Tomb of Pepi-Nakht, called Hekaib

Tomb of Pepi-Nakht, called Hekaib This is the tomb of the deified Elephantine nobleman, whose sanctuary was built on Elephantine, and who was honoured by no less than eight generations. His tomb is in poor condition, but his autobiographical text, recorded on each side of the entrance doorway, enables us to trace his activities. Tomb of Pepi-Nakht Pepi-Nakht conducted several campaigns into Lower Nubia. On one occasion, he suppressed a rebellion and returned with captives, including the children of the chiefs as hostages. On another occasion, he brought back two Nubian chiefs themselves in order to talk matters over with the Egyptians and...

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Tomb of Sennedjen

Tomb of Sennedjen The main chamber is all that remains today of the tomb of Sennedjen, an official at the time of the XIX Dynasty and «Servant in the Square of Truth». The paintings found here are, for their liveliness and freshness of colour, among the most beautiful of the entire valley. On one end wall is painted Sennedjen, who, accompanied by his bride, works in the Fields of Ialu (the Egyptian paradise), plowing, sowing and harvesting grain. On the other end wall (below) the husband and wife worship the gods in the After-life. At the head of all the other gods is Osiris who, with his green skin, symbolizes the renewal of life at springtime. Tomb...

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Esna Temple Pictures and More

Esna In ancient times this was the capital of the Illrd nome or province of Upper Egypt. It was called « Latopolis» by the Greeks because of the worship of a sacred fish, Lato, which was the object of a special cult and of which numerous mummified examples have been found. The present village only contains a temple dedicated to the god Khnum which is a Ptolemaic restoration of a pre-existing XVIIIth dynasty temple. The hypostyle hall, which is 33 metres by 18 and contains twenty four columns 13.5 metres high, is more or less intact. The capitals of the columns are the most interesting feature thanks to the various sculpted floral motifs. Esna Esna Esna...

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The Tomb of Mekhu and Tomb of Harkhuf Facts

The Tomb of Mekhu This tomb, built by Sabni for his father, comprises a single chamber, crude in both construction and decoration. There are eighteen roughly hewn columns, in three rows. A stone table or shrine with three legs is situated between the two columns facing the entrance. The Tomb of Mekhu Representations on the walls and columns are poor. They show the deceased receiving various offerings. To the left of the entrance is a rural scene of ploughing and tilling of the land and donkeys laden with the harvest. The stele on the rear wall, opposite the entrance, is in a recess approached by steps. The Tomb of Mekhu Tomb of Harkhuf Harkhuf...

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Deir El-bahari

Deir El-bahari One thousand two hundred years after Imhotep another architect, Senmut, won himself a place in Egyptian history by designing another architectural masterpiece. Queen Hatshepsut who was more of a patron of the arts than a military commander, ordered a funerary monument to be built for her father Tutmose I and herself, choosing for the site a valley which had already been consecrated to the goddess Hathor but had then been abandoned. The great insight of her architect- minister was the way in which he exploited the rocks spread out in a fan shape behind the monument. The conception of the monument was thus new, indeed revolutionary....

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The Tomb of Siremput II

The Tomb of Siremput II Siremput II was the «Hereditary Prince» during the reign of the Xllth dynasty pharaoh Amon- Emhat II. The hypogeum consists of an initial chamber with six pillars, a gallery flanked by six niches each with a mummy-shaped statue of the dead prince, a second square chamber with four pillars, each one decorated with a splendid picture of Siremput, and finally a frescoed chapel. In the latter is a scene showing the prince with his small son paying homage to him in front of a table laid for a meal with bread, sweets, fruit including bunches of grapes and even a duck. Beneath the table stand carafes of wine. The adjacent wall...

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Sennefer’s Tomb Pictures

Sennefer’s Tomb This tomb is reached via a stair with 43 steps which goes down into the rock. Sennefer was the Prince of the Southern City during the reign of Amon-Ofis II. The tomb is famous for the beautiful bower of grapes painted on the ceiling of the vestibule. Sennefer’s Tomb Sennefer’s Tomb Sennefer’s Tomb Sennefer’s Tomb...

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The Aswan Dam

The Aswan Dam For thousands of years, leadership in Egypt has been associated with that great source of life the Nile. From the first pharaoh, Narmer (3100 BC), who traditionally diverted the river at Memphis, to Nektanebos (360 BC), the last Egyptian pharaoh, canals were cleared and irrigation projects were carried out. When the Persians conquered Egypt they repaired waterways. The Greeks reclaimed land. The Romans built aqueducts. The Mamluks constructed aqueducts and storage systems. Aswan before High Dam In 1842 the Mohamed Aly Barrage was built at the apex of the Delta north of Cairo. This first barrage was followed by others: at Aswan,...

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Mausoleum of the Aga Khan

Mausoleum of the Aga Khan The late Aga Khan III, leader of the Ismaili community, a sect of Islam, found such peace and beauty in Aswan that before he died in 1957 he chose a site on the western bank of the Nile, on a peak overlooking his favourite part of the river, for his tomb. His Mausoleum, built in the Fatimid style with a single dome, is a landmark of Aswan today. It stands cool and isolated on an area of 450 square metres. It is constructed of rose granite, and the inner walls are of marble embellished with verses from the Koran. The Aga Khan claimed direct descent from Fatimah, the daughter of the prophet Mohammad. The tombs of the...

