemopo Viziers (No. 29) and Hepu (No. 06). Here are the tombs of the vizier Ukhpaton Ramoso (No. 00) and the vigil of Seti I and Ramses II Passra (No. 100). In the necropolis of Sheikh Abd el-Gurn, the high priests of Amon-Ra, the contemporary of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III - Hapuseneb (No. 67) and Menheperrasepeb No. 86) were buried. Favorite of Queen Hatshepsut Senmut built his tomb on the top of one of the hills of Sheikh Abd al-Gurn, from which you can clearly see the majestic ensemble of the memorial temple he built for Hatshepsut in Deir al-Bahri. Of special interest is the tomb of Amepemheb (No. 85) - the military commander Thutmose III, whose inscriptions colorfully complement the military annals of his master, telling about campaigns in Asia. The inscriptions tell, for example, about how “Amenomheb captured two noble townspeople under the Cadet, for which he was awarded the orders of Leo and Two Flies; how during a great elephant hunt he saved the life of Pharaoh; how, in the new battle of the Cadet, the tsar of the latter resorted to a trick - he launched the mare towards the Egyptian chariots, in which the stallions were harnessed, hoping to break up the Egyptian ranks, and how he, Lmepemheb, jumped off the chariot, ran to the mare, cut his stomach and cut its tail , which he brought with triumph to the king; "as the selected Egyptian army led by Amenemheb, made a breach in the walls of the Cadet and the city was taken by storm." (V. Buzeskul. Discoveries of the 19th and early 20th centuries in the field of the history of the ancient world. Part 1. East. PG., 1923, p. 45).

X. The necropolis of Gurnet Murai, separated by a gorge from the necropolis of Sheikh Abd el-Gourna, is located on the southernmost hill of the Theban city of the dead. There is currently a village of fellahs, which received, like the necropolis, the name on behalf of the local Muslim saint Sidi Murai, whose tomb is located on a hilltop. The most interesting burial of this necropolis is undoubtedly the tomb of a contemporary Akhenaten and Tutankhamun, the “royal son of Kush” Heavy (No. 40) with beautiful paintings telling about his official activities in the distant southern province of Egypt. Many tombs of the necropolis of Gurnet Murai are in a sad state, since they were occupied by housing by the fellahs.

Xi. The necropolis of Deir al-Medina occupies a hill a little west of Gurnet Murai. The name of the necropolis in Arabic means “City Monastery” - in memory of the monastery, which in the Christian era occupied the Ptolemaic temple erected on a hilltop.

The necropolis of Doir-ol-Medina occupies a special place among other Theban necropolises, since there were buried almost exclusively people of one certain social stratum - artisans of Theban royal necropolises, laborers, stone-masons and painters who carved in the rocks and decorated the royal burials in the “Valley of the Kings” and in the "Valley of the Queen", as well as the burial of nobles in all other necropolises. Only in the later, saisian time, some high Theban priests were buried here. And now in Deir al-Medina they find the remains of the huts in which these simple "people of the detachments" of the imperial city of the dead lived, referred to in the inscriptions from their burials as "servants of the place of truth." Many fragments of limestone with rough records made by artisans during the construction of tombs, as well as consecutive stelae and papyruses of various contents were found in Deir al-Medina. In search of protection, these modest workers, who created all the splendor of the Theban city of the dead, turned in their inscriptions with prayers and requests most often not to the great gods of Egypt, but to local patron deities - to the so-called Amun of the gate, to the cat goddess, to the goddess -swallow to the goddess Meret-Seger (“Loving silence”), who was dedicated to Mount El Korn, towering above the “Valley of the Kings”, to the Asian deities Reshef and Cadet, but most often to the especially beloved deified Amenhotep I and his mother Yahmos-Nefertari. Apparently, the village of Theban artisans in Deir al-Medina was created during the reign of Amenhotep I, for which this pharaoh was recognized as his patron. The burials, often family ones, which were arranged by artisans on the hillsides in the necropolis of Depr al-Medina, are divided into two types - pyramidal and rock tombs. In the pyramidal through the gate in the two-tower pylon, you could go into the wide front yard, surrounded by a brick wall. A small garden with a pond and flower garden was usually arranged here. Behind the front courtyard, directly on the ground or on a high platform, a small, hollow brick pyramid rose. From the front courtyard, a vertical shaft led into a burial chamber located in the rock under the pyramid, which housed sarcophagi with mummies of members of the same family. The walls of places of worship were covered with drawings depicting funeral ceremonies and the deceased's stay in the other world.

In the so-called rocky tombs in Deir al-Medina, while maintaining the commonality of the plan with the pyramidal, a characteristic distinguishing feature was the use of the pyramid as a purely decorative element of the entire funeral structure. The small brick pyramid that was hollow inside had a purely decorative meaning, it was not connected with the premises of the tomb, which were located far in the depths of the cliff. The pyramid stood above the front hall carved into the rock and was crowned with a small limestone tip (pyramidion) with the image of a deceased worshiping the sun.

XII. The central place in the Theban city of the dead is undoubtedly occupied by the magnificent burials of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom and their relatives, concentrated in two royal necropolises located in three remote western mountain gorges. For the ancient Egyptians, the “Valley of the Kings” was the “Great Sacred Necropolis of the Pharaoh’s Millions of Years in the West of Thebes”, and the “Valley of the Queens” was the “Great Places of the Tsar’s Children, Tsar’s Wives, and Tsar’s Mothers in the Place of Beauty”.

