What to visit in The valley of the kings ?

Opened Tombs in The Valley of the kings 2013

 www.egyptraveluxe.com
info@egyptraveluxe.com

Site: KV 1, tomb of Ramses VII (20th Dynasty, 1136-1128 BC)

Location: TMP grid: N 99,803.743, E 94,006.25

Description: KV 1 is a small tomb of typical late Ramesside plan, but with only one corridor, burial chamber, and a possibly unfinished room beyond. A pit on the floor of the burial chamber was covered with a large, hollowed block of stone to form the sarcophagus.

History of Activity in the Tomb: The tomb has apparently been open since at least Greek and Roman times.

 

Site: KV 2, tomb of Ramses IV (20th Dynasty)

Location: TMP Grid Coordinates: N99724.282, E94072.587

Description: KV 2, the tomb of Ramses IV, lies near the entrance to the Valley of the Kings. The tomb consists of gently sloping corridors, followed by an antechamber, a burial chamber, and auxiliary rooms beyond the burial chamber. The original plan of the tomb was altered after the death of the King, and the room which would have been the first pillared hall was used for the burial chamber. Entrance Corridor A has a disk with Isis and Nephthys, King's names on the jambs and thicknesses. Corridor B has Kings' names with vultures, hawks, scarabs and winged sun disk on ceiling. Corridor C has Forms of sun god from Litany of Re on ceiling. Corridor D has Book of Caverns on walls, King's names and titles with stars on vaulted ceiling. Antechamber E has King's names and titles with stars on ceiling. Burial Chamber F has Amduat, Book of the Gates, Books of the Heavens on the ceiling with decan lists. Chamber G has Book of Caverns, representations of funerary objects, King's names on ceiling.
History of Activity in the Tomb: KV 2 has been open since antiquity and the tomb was used as a residence during the Coptic period.

 

Site: KV 11, begun by Setnakht and completed by Ramses III (20th Dynasty)

Description: KV 11 was begun by Setnakht, who completed the first three corridors, and completed by Ramses III, who added the side-chambers to Corridor C ,and finished the tomb through Chamber N and was buried there.

Site: KV 6, tomb of Ramses IX (20th Dynasty)

Description: The tomb consists of four successive corridors, followed by an unexcavated Well-Shaft, a pillared hall, and a burial chamber. The first four corridors of the tomb are well-cut, but the Well-Shaft was left unexcavated, and a corridor which followed the pillared hall was enlarged to be used as the burial chamber. A pit to hold the coffin of the King was cut into the floor of the burial chamber. 

Site: KV 8, Tomb of Merenptah (19th Dynasty)

Description: The tomb of Merenptah is 80 meters long and contains elements not found in tombs that came before it. The entrance (A) has steps descending to a corridor (B) which is followed by a stairway (C) with niches on either side. Another corridor (D)  

precedes a shaft (E) and next is the first pillared hall (F). The pillared hall has two columns in it and a side chamber (Fa) with two more columns and a niche. Two corridors (G, I) and a hall (H) come before the sunken Burial Chamber (J) with an arched ceiling and two rows of four square columns. There are niches off of each corner of the burial chamber. A chamber (K) with it's side chambers opens up behind the burial chamber.  

Site: KV 14 tomb of Tausert and Setnakht (19th and 20th Dynasties)

Description: A short open entry passage (A), extended outwards with a modern protective and three upper corridors (B, C, D) on an east-west axis lead to a well room (E) without shaft. This in turn opens into a room (F) with a central descent, but lacking pillars. A side chamber (Ga) opens off the south wall of the first lower corridor (G). After a second level corridor (H), the antechamber (I) beyond opens into the first burial hall (J1) with typical Ramesside vaulted ceiling over a sunken central floor flanked on each side by a gallery with four pillars and with shelves at the ends. Each side gallery has a small unfinished room (J1a - J1d) at each end. A descending ramp bisects the gallery platform on the entrance side while an axial passage at the level of the sunken floor divides the rear gallery platform, leading to corridor K1. This passage with its two side rooms (K1a, K1b), form the remains of an abandoned cutting for a larger second burial hall for which only one of the first quartet of pillars was cut free. A second horizontal corridor (L) leads to a completely cut second burial hall (J2), similar in form to J1 but larger, with ramps descending to the sunken central floor from both side platforms. An unfinished corridor (K2) continues westward on the central axis with a recess at each side, perhaps for the start of side rooms. 

Site: KV 15, Seti II (19th Dynasty)

Description: The tomb lies on a NW-SE axis, and consists of a short entryway(A), three long corridors (B,C,D), a well room without a well shaft (E), a pillared hall with a central descent (F), and a sarcophagus chamber adapted from an unfinished lower corridor beyond (G). The slope of the entrance and the following corridors is minimal. The tomb is 75.38 m long and 6.53 m deep, and it covers an area of 257.22 square meters.

 

Site: KV 47 Siptah (Dynasty 19)

Description: The tomb extends on a north - south axis for 114.04 meters (374.14 feet) into the hillside to a depth of 13.12 meters (43.04 feet). The open-air entrance passage (A) has a central ramp with flanking steps fashioned of cut stone blocks set into the bedrock. A wooden beam was placed beneath the lintel of the first gateway leading to the sloping first corridor (B). A level corridor (C) with a pair of beam slots for lowering the sarcophagus follows, succeeded by another sloping corridor (D) with a pair of rectangular niches at the end, a well room (E) without a shaft and a pillared hall (F) containing four pillars and a central descent but with no side chamber. Beyond the descent are two level corridors (G, H), and an antechamber (I) that leads through a passage with abandoned lateral cuttings for a burial chamber(J1). These are followed by the actual unfinished burial chamber (J2), containing a granite sarcophagus set into a roughly rectangular depression in the floor.

