Luxor: Valley of the Kings (10/20/2023)

Friday, October 20, 2023

We woke up to see the hot air balloons (an optional
excursion for some folks) over the west bank of Luxor

Once again we piled into the three motor coaches. Our Bus B had only 21 passengers, so we were able to spread out.

A security post reached by ladder,
with a weapon sticking out of a window

Oh, a shepherd is crossing the bridge with his flock

How did they cross the Nile in ancient times?

Harvest of some kind of grain?

Hot air balloons carrying up to 27 passengers are still
taking off; the Viking participants went on a sunrise trip

Our included six-hour shore excursion started with the Valley of the Kings, burial place (1539-1075 BCE) of the kings and powerful nobles from the Egyptian capital of Thebes (now Luxor). The rock-cut tombs in the necropolis are across the river from the city.

Section by section, residences and shops built over 
the area of tombs are being emptied and demolished

The visitor center had a model that attempted to show
the above-ground entrances to the tombs, and
the below ground schematics of each tomb

We were hustled into shuttles that carried us  
not even a quarter-mile closer to the tombs!

This particular valley was chosen, supposedly because of
the pyramid-shaped mountain above

A special ticket was required to enter the tomb of
Tutankhamun, which was discovered by Howard Carter
in 1922, and it was the first royal tomb that was largely
intact with a considerable treasure of artifacts (KSS)

The tomb of Tutankhamun is smaller than would be
expected for his status, but as he died young at age 19,
there was likely not enough time to build a proper tomb;
the painting on the left depicts the Opening of the Mouth
ritual where the heir (in this instance the Grand Vizier, Ay),
dressed as a priest with the leopard skin symbolically opens
the mouth of the mummy of King Tut, depicted as Osiris,
so that he may be able to eat and drink in the afterlife (KSS)

On the far left is Osiris being embraced by Tutankhamun,
with the Ka of Tut standing behind him; next is the
Nut (goddess of the sky who protects the dead when
they enter the afterlife) being greeted by King Tut (KSS)

Beyond the sarcophagus are 12 baboons
representing the 12 night-hours Tutankhamun
must pass before reaching the afterlife (KSS)

The mummy of Tutankhamun rests in the tomb's antechamber

Example of the painted figures in the corridor
into the tomb of Tutankhamun (KSS)

We then had free time to visit any of the other tombs that were open. Thus far, 65 tombs have been discovered in the Valley of the Kings.

The entrance corridor to the tomb of
Ramesses IX with hieroglyphs and
pictures on every surface (KSS)

The god Khnum, depicted with the head of
a ram, is the god of the source of the Nile

Ramesses IX and his Ka stand behind two cobras
representing the underworld, accompanied by several
gods and a goddess; the corridors are covered with scenes
from the Book of the the Dead which was a guide through
the underworld for the deceased to reach the afterlife (KSS)

The burial chamber of Ramesses IX, in which
no sarcophagus was found (KSS)

There was a bottleneck at the entrance to the burial chamber and a guard was hurrying people along. We were behind the group, and when Kent was able to step down, the guard grabbed his mobile phone and began taking photos inside the chamber. We had to give him a tip, yet many of the photos were blurry!

Nut, goddess of the sky, is said to swallow
Ra/the sun (in her right hand, but also in her
left as a ram-headed man) creating night;
this photo taken by the guard was on
a side wall not seen by the visitors!

The side walls of the burial chamber were covered with scenes
from the Book of Caverns (tells of Ra's journey through the
the caverns of the underworld), the Book of Earth (tells
of Ra's journey through the underworld of the earth), and
Book of Amduat (also tells of Ra's journey through the
underworld that the sun takes each night)

Now we are in the corridor of the tomb of Ramesses IV,
with the Litany of Re, another funerary guide

Empty sarcophagus with scenes from
the Book of Earth

Part of the ceiling where Shu supports the torso of the
goddess Nut, who is usually portrayed in an upside-down
'U' shape covering the entire sky/universe 

Now maybe this photo of the ceiling will make sense with
mirror images of Nut lengthwise and Shu (god of the air)
holding the lower image, all scenes from the Book of Nut

Scene from the Book of Gates (a guide for the deceased
through the gates marking the hours of the night)

Another scene from the Book of Gates

Entrance to other tombs that were closed today

We ran out of time and had to return to the Visitor Center (by shuttle) and the motor coach.

This proves dogs keep their heads in the shade? (KSS)

Next: Howard Carter's House.