All the royal tombs in the “Valley of the Kings” and in the “Valley of the Queens” arose after at the very beginning of the New Kingdom era, Pharaoh Amenhotep I, breaking the ancient custom, was the first to separate his tomb from the memorial church. From now on, memorial temples were built separately from tombs along the border of the desert and fertile land off the coast of the Nile. We know neither the tomb, nor the memorial church of the founder of the 18th dynasty of Yakhmos I. The next pharaoh Amenhotep I and his mother Tsarina Yakhmos-Nefertari built their memorial shrines in the northern part of the Theban city of the dead near the heights of the necropolis of Dra abu l-Negg. Moving further south, the other pharaohs of the XVIII dynasty erected their memorial temples: Thutmose I and Hatshepsut (in Deir al-Bahri), Thutmose III, Amenhotep II, Thutmose IV, Amenhotep III, Eia. The second representative of the new, nineteenth dynasty of Seti I, for the construction of a memorial church for himself and his father Ramses I, again chose the area of \u200b\u200bthe modern village of Gurna, at the beginning of the journey to the Valley of the Kings. Ramesses II founded his memorial temple (Ramesseum) much south, between the memorial temples of Amenhotep II and Thutmose II. (In the area of \u200b\u200bRamesseum, the burial places of Theban priests and priestesses of the XXI – XXV dynasties are known). Merneptah, the son of Ramses II, ordered the construction of a memorial temple even further south, and the pharaoh of the 20th dynasty Ramses III erected his memorial temple and palace on the southern edge of the Theban city of the dead in Medinet Abu, where the village of Dzheme later emerged. The Greeks called this region in some harmony with the word "Dzheme" "Teby", that is, "Thebes." The memorial temples were separated from the tombs in order to make the latter difficult to reach for the robbers, who already by the beginning of the New Kingdom era were able to destroy many tombs of both the kings and their close ones.

The path to the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings was long and difficult. It started from the memorial temple of Seti I in the Gourna area between the necropolises of Intef and Dra abul al-Negg, walked from the north and west of the Deir al-Bahri gorge and ended in a narrow mountain gorge of the main northeastern branch of the “Valley of the Kings”, over which the pyramid-shaped peak of Mount El Korn dominates. The sheer cliffs bare, devoid of any vegetation, surrounding the gorge, scorched by the rays of the ruthless sun, deep silence, broken only by the howling of hyenas and jackals - all this creates a feeling of magnificent loneliness, appropriate for a place dominated by death. At the southern end of this gorge, hiding behind the fragments of crumbling rocks, a secret entrance begins to the tomb of Thutmose I (No. 38) - the first pharaoh who commanded to create his last refuge here. The builder of the tomb of Thutmose I was the architect Ineni; trying to protect the tomb from the robbers, he carried out all the work secretly, so that, according to the inscription, in his tomb "no one saw anything and no one heard anything."

Apparently, the tomb was built by prisoners of war, who at the end of all work were put to death. All the precautions of Ineni were, however, useless. The mummy of Thutmose I did not rest long in his sarcophagus and in his tomb. For unknown reasons, the daughter of Thutmose I, Queen Hatshepsut, soon after the burial removed her father's mummy from a luxurious sarcophagus made of red sandstone and transferred to another sarcophagus and to another tomb, which was originally intended for her. Perhaps Hatshepsut wanted to free the tomb of Thutmose I for the mummy of her brother and husband Thutmose II. Hatshepsut herself built two tombs for herself - one in the Valley of the Kings (No. 20), and the other in the Wadi Gorge Siklet Takat Zayed near the Valley of the Kings. For Amenhotep III and Eyi - the last pharaohs of the XVIII dynasty - the tombs were built not in the main northeastern branch of the Valley of the Kings, but in its more distant southwestern part, apparently in order to make these burials more secretive and inaccessible to robbers. All the precautions were, however, in vain. The tombs of Amenhotep III and Eya were looted in antiquity, as were the graves of all subsequent Pharaohs-Ramessids, who built their tombs in the main northeastern branch of the Valley of the Kings. In the end, by chance, only one tomb of Tutankhamun (No. 62) turned out to be almost unclimbed in the “Valley of the Kings”, and only because the entrance to it was filled up with construction waste during the construction of the tomb of Ramses VI (No. 9).

All the royal tombs in the “Valley of the Kings” were built mainly according to two structural plans, one of which was characteristic of the burial places of the pharaohs of the XVIII dynasty, and the other - for the burial places of the pharaohs-Ramessids (XIX – XX dynasties).

The first structural plan was finally developed in the tomb of Thutmose IV (No. 43), which differs from the more ancient royal burials in the “Valley of the Kings” in that its long passages cut down into the thickness of the mountain with stepped descents rotate at right angles to the original direction more than once, as is observed in the tombs of Thutmose III (No. 24) and Amenhotep II (No. 35), but twice. This double turn led to the appearance in front of the burial chamber of a small additional room. As in other burials of this type, in the tomb of Thutmose IV there are various rooms, some of which are decorated with columns.

The second structural plan is characterized by the extension in one direction of all the internal passages and halls of the tomb. This plan was used to create the tomb of Eya and in the burial structures of the Pharaohs-Ramessids. Apparently, the emergence of this structural plan was due to the influence of the Amarna religious reform with its cult of the solar disk Lton, since the main functional purpose of this plan was to open a direct path for the sun's rays penetrating the tomb. A typical example of a burial of this type can be considered the tomb of Seti I (No. 17) - the largest of all burials in the “Valley of the Kings”. The long, straight line stretched and stepped descents of this tomb lead to the four-columned hall, which is connected by a stepped descent to another two-columned hall, from where the second straight passage begins, parallel to the first, to which it adjoins closely, but is slightly shifted to the left. This second move leads, bypassing the stepped descents and the six-columned hall, into the burial chamber. The meaning of parallel moves to the tomb of Seti I is explained by wall pictures. If in the first passage, where the sun's rays fell, scenes are shown showing the worship of the pharaoh to the solar deity Horakhta, as well as Atum, then in the second parallel passage, where the rays of the sun no longer penetrated, the pharaoh’s sacrifice to the gods of the underworld — Anubis and Osiris, is depicted. Two parallel moves in the tomb of Seti I thus demonstrate the transition of the dead pharaoh from the sunny world of the living to the gloomy world of the dead. A similar duality of the central passage was carried out during the construction of the tomb of Ramses III (No. 11), but was not realized during the construction of the burial sites of the later Ramesses. As for the images and texts in the burial complexes of the pharaohs, it should be noted first of all that they, with the exception of some scenes in the tombs of Eya (No. 23) and Ramses III (No. 11), and in contrast to the very vital, mundane images in the burials of nobles, devoted exclusively to religious topics. Here are scenes and texts of a religious and ritual-magical nature, which were supposed to help the deceased pharaoh safely pass all the obstacles of the gloomy "country without return" during his voyage on the underground Nile in the sun boat of the god Ra.

Xiii. Let us now say a few words about the necropolis in the “Valley of the Queen” - the “Place of Beauty” or “The Gate of the Harem”.