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Granite Quarries of Ancient Egypt

Granite Quarries The old granite quarries about two kilometres from the city stretch along the Nile for about six kilometres. From the grooves which have been cut in a regular manner into the syenite walls we can get some idea of how the blocks of granite were removed. Wedges of wood were inserted into these grooves, which indicated the surface to be cut out, and then moistened. The expansion of the wood caused the stone to split along the desired directions and in this way fairly smooth surfaces were obtained which were ready for polishing. Nearby can be seen the famous «unfinished obelise» which would have been about 41 metres high with a weight...

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Menna’s Tomb Pictures

Menna’s Tomb The owner of this tomb, described as the «Scribe of the Land Register of the Master of Upper and Lower Egypt», utilized a pre-exist- ing tomb and enlarged it. The decoration depicts scenes (such as work in the fields, the pilgrimage to Abydos, the sons and daughters of Menna) which are among the most elegant in the whole necropolis. Menna’s Tomb Menna’s Tom...

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Tomb of Sirenput II and Granite Quarries (Eastern Bank)

Tomb of Sirenput II This tomb, belonging to the grandson of Sirenput I, who was a prince in the reigns of Amenemhet II and Senusert II, is one of the most well-preserved of the Middle Kingdom. It is entered through a courtyard leading to a narrow passage, an excavated hall with six elegant square undecorated columns, and a corridor with three recesses on each side, each containing a statue of the deceased sculpted from the living rock. Tomb of Sirenput II The small hall at the end of the corridor has four pillars and a recess at the rear. The condition of the reliefs in the recess is excellent, both the delicately worked hieroglyphics and...

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The Tomb of Siremput I

The Tomb of Siremput I Of this tomb, which belonged to the son of Zat-Seni, a prince of the Xllth dynasty, there unfortunately remains today very little to bear witness to the fact that it was the biggest and the most richly decorated in the whole necropolis. One can still see part of the surrounding wall and the limestone doorway at the entrance which has delicate bas-reliefs showing scenes from the life of the dead prince. At the end, the facade of the tomb had a portico with six pillars. The Tomb of Siremput ...

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Kiki’s Tomb Pictures

Kiki’s Tomb  The «royal superintendant» Kiki was buried in this tomb which later was used as a stable. On one of the walls is depicted the journey of the dead man’s remains to Abydos and one can see the professional mourners wailing as well as servants carrying offerings. Kiki’s Tomb Kiki’s Tom...

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Valley of the Nobles

Valley of the Nobles The tombs of the great dignitaries from the dynasties of the Middle Kingdom are to be found in three adjoining areas, Assassif, Khokhah and Sheik Abd el-Gurnah. Their main characteristics are extreme architectural simplicity compared with the royal tombs and a choice of iconography notable for its freshness and vitality. Furthermore the tombs in this valley furnish valuable information on court life in ancient Egypt such as the offices and functions of the various dignitaries. Valley of the Nobles Valley of the Nobles Valley of the Noble...

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The Great Temple of Amon at Karnak

The Great Temple of Amon at Karnak This great national monument of Egypt has no equal. It is not a single temple, but temple within temple, shrine within shrine, where almost all the pharaohs, particularly of the New Kingdom, wished to record their names and deeds for posterity. Though most of the structures were built in honour of Amon-Ra, his consort Mut and son Khonsu, there were numerous shrines within the complex dedicated to what might be called ‘guest deities’, like Ptah of Memphis and Osiris of Abydos. Temple of Amon at Karnak As successive pharaohs replanned entrance pylons, erected colonnades and constructed temples, they often...

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Tomb of Sirenput I

Tomb of Sirenput I Sirenput was a prince of Elephantine in the reign of Senusert I, at the beginning of the Middle Kingdom. It was he who was encouraged by his sovereign to erect the sanctuary of Hekaib, and the royal artists he entrusted with the work on the sanctuary also decorated his own tomb. The fa9ade is carefully and finely sculpted. Sirenput is shown in seated position at the top of the staircase. Behind is a court with six pillars, all bearing representations of him. On the rear wall (left) is a large relief showing him followed by his sandal-bearer and two dogs, and hunting in the marsh (above). Cattle, including some angry bulls,...

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Tomb of Prince Amon-her-Khopechef

Tomb of Prince Amon-her-Khopechef (It should be noted that those of the pharaohs’ offspring who died in childhood were also buried in the Valley of the Queens). The decoration in this tomb intended for the son of Ramses III is exceptional both for the brilliance and the intensity of the colour which is dominated by a magnificent ultramarine blue. In the first room we see the Pharaoh presenting his son to various gods, Thot, Ptah and the four sons of Horus (Hapi, Amset, Duamutef and Keben- senuf). The latter four gods after taking part in the rite of mummification of Osiris with Anubis became the patrons of the canopic jars. Tomb of Prince...

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Luxor Egypt Pictures and Facts

Luxor Background Perhaps no city in the world has bequeathed to us more numerous nor mightier monuments than Thebes. The ancient city stood on both sides of the Nile, and few spots in Egypt are so ideally suited to such a purpose. The range of hills to the east and west curve away from the river’s bank leaving broad plains on either side. Here marvellous monuments were raised in honour of Amon-Ra. Luxor Egypt Luxor, which developed into the great capital of the Egyptian empire, had no particular importance during the first thousand years of Egypt’s ancient history. When Narmer moved northwards to unite the Two Lands and establish Memphis...

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