[ back ]
The Valley of the Kings (& a Temple of a Queen, too)Egyp
(by Patti Day-Miller - June 14, 2010)
The Valley of the Kings, a remote, barren area chosen for royal burials, is thought to have been selected for both symbolic and practical reasons. Because it is isolated, it was relatively easy to guard, and when seen from the plain, appears to be the site of the setting sun, associated with the Afterlife by ancient Egyptians. Despite their hidden locations, the tombs were robbed of their most precious possessions, except for King Tutankhamun, whose tomb was only discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter. (Some of Tuts items are on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and others are in the traveling exhibit we just saw in NYC.)
There are 65 tombs in this valley, and we were able to enter three that scorching hot afternoon, though no photography is allowed in the tombs. The tomb of Ramses I is small (he ruled only for a year), but with beautifully decorated walls depicting scenes relating to the Book of Gates. (This book was a collection of magical spells and was intended to enable the king to overcome the demons and powers of the Underworld. These spells provided him with the passwords he needed to get through the gates guarded by snakes and deities as he proceeded on his journey.) The tomb also featured scenes showing the pharaoh in the presence of gods. Its entrance corridor is the shortest of any of the royal tombs. (My legs appreciated that.) A large, pink granite sarcophagus remains in the burial chamber.
The tomb of Ramses III is one of the longest tombs in the valley (and one of the steepest entryways—I sat down and rested halfway up when exiting that tomb), and is known as the harpists tomb because the last niche on the left shows a harpist playing for the king. A unique feature of this tomb are the colorful reliefs of everyday life in Egypt (detailed pottery imported from the Aegean, boats, craftsmen, etc.), as well as the more typical texts like The Book of Gates and the Litany of Ra (a celebration of the sun god).
The most visited tomb in the valley, due to it having the widest entrance and reasonably well-preserved paintings, is that of Ramses IX. It features a large antechamber decorated with animals, serpents, and demons (most taken from the Book of the Dead), then a pillared hall and short hallway before the burial chamber. His cartouche symbols are just before the stairway down to the burial chamber. The walls of the burial chamber feature the Book of Amduat, Book of Caverns, and the Book of the Earth. The Book of Heavens is represented on the ceiling.
After a short walk (it just seemed long in the heat), we climbed appreciatively back onto our air-conditioned bus, which then headed to the very striking, part rock-hewn and part free-standing Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, which rises from the desert plain in a series of terraces merging with the cliffs behind it. Hatshepsut was the daughter of Tuthmosis I, and after his death married her half-brother, in order to secure power. He died young, & his only successor was Tuthmosis III, a very young son (by a concubine); so, Hatshepsut, in the sons place, ruled as pharaoh from 1473-1458 BC.
The theory that was prevalent for years is that once the son came of age, he murdered Hatshepsut and took power. But the study of her mummy, which was just recently identified, disputes that theory, and some scholars now believe that when the son came of age, the two ruled jointly. An ancient mystery …
The lower terrace features the delicate relief work showing scenes of birds being caught in nets and the transportation from the Aswan quarries to Thebes a pair of obelisks that Hatshepsut had commissioned. The middle terrace here holds stunning reliefs showing Hatshepsuts journey, in search of myrrh trees needed for incense at temple ceremonies, to the land of Punt (now Somalia) and being greeted by the king and queen there. The columns of the portico around the upper terrace are decorated with statues of Hatshepsut, characteristically represented as a male king with a beard.
The temple remains of two other pharaohs, the older Montuhotep II and the younger Tuthmosis III, lie in ruins next to Hatshepsuts Temple. The complex once held hundreds of myrrh trees, as well, and an avenue of sphinxes that led off in the direction of the Temple of Karnak, on the opposite side of the Nile. It is interesting that the axis of the two temples, Hatshepsut and Karnak, are in exact alignment with each other.
Though Id have preferred going directly back to the ship at that point, at 5 p.m. we were once again stepping off the bus and this time entering an alabaster shop, where I took advantage of the WC (thats how the rest rooms are marked in Egypt), and some bought lovely gifts.
Once back on board ship, we ate dinner at 6:30 and left the ship at 7:30 headed for the Light and Sound Show at the Karnak Temple, which was due to start at 8:00 p.m.
The show is dramatic as one stands in the darkness and hears a voice describing the birth of the ancient city of Thebes and lighting up one great relief after another. Then one hears what sounds like a very heavy boulder being pushed mysteriously aside, and you walk into another area. Eventually, you are seated by the sacred lake where the lighting highlights one structure after another as you hear the achievements of some of the greatest pharaohs. We enjoyed the show and felt that it greatly enhanced our tour there the next day.
‘Twas a quick bus ride back to our nearby ship, where we found a surprise awaiting us in our room—an adorable elephant sculpture (made of towels) atop our bed.
Tomorrow morning wed be exploring the Temples of Karnak and Luxor. Its no wonder that this area is called the most important tourist destination in Upper Egypt (actually southern Egypt—yes, its confusing, and its all due to the Nile flowing from the south to the north, one of the few rivers in the world to do so).
[ back ]