The Valley of the Queens is located in a mountain gorge in the southern part of the Theban city of the dead, two kilometers west of the temple of Ramses III in Medinet Abu and makes a strong impression with the peculiar beauty of its landscape. The first burial of members of royal families in the “Valley of the Queens” was created during the time of the pharaohs of the XVII dynasty (here are the burials of Yahmos, the daughter of Sakenepr and some prince from the same dynasty). The iota necropolis reached its peak during the Rameseid era, when it was buried in it: the wife of Ramesses I Satra (No. 38), the wife of Ramesses II Nefertari Meretshut (No. 06), the three daughters of Ramesses II - Nebettaui (No. 60), Meritamun (No. 68) , Bent-Anat (No. 71), the ass of Ramesses III Isis (No. 51), his sons - Parakherunemef (No. 42) and Setherkhopshef (No. 43), the sons of Ramses VIII Haimuas (No. 44) and Amunherkhopshef (No. 55), and daughter of Ramses IX Duatentopet (No. 74). Of all these burials, the tomb of the first wife of Ramses II Nefertari Merenmut (No. 66) is of the greatest interest - both in size and in the abundance of beautiful paintings.

The vast city of the dead, spread east of the Nile, was an integral part of Thebes, but had its own administration and numerous attendants: priests, artisans, and guards. Strict measures have been taken to ensure the safety of tombs. However, the temptation to take possession of their fabulous treasures was so great that, despite the fear of the vengeance of the formidable gods and no less formidable servants of the law, almost all the tombs at the end of the New Kingdom were plundered and desecrated. How this happened is well described in papyri containing protocols of interrogations of the accused in cases of looting tombs and temples under the last Ramessids. In the end, the administration of Theban necropolises recognized their powerlessness in the fight against the robbers, decided to try to save at least the mummies of the pharaohs and for this began to move them to special hiding places. On dark, moonless nights, in the strictest confidence and subject to all possible precautions, sarcophagi with the mummies of the great kings of Egypt were removed from their tombs and moved to other tombs and hiding places. As a result, after about 500 years after the creation of the Theban city of the dead, not a single mummy of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (with the exception of the mummies of Amenhotep II and Tutaphamon) was buried in her burial chamber, all of them were moved or to a special cache in the tomb of Queen Inhapi (No. 320 ) to Deir al-Bahri, or the underground burial halls of Amenhotep II (No. 35) in the “Valley of the Kings”.

A cache in Deir al-Bahri was first discovered by the Fellahs in the mid-70s of the last century, and in 1881 by Emil Brugsch and Gaston Maspero. The mummies of 13 pharaohs were discovered in the tomb of Amenhotep II in 1898 by Victor Lore. All of them were delivered to the Cairo Museum, where now you can see under the glass in simple wooden coffins almost all the great Egyptian pharaohs of the New Kingdom: both terribly mutilated in battle with the Hyksos Sekener, and the formidable conqueror Thutmose III, and the magnificent old man Ramses II, and so glorified in our days, Tutankhamun, whose almost unplanned tomb was found in the "Valley of the Kings" in 1922.

As for the Theban city of the dead itself, it fell into disrepair and collapsed along with the decline of Thebes. Many empty tombs of nobles were later used as secondary burials (especially in the area of \u200b\u200bthe necropolises of Deir al-Bahri and Asasif). When the Greek historian Diodorus in 57 BC. e. visited Thebes, in the necropolises of the ancient city there were still 47 royal burials of the time of the XI, XVII and XXI dynasties, but not one of them was in the “Valley of the Kings”. Strabo, who visited Thebes in 24–20 BC. e., mentions 40 “worthy of inspection” tombs, including 25 royal burials. With the spread of Christianity in Egypt, the monks settled in Theban necropolises. Ancient temples and tombs began to adapt to monasteries, and Christian fanatical hermits began to zealously destroy the "vile" pagan images.

Triumphant Islam continued the process of ruining the Theban necropolises. In some tombs fellahs settled with their camels, buffaloes, goats, dogs and various belongings.

Awakened in a new time in Europe, interest in Pharaoh's Egypt stimulated the emergence of a special fellah hunting, which began to search for ancient temples and tombs and sell discovered values \u200b\u200bto tourists, often destroying what spared time. The Theban city of the dead turned into a place of dubious activity of adventurers, antiquities dealers and just robbers who came to Egypt. Only in the XIX century, with the development of Egyptological science, Theban necropolises began to be protected by the Egyptian state. A systematic examination of tombs began, their registration and study, which led to discoveries that enriched us with new knowledge about the great culture of ancient Egypt, the importance of which for the formation of the entire human civilization can hardly be overestimated.

The first edition of the Russian translation of this book was published in 1981 under the editorship of N. S. Petrovsky.

  (I. A. Stuchevsky)

Book Sticker Illustrations

The former capital of Upper Egypt was Thebes, which today is called Luxor. The city is located on both banks of the Nile River. On the western side are necropolises.
  The necropolis is a huge cemetery. This is a whole complex that includes crypts, tombs and underground galleries.

The history of the necropolis of Thebes

The creation of the Theban necropolis began with Thutmose the First in 1504-1492 BC. From that moment, the Egyptian pharaohs were not buried in the pyramids, but in a special valley at the foot of the mountains in Thebes. In order for the tombs of the pharaohs not to be looted and devastated, guard units were kept. But sometimes there were still cases of looting. Even the officials whose duty it was to guard the tombs contributed to their looting.
  The Theban necropolis in Egypt was of particular interest to archaeologists and scientists around the world. In the Theban necropolis, more than 400 tombs of the pharaohs and other dignitaries were found. The main event of the last century was the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in Luxor, where not only the mummy of the Egyptian ruler was preserved, but also several sarcophagi with various treasures. Tutankhamun was the youngest pharaoh of Egypt, who died at the age of 19. He did not have time to commit any important acts. Now you can only guess what magnificent treasures were in the tombs of the great pharaohs.

The famous necropolises of Thebes

The oldest Theban necropolis in Luxor is Iptef's necropolis. Here, archaeologists discovered a large number of stelae, many of which had the inscription Iptef, which served as the name of this tomb. This necropolis is the largest in Luxor. The burials of this necropolis in Luxor have the form of either elongated graves located on the plain or slightly buried tombs of the so-called rock type. A very unusual stela was also found in the necropolis in Luxor, which depicted the majestic pharaoh with his five hunting dogs.
On the south side in the area of \u200b\u200bDeir al-Bahri is the Theban necropolis of Mentuhotepov II and III. The name of this necropolis in Luxor translated from Arabic into Russian means "Northern Monastery", and comes from the Coptic monastery, which was here in the early Christian period. The construction of this necropolis was undertaken by Mentuhotep II and Pharaoh Mentuhotep III, who created a truly grandiose and beautiful architectural ensemble, consisting of a tomb and a memorial temple, old and new architectural forms, further determining the appearance of the future temple of the great Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut, completed all construction work.
  In the east of the hills of Dra abu l-Negga, adjacent to the road to the Valley of the Kings, the Theban necropolis of the pharaohs of the XVII dynasty stretched in a narrow strip. Unfortunately, many burial places of these tombs were looted and destroyed in ancient times. The necropolis in Luxor included small, but relatively high pyramids, inside of which, as a rule, there were no special rooms, often created in the rock under the pyramid or on its eastern side. From these premises, a vertical descent with steps or a shaft led into the burial chamber, where the sarcophagus itself was located, often cut down in the rock.
  Currently, archaeologists from around the world examine all the tombs of the Theban necropolis in Luxor. New discoveries are taking place, thanks to which people learn a lot of new and interesting things about the culture of Ancient Egypt.

On the west bank of the Nile, opposite Luxor, is the Theban Necropolis - evidence of the same obsession with ideas about the afterlife and resurrection that gave rise to the pyramids. Remembering that the pyramids did not become a reliable protection for the mummies of the kings of the Old Kingdom, the rulers of subsequent eras preferred to hide their tombs among the Theban hills, leaving the role of funerary monuments to huge temples on the river plain.

The necropolis stretches along the border between the world of the living and the world of the dead: a green fertile plain gives way to an endless desert, as if repeating the path of the dead, "going west" to meet Osiris with the sun descending beyond the mountains and further into the underworld. Although over the millennia of its existence, the necropolis has lost many treasures, it still boasts a number of magnificent funerary structures. The most magnificent tombs are located in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, but the smaller tombs of the nobles are rich in interesting evidence of past life.

No less surprising are the memorial temples in which the cult of the dead pharaohs went: the complex in Deir al-Bahri, which did not lose its grandeur, rivaled Karnak Medinet-Abu, the dilapidated Ramesseum and the colossi of Memnon - a mockery of time over the ambitions of the kings. The funeral monuments of the craftsmen who built the royal tombs and the ruins of their houses in Deir al-Medina are more modest, but they testify to the same highest level of artistic skill.

In addition to the monuments, the west coast is interesting in its very opposite to Luxor: it is not urban, but rural territory, not so lenient to foreigners. Many of the Egyptians who will meet you on the streets of Luxor, come from the villages of the West Bank, and a significant part of the profits from the Luxor business is invested in this area. The symbiosis of the two communities is usually underestimated due to the fact that the locals, speaking in English, always call the west coast “the other side” - (in Arabic, min harb). People living there jokingly compare the west coast with Palestine, which is ruled by Israel, due to land disputes between the villagers and the Luxor City Council.

Visiting Theban Necropolis

The Theban necropolis, located between the dry Wadi channels and the hills on the very edge of the fertile valley, is too large to be examined in one day. Even if you are limited only to the Valley of the Kings, Deirel-Bahri and any other one complex, by the end of the day you will feel an excess of impressions. Most tourists prefer to visit the necropolis in several receptions, given the weather and the number of visitors - two of the main factors affecting the pleasure of travel.

In winter, the mornings are quite warm, and the heat of the day is quite tolerable. The schedule of excursions is made taking into account these features, so from 9:00 to 14:00 tourists are crowding in the Valley of the Kings (other complexes are not so crowded). Since many people prefer to arrive early in the morning to “get ahead of the crowd”, in the late afternoon the royal tombs are almost empty. In the summer, during the daytime, there is too much heat, so it is better to come here as soon as possible.

Typically, monuments are open for tourists from 7:00 to 17:00 daily, although the mode of operation may vary depending on the time of year and police restrictions. The exception is the tombs of the Valley of the Kings, which open to visitors at 6:00 in any season, and close in winter at 16:00. An excursion around the necropolis is expensive, a 50% discount is provided on the student card. If you want to see all the monuments of the necropolis, get ready to spend about $ 80 on tickets (no discounts), but most often tourists are limited to less.

In hotels or on the streets you can be offered excursions of any duration or level. Even if you like the option, don’t grab the first one, without having familiarized yourself with other offers and opportunities to create an individual program. Almost all excursions include a visit to the papyrus or alabaster "factory", where your guide has a percentage of sales of souvenirs; some agencies themselves are the owners of such workshops, where tourists are sent.

You should not be indignant (if, of course, a visit to the workshop did not take longer than a tour of the necropolis itself), just keep in mind that the prices for souvenirs are set depending on the composition of your group: in the eyes of the seller, elderly tourists who arrived by bus, look richer than a bunch of people with backpacks and donkeys.

It does not hurt to bring along a torch, an adequate supply of drinking water and small money. If you want to ride a bicycle or a donkey, put on a hat and double your water supply. It is also good to stock up on some light food, since the choice of food and drinks on the spot is very limited, and prices are higher than in Luxor. Photographing in tombs is now prohibited in order to ensure the preservation of fragile frescoes. Their reproductions can be found in print media and on the Theban Cartographic Project website. The landscape and temples of the West Bank itself are best photographed in the early morning or at dusk.

• Crossing the Nile

There are several ways to get from Luxor to the west coast. A well-worn local ferry departs regularly during the day, and from time to time at night from the marina on the promenade designated as “State Ferry Terminal”. He will drop you off on the west bank near the village of Gezira. Locals pay 25 piastres for crossing, tourists - 1 pound. Since the ferry is usually packed to capacity by villagers, bicycles and luggage, many after such a crossing remain “platooned” all day.

As an option, you can choose one of the many motor boats or feluks standing near the shore. Bargaining a little, you can bring down the price of up to 5 pounds from the group. Motor boats (in English they are called lunches, and in Arabic they are called goiter) is the fastest way to cross to the other side, besides, you can board a boat and disembark anywhere. But the crossing on Feluka is rather a leisurely walk.

On all the ships mentioned, you can take your bike with you for free, motorcycles can only be taken by ferry. Remember safety: traveling on a crowded boat at night is a risky activity. In 2001, during the Abuel Hajjaj holiday, 35 passengers of a motor boat drowned as a result of its collision with a ferry. In winter, when the water level in the Nile falls to a minimum, ferries sometimes stand for hours on the shallows. There were times when passengers enraged by this began to tear off their seats and destroy everything around. It is also very dangerous to walk along the marinas in the dark, at the risk of tripping over the mooring cables or falling into a hole between the boards.

Since the opening of the Luxor Bridge in Bogdadi, 7 kilometers south of the city, all buses and taxis travel in this roundabout way, so with a high traffic density the road to the necropolis can take an hour. Some tour operators circumvent this difficulty by sending in advance a car that picks up tourists who crossed the river in a motor boat. In the end, crossing the boat remains the most enjoyable of all possible options.

• Means of transport

The choice of further means of transportation depends on the time of year, as well as your plans, availability of means and aptitude for adventure. If you intend to visit the necropolis several times, use different modes of transport. Since you still have to bargain in most cases, it is better to find out all the details in advance. Unless otherwise specified, all of the rates below include the cost of admission tickets that can be purchased on the West Bank.

1). An underestimated option for many people is a walk through parts of the necropolis, which can be reached by public transport. Covered pickups deliver passengers from a taxi rank located at the ferry pier in Gezira to Old Gurna (known to drivers as Gurna Fok) in just 25 piastres. From here, a fifteen minute walk to Medinet Abu, the Valley of the Queens and the Ramesseum. Many cars go to Dra abul Negg - it is closer to the tombs of the nobles and Deirel Bahri. The disadvantage of these options is that if you have no desire to climb the hillsides, you will not get into the Valley of the Kings. In the summer, walks are possible only in the morning and for a short distance.

2). For people in good physical shape, the cheapest (after walking, of course) way to explore the entire necropolis is a bike ride. In winter, it’s even cool while driving, but it’s worth stopping and you begin to sweat. Beware of heat stroke, drink enough water. The length of the one-day route can reach up to 30 kilometers. In particular, from the river bank to the main ticket office - 3 kilometers, from here to the Valley of the Kings (mostly uphill; watch the traffic) - 8 kilometers, from Deirel Bahri to Medinet Abu - 3 kilometers. The main disadvantage is the inability to cross the hills between the Valley of the Kings and Deirel Bahri.

In the summer, cycling will require more stress. A prerequisite - a segment of the path to the Valley of the Kings must be overcome in the early morning, leaving a descent from the hill for a hot afternoon. The quality of the roads is very different, from the concrete track to the rocky trails. Bicycles can be rented at Luxor hotels and shops or directly on the West Bank for 10 pounds per day.

Before you pay, check the bike; many of them do not have a speed switch, which turns the ascent into the mountain in the headwind into a genuine torment. Some Luxor shops offer motorbike rentals. After a long trade, you can negotiate a price of £ 50 per car. When traveling along the West Bank, be especially careful with children and animals. Motorcycle repair shops are located on the road from the ticket office to Medinet Abu, near the Nour el-Guma Hotel and in the village of Al Jabanah.

3). Traveling by private taxi is a pretty good option for groups. This is the least tiring way to visit many monuments of your own choice in one day. Taxis are usually taken for four to six hours; get ready to pay from 50 to 100 pounds depending on your bargaining skills and the current situation in the travel market. through a hotel in Luxor is very expensive, so it is better to take a car already on the west bank at Gezira. The competition is very high; It is recommended that you contact Mohammed Ahmed Avad. In special cases, you can use a pickup truck like a taxi. If there are no other passengers, and also after 10 in the morning, the driver will take you to almost any village on the west bank for 5 pounds (per group).

4). Many tourists prefer guided tours, which can be booked at any Luxor hotel or travel agency. You can be offered an air-conditioned bus or minibus. The cost of the trip (per person) depends on the size of the group and the commission of the hotel or agency. Prices at Happy Land are no higher and no lower than other cheap hotels (45 pounds per person in a group of 12 people, 85 pounds for two, 150 pounds for an individual trip; entrance fees are not included). usually includes a visit to the colossi of Memnon, the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens and Deirel Bahri.

If you do not want to hire a guide through an agency, it is recommended that you contact Abu al-Naga Jabrail, an experienced guide who is well versed in Egyptology. Organized excursions offered by agencies such as Misr Travel are more expensive (from $ 60 per person), but include monuments like Medinet Abu or Ramesseum, where minibuses do not get. As part of a large group, you will quickly get inside the royal tombs and hear more detailed explanations from unofficial guides, but in this case the atmosphere of adventure and surprise is lost.

5). Riding a donkey will leave an unforgettable experience. You will climb the Theban Hills over a valley shrouded in fog, drive along paths that wind between cliffs and abandoned tombs, go down to the Valley of the Kings and return back through Deirel Bahri and the tombs of nobles, enjoying the views inaccessible to other tourists. But keep in mind that this is a very difficult five-hour trip, starting at five in the morning and not suitable for children and people prone to dizziness. Donkeys, who cease to obey the commands “Huush!” (Stop!) And “Hatple!” (Faster!), Bring some revival when they see a female or find something edible.

Since the "mountain" donkeys know the path, any incidents along the way are more likely comic than serious. Such tours are difficult to buy in hotels, with the exception of Venus (55 pounds per person without the cost of tickets), but they are often offered by companies that organize outdoor activities, in particular Explore, which hires donkeys from the Khalifa family in Gezira for about 20 pounds each. If you are interested in such a trip, you can contact Tayyib Khalifa. An even more relaxed option to travel on a donkey is a rural tour from Beirat on country roads, which is simply magnificent in not very hot weather.

6). Although horses and camels are completely unsuitable for traveling around the necropolis itself, it is quite interesting to ride on horseback through the desert near Medinet Abu or through the villages of the west bank. The animal can be taken for 30 pounds per hour in Gezira - in Pharaoh’s Stables or in the Arabian Horse Stable. The stables belong to the competing brothers, Bakri and Nobi. Both are looking for customers at Luxor hotels.

7). A majestic view of the necropolis opens with a balloon. The impression is worth spending a tidy sum on it (unless, of course, you have one). Three companies involved in the organization of flights set prices depending on demand and the exchange rate, from 85 to 145 pounds (110-186 dollars) per person.

• Entrance tickets to the necropolis

It’s best to decide in advance exactly which monuments of the necropolis you want to visit, because you can buy a ticket to a specific place only in one of the four ticket offices scattered throughout the west bank. Tickets to all memorial temples (with the exception of Deirel Bahri), Deirel Medina and most of the tombs of the nobles are sold at the main box office near the tourist police building. The box office in the Valley of the Kings sells tickets to the royal tombs and the tomb of Eye, located in the Western Valley.

Tickets to Tutankhamun's tomb are sold at a separate kiosk in the Valley of the Kings. The third box office in Deirel Bahri sells tickets to Hatshepsut Temple and some nearby tombs. A separate cash desk is available at. Prices are listed below; holders of student cards get a 50% discount. In one day, you are unlikely to be able to use more than six to seven tickets. Tickets are valid only on the day of purchase (money for unused tickets will not be refunded).

• Sample routes

If you need to explore all the most important in half a day, the shortest route is suitable: (1 hour 30 minutes), Deirel Bahri (20 minutes), tombs of nobles (30 minutes - 1 hour), Medinet Abu (30 minutes) and / or Rameseum (30 minutes). If you have the whole day at your disposal, take a taxi to the Valley of the Kings until 9:00, spend a couple of hours there, and then go on foot through the hills to Deirel Bahri, having previously agreed with the driver to meet there and then go to Medinet Abu or Deirel - Medina and the Valley of the Queens. Alternatively, you can visit the tombs of the nobles and Ramesseum before returning to the pier. For those who like to stop at every terrain, exploring the tombs and temples of the west bank can take three to four days.

West Bank villages

The first on your journey will be Gezira. It is here that the stream of villagers returning from Luxor by ferry and tourists arriving by boat splashes out. Private and shuttle taxis to other villages on the West Bank are located higher up on a hillside. Now Gezira already has half a dozen hotels, an art gallery, an Internet cafe, a dry cleaning service, bicycle shops and horse stables. The village has grown to the channel of El Fadiyya - the border with El Tod. Near the canal is a police checkpoint that does not allow cars to the necropolis before 6 o’clock in the morning.

On the other side of the main road is New Gourna (Gourna al-Jedid), built in the 40s of the XX century. The settlement is decorated with two magnificent public buildings - a mosque and the Palace of Culture. Behind the colossi of Memnon are barren hills open to all winds, strewn with tombs of ancient Egyptian nobles and the dilapidated buildings of old Gurna. There are more than 900 tombs in the hills; new discoveries still occur periodically.

Going around Gurnu, the road goes to Dra Abul Negga. Blue and yellow houses contrast with the lifeless surrounding landscape, here and there bright glare is visible - these are the rays of the sun reflected from particles of mica or alabaster dust. Sculptures and ashtrays are made in the village, which are then sold in souvenir shops throughout. The attention of tourists is attracted either by workshops for processing alabaster, then by bright wall paintings, or by craftsmen who manually polish vessels directly in front of their shops.

In Dra abul Negga, the side road turns to Hatshepsut Temple, while the main one goes further to the intersection, where the road to the Valley of the Kings begins. The brick building on the top of the hill is Howard Carter’s house, in which he lived while searching for the tomb of Tutankhamun. There is talk of turning it into a museum, but so far nothing concrete has been done. Nearby is another archaeological residence - Stoppelaer House, designed by Hassan Fakhri.

The wasteland at the intersection of roads is the site of the celebration of the annual Mawlid Abu Kusman on the 27th of the month of the Sha'ban. The holiday is held in memory of the local saint, who during his life was famous for his wonderful deeds and sincerity, and died in 1984. The West Bank Museum opened not so long ago, in 2007. In his collection, a collection of antique items from the vaults of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA). The museum building, with its watchtowers a bit like a prison, is located 500 meters from the ticket office on the side of the main road in Gurn al-Jedid.

• Helpful information

You will find most of the necessary tourist establishments on the main street of Gezira. Here you can find a bike rental point (10 pounds per day), an Internet cafe (10 pounds / hour) at the Nile Business Center on the waterfront, and dry cleaning. If you need medical attention, it’s best to go to Luxor International Hospital and not to Al Jabanah Hospital. Although there are no currency exchange offices on the west bank, in most hotels you can exchange money informally.

Usually the police do not accompany tourists, but you can only drive through the post at the El Fadiyah Canal, which controls the road to the necropolis, starting at 6:00 in the morning. This greatly interferes with groups traveling on a donkey: to see the dawn in the hills, they have to wade between the fields. Shuttle taxi drivers were ordered not to take tourists outside the western shore security zone, which ends in the south at Hajar Dabaiya and in the north at Gurna Taarif.

• West Bank (where to stay)

Recently, more and more tourists stop on the west bank. You can get from Gezira to Luxor Temple in a motor boat in just five minutes, the road to the Theban Necropolis also passes through this village. Other settlements of the West Bank are located next to various temples and tombs. It is also quieter and calmer here than in Luxor. The newest hotels have air conditioning and multi-room rooms.

Old hotels located near the temples, as a rule, are very old-fashioned and offer only the most necessary amenities, however, the pleasure of the close proximity to the ancient ruins compensates for household discomfort. Check availability by phone before crossing the Nile with your luggage. Hotels located far from the marina can be reached by pick-up (25 piastres) or taxis (5-10 pounds), departing from the parking lot in Gezira.

About 500 foreigners live on the West Bank (about 400 of them are British), so selling and renting a home is a pretty lucrative business, especially in the Ramlech district of Gezira. Mohammed El Qadi owns five houses and rents out apartments with comfortable bathrooms and kitchens. A two-bedroom apartment costs £ 800 per week. Agent Guy Movil from the Egyptian Rent Office Flat works with many property owners in the West Bank and offers two-bedroom apartments for £ 800 per week. Muhammad Restaurant also offers simple clean rooms (60 pounds) with a shared kitchen and bathroom.

Below are listed hotels of different categories, from the most luxurious to very mediocre. Although room prices are higher than in Luxor, the landscape and atmosphere more than make up for this. Except where otherwise indicated, this means that the room has a private bathroom and breakfast is included in the price. There is also a campsite south of Gezira.

• West Bank Hotels

1). Hotel Abou el Kassem   - The hotel is located next to the alabaster processing workshop and quite far from most monuments (use minibuses from El Jabanah or Gourna Taarif). Dusty rooms with fans and showers, bike and donkey rental. In winter, Hungarian archaeologists usually live here. Hotel Location: Gurna Tarif, near Seti I Temple;

2). Hotel Al Moudira   - Imagine an Ottoman palace with beautiful courtyards, huge gardens, a swimming pool, a Lebanese restaurant and a bar. The 54 rooms, decorated with antique items, have mosquito nets, air conditioning, satellite TV, minibars; Some apartments have a fountain and Turkish hammam. The only drawback of this hotel, built by Zeyna Abukir from Lebanon, is the distance from all attractions, so guests have to use the services of taxi drivers (15 pounds). On Christmas and New Year - extra charge 20%. Hotel Location: Haggar Daba`iyya 5 kilometers from Medinet Abu and 1 kilometer from Luxor Bridge;

3). Hotel Al-Salam Camp   - A colorful campground with a trailer instead of the reception desk, six houses and a clean washroom. During the flood, it turns into an island surrounded by water. Hotel location: on the banks of the Nile, 1.4 kilometers from the ferry pier;

4). Hotel Amenophes - Nice air-conditioned rooms with TVs and balconies within walking distance of Medinet Abu. The view from the roof spoils the neighboring houses. Master Card and Visa are accepted. Hotel Location: Nag Lolah;

5). Hotel Amon   - Two buildings with a garden between them. The building, facing south, has more spacious rooms with balconies. Shared kitchen. Transfers from. Beer is on sale. Hotel location: on the outskirts of Gezira;

6). Hotel El-Fayrouz   - A pink high-rise in the center of Gezira. Spacious rooms with fans (some have air conditioning) and balconies. Beautiful garden, view from the roof of Thebes hills. Internet access (7 pounds / hour). Sale of alcohol. Hotel Location: Gezira;

7). Hotel complex El-Nakhil   - A complex of comfortable houses equipped with air conditioning (one adapted for people with disabilities) is located next to the fields behind El-Fayrouz. Hotel Location: On the outskirts of Gezira;

8). Hotel Gezira   - The hotel is located down the first street, departing from the main road. Decent air-conditioned rooms with balconies; nice terrace; however, in the summer there are too many insects. There is evidence that some tourists had problems with the owner of the hotel. Guests enjoy a 5% discount when visiting the pool at Gezira Gardens. Room service includes lunch, beer and wine. Hotel Location: Gezira;

9). Holiday Village Gezira Gardens   - A small recreation center owned by the same owners as Gezira. There are air-conditioned rooms and apartments for up to 4 people ($ 45) with balconies overlooking the Nile. Pool, bar, restaurant, laundry, satellite TV. Hotel Location: Gezira Embankment;

10). Hotel Habou   “A labyrinth-like building with stuffy vaulted rooms but clean bathrooms and great views of the temple from the roof.” Bicycles for rent. Hotel Location: opposite Nag Lolah, Medinet-Habu;

11). Hotel Marsam   - The building, built for American archaeologists, at one time belonged to Sheikh Ali Abdul Rasul, who participated in the search for the tomb of Set I. The calm atmosphere and excellent vegetarian cuisine compensate for the simplicity of the rooms equipped with fans (separate shower room for an additional 40 pounds) and the lack of liquor for sale . The hotel has a decent library and an eccentric archaeologist who lives here permanently. Accommodation from December to April is by reservation only. Hotel location: Gurnat Mura’i, close to the road to the tombs of the nobles;

12). Hotel Nile Valley - From the rooftop restaurant offers the best view. All rooms are air-conditioned and have balconies. A floor will soon open with cheap rooms, shared bathrooms and a swimming pool in the garden. Friendly atmosphere, live music and a buffet in the evenings. Beers and spirits are on sale. For Easter and Christmas, an extra charge of 2 pounds. Hotel location: Gezira, near the ferry pier;

13). Hotel Nour el-Balad   - Rooms in a trendy, rustic style with down comforters, mosquito nets and tiled bathrooms. The rooms on the second floor are 50-100 pounds more expensive, the rooftop apartments are 450-500 pounds (too expensive for a view of the Theban Hills). Isolation is the main disadvantage (or, conversely, an advantage). Hotel Location: On the edge of the desert near Medinet-Habu;

14). Hotel Nour ei-Qurna   - A small hotel in a palm grove belongs to the same owners as Nour el-Balad. Eight rooms with raw brick walls; palm-tree beds with duvets, mosquito nets, bathrooms - everything is like in a French fashion magazine. Prices depend on the view from the window. Hotel Location: Gurnat Mu’rai opposite Antiquities;

15). Hotel Pharaoh’s   - Cozy rooms (most with air conditioning and bathrooms); more spacious rooftop rooms are 60 pounds more expensive. View of the temple. Beer and food are served on the old patio, which is full of mosquitoes in the summer. Hotel Location: Nag Lolah, next to the temple in Medinet Abu;

16). Hotel Ramses   - Clean, air-conditioned rooms, great views from the roof. The owner of the hotel owns the Sinbad ship with three cabins, flying between and. Hotel Location: Gezira, opposite Gezira;

17). Family Hotel Senmut   - Dutch hotel Bed and Breakfast system with a homely atmosphere, located in a chic quarter. Quiet rooms with air conditioning (and without) and bathrooms; the best view is from the corner rooms on the third floor. Shared living room, kitchen and laundry room; lunches are served only when all rooms are full. Hotel Location: Ramleh, Gezira.

• Food and drink

You can eat lunch from a jacket or chicken with rice and salad for 20-30 pounds in almost any of the hotels on the West Bank. Two such establishments are worth mentioning. The Nile Valley also has pizza, fish and vegetarian dishes, on Sundays at 19.00 - a buffet (35 pounds), as well as a beautiful view of the Luxor Temple. Marsam boasts excellent vegetarian cuisine with a variety of salads and tempura.

You can also go to the 24-hour Muhammad restaurant near the main ticket office. It serves home-made goat cheese, 600-year-old acacia grows in the garden, and the toilets sparkle with cleanliness. Ramesseum Holiday Home serves beer and wine, and is popular with local police.

Africa Restaurant near the taxi rank in Gezira is famous for fish and vegetarian dishes, as well as a cozy patio. Tout Ankhamon, owned by Hajj Mahmoud, serves lunches (35 pounds), consisting of coconut curry or duck with rosemary, lentils with spices and stewed vegetables, as well as baklava or watermelon for dessert.

Alcohol is sold only at Al-Moudira, Amon, El-Fayrouz, Gezira, Gezira Gardens, Nile Valley and Pharaoh’s, Africa Restaurant and Ramesseum. Nile Valley hosts nightly shows, especially on Thursdays and Sundays, when the Sayyidi musicians perform and the dervishes dance. On Saturday night, you can listen to live rabab music on the No Galag terrace of Saeed Galag.

To relax in a more relaxed atmosphere, go to the German Malqata Palace of Arts (daily, except Mondays, 11.30-15.00 and 17.30-22.30) in Gezir: here you can look at old photographs of Egypt and works of modern Egyptian artists, enjoy a cup of freshly made coffee, read newspapers in European languages, have fun in a cultural conversation and eat a delicious dinner.

Colossi of Memnon

About a kilometer beyond Novaya Gurnaya, the main road passes by the colossi of Memnon, towering to the right among the fields. A pair of giant figures seated on thrones once stood in front of the memorial temple of Amenhotep III - the largest temple complex on the west bank, possibly even exceeding the size of Karnak. Pharaohs of a later era took a stone here for their buildings, until only royal colosses remained from the temple.

The statues lost their faces and crowns, and the northern colossus split during the earthquake of 27 BC. Subsequently, it was he who became famous as "singing" at dawn - apparently, sounds were born from the wind penetrating the cracks, or the rapid expansion of cracked stones due to temperature changes. In ancient times, this phenomenon attracted many here, including the Roman emperors Hadrian (130 AD) and Septimius Severus, who ordered the statue to be repaired in 199 AD, after which she permanently stopped “singing”.

According to legend, sounds are sighs of the legendary Memnon (Achilles killed him near the walls of Troy), who greeted his mother Eos (Zarya). The Greeks attributed the colossi to Memnon, because they believed that his father Typhon was an Egyptian king. Prior to this, colossi were considered the image of the court Amenhotep, whom the descendants revered as a demigod for a long time after his master - Amenhotep III - was forgotten. These associations have some basis, since it was Amenhotep who was in charge of the mining of monoliths in Silsil and their installation on the west bank. Perhaps he was also responsible for the construction of the buildings of Amenhotep III in Luxor.

Standing at the rope fence, you can see some of the details preserved on the thrones and legs of sandstone statues. On the sides of the nearest monument are depicted the Nile deities of Upper and Lower Egypt, linking the stems of the heraldic plants of the Two Lands. At the feet of the colossi are small sculptures of Queen Teye (right) and the royal mother Mutemuy (left). To the entire height to which a person can reach, they are dotted with inscriptions, including Roman time. Excavations of the long-gone memorial temple of Amenhotep III follow the colossi. This territory is still closed to the public, it is planned to create an archaeological park here.

In contact with

Theban Necropolis   - a place on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes. The necropolis was used for ritual burials for most of the era of the pharaohs, starting from the 1st transitional period, especially during the New Kingdom.

Funeral temples

• Deir al-bahri
  • Memorial Temple of Queen Hatsupsut
  • Memorial Temple of Mentuhotep II
  • Memorial Temple of Thutmose III
• Medinet abu
  • Memorial Temple of Ramses III
  • Memorial Temple of Eye and Horemheb
• Memorial Temple of Amenhotep III
  • Colossi of Memnon
• Memorial Temple of Merneptah
• Memorial Temple of Ramses IV
• Memorial Temple of Thutmose IV
• Tausert Memorial Temple
• Memorial Temple of Seti I
• Temple of Nebunef
• Ramesseum

Royal tombs

• Valley of the Kings
• Valley of the Queens
• Tomb of DB-320

Valley of the nobility

• al-assassif
• al-hoha
• et-Tariff
• Dra Abu al-Naga
• Sheikh Abd al-Qourn
• Kurnet-Murai

Other

Deir al-Medina

• Craft Cemeteries
• Meritseger Chapel and Ptah

Wadi gabbanat

The tomb of the three foreign wives of Thutmose III, discovered in 1916. During excavations there was found a gold diadem decorated with gazelle heads, now stored in New York.

Kom Es Samak

A small kiosk temple 2.5 km south of Malkata, discovered by an expedition from Tokyo's Waseda University in 1974. The temple was built of adobe brick and had a high pedestal with a ramp and stairs. During the excavation, fragments of the mural were found. This temple was intended to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the reign of Amenhotep III.

Qasr El Aguz

A small, well-preserved temple dedicated to the cult of Thoth. It was built during the reign of Ptolemy VIII Everget.

It was this quiet and peaceful place that was used for the burial of the pharaohs for most of their era, especially in this distinguished New Kingdom. Once here, you can see the simply amazing memorial temples of such great rulers as Hatsupsut, Thutmose III, Ramses III, Amenhotep III, Horemheb and others. There is also the Valley of Nobles, where not only the noblemen and priests found peace, but also the simplest inhabitants.

Visiting Conditions

Before you intend to go to the City of the Dead, you should carefully think about how exactly you will walk under the hot and scorching Egyptian sun. Here you will need comfortable clothes and shoes, a mandatory hat and a supply of drinking water. It will not be superfluous to pre-treat the skin with sunscreen.

Given that there are a large number of historical and cultural monuments in the territory of the city of the dead, you can independently choose the place that you will explore on your own or with a guide.

The best time for a walk between the ancient walls is in the early morning, when the air has not had time to warm up much yet, and numerous excursion groups take all the parking spaces with their buses.

Interesting Facts

• On the territory there is a separate tomb for the foreign wives of Thutmose III, where during the excavations an interesting and unique diadem of gold adorned with the heads of gazelles was found.
• In order to protect the tombs from marauders, special protection was put up in Ancient Egypt, however even this did not always help protect the heritage of the ancestors.
• Interestingly, the only one not plundered grave was that which belonged to Tutankhamun, the youngest of the rulers. At the same time, it was filled with gold, jewelry, ritual objects and delightful frescoes. This gives us reason to think about what could have been in the tombs of more noble men.
• The very first burial in the territory of this necropolis was made about four thousand years ago, in 1504-1492 BC.

How to get there

Given the features of this place, the best and most convenient solution to get here would be an organized guided tour. In this case, you will not only be taken to the sights by bus, but they will also be told many interesting stories related to this place.

You can always take a taxi or rent a car, having got here on your own.

Address: Luxor, Egypt