 

Site: KV 62, Tomb of Tutankhamen (18th Dynasty)

Description: KV 62 is a small tomb but it is known to all because of the treasures it held intact for over 3,000 years. It was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. When King Tutankhamen died suddenly at an early age, the tomb that perhaps was originally planned for him in the Western Valley, at some distance from his grandfather Amenhotep III, was nowhere near completion. It may have been decided that the King would be buried in a tomb that was to be given as a royal favor to a high official (Ay) in the main valley. Ay later took the Western Valley tomb (WV 23) when he succeeded Tutankhamen on the throne. Sixteen steps led down to a sealed doorway covered in ancient stamps of ancient Valley guards. The first room reached after the flight of 16 steps and a descending corridor, the Antechamber, is similar to the pillared section of the burial chambers in other tombs. This room held between 600 and 700 objects. In the west wall of the Antechamber a low doorway leads to the Annex; it is equivalent to the storerooms off the sides of the pillared hall in traditional tombs. This was the last room to be filled before sealing the tomb. The burial chamber is sunken and separated from the antechamber by a rubble partition wall. The room held 300 objects in addition to the four shrines, sarcophagus, three coffins, burial mask and mummy of the King.

If you are interested to get a discount tour to the valley of the kings ,do not hesitate to contact Egyptraveluxe.com and get your discount please send the link of this post with your email .

Egypt safari and vacation holidays across Egypt's Desert & Oasis

Egypt safari and vacation holidays across Egypt's Desert & Oasis

 

BAHARIYA OASIS :
 

Oasis of temples and Golden Mummies  
Bahariya Oasis is easy to reach from Cairo (you will pass through much desert) ,Bahariya is in the middle of Egypt’s Western Desert , about 365 kilometres south-west of Cairo and it is the best starting point for the Black and White Desert . Set in a depression covering over 2000 sq. km. , Bahariya Oasis is surrounded by black hills made up of ferruginous quartzite and dolorite. The oasis is provided with water by many springs. The most famous of these, a thermal spring with medicinal and restorative properties, comes out in the Bedouin village of Bawiti. Wildlife is plentiful, especially birds such as wheatears , Bahariya Oasis might also appeal rock hounds . Golden Mummies were discovered - 'Valley of the Mummies' is the biggest of its kind . Estimates are the four-mile strip of desert holds 5,000 - 10,000 mummies. The mummies are covered with a thin layer of gold and wearing gypsum masks. Sumptuous gilded death masks depict lifelike faces of real people, rather than stereotypical images.They were found in four tombs in the town of Bawiti in Bahariya Oasis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are 7 oasis communities of “mainimportance” among a handful of smaller places . Getting to the oases is straightforward . There are good roads and plenty of public transportation that costs next to nothing compared with Western price levels.
The oases are famed for their numerous mineral and sulphur-rich springs, distinguished by their unique chemical composition which places them at a high level world-wide. In addition, the silt contained in these wells has numerous curative properties for the treatment of bone, stomach, chest and skin ailments. Most of the wells are found in the Fayoum, Kharga, Dakhla, Farafra, Bahariya and Siwa Oases as well as in the Qattara Depression .
The Western Desert is another land of history and beauty . The desert with its oases abound in legends . Pharaohs , Kings , Warriors and explorers have all visited this remarkbale of silent desert , fertile oases , and treasures .
Bahariya Oasis is easy to reach from Cairo (you will pass through much desert) ,Bahariya is in the middle of Egypt’s Western Desert , about 365 kilometres south-west of Cairo and it is the best starting point for the Black and White Desert . Set in a depression covering over 2000 sq. km. , Bahariya Oasis is surrounded by black hills made up of ferruginous quartzite and dolorite. The oasis is provided with water by many springs. The most famous of these, a thermal spring with medicinal and restorative properties, comes out in the Bedouin village of Bawiti. Wildlife is plentiful, especially birds such as wheatears ,  Bahariya Oasis might also appeal rock hounds . Golden Mummies were discovered - 'Valley of the Mummies' is the biggest of its kind . Estimates are the four-mile strip of desert holds 5,000 - 10,000 mummies. The mummies are covered with a thin layer of gold and wearing gypsum masks. Sumptuous gilded death masks depict lifelike faces of real people, rather than stereotypical images.They were found in four tombs in the town of Bawiti in Bahariya Oasis

Siwa Oasis is in western Egypt with 23,000 inhabitants, near the border to Libya, it is some 560km kilometers from Cairo, at an depression of 18 metres below sea level. The oasis is 82 km long and has a width varying between 2 and 20 km.  The people are Berbers, and have their own language. To Siwa, there are 3 larger salt lakes, Birket Maraqi, Birket Siwa, and Birket Zaytun. Tourism has gradually given employment for some Siwans . It has beautiful oasis gardens, bathing possibilities and pharaonic temples too. The fortress Shali is pretty much ruined to give a true image of old times.
Fayoum , the Oasis of Peace is Egypt's largest oasis, populated by more than 2 million. It is not a pure oasis like the other ones of Egypt, as most of its water comes from the Nile.
But it is a depression, and it has its own artesian wells, allowing water to reach the surface from underground reservoirs.
The extent of it is quite grand, and the green gardens seem to go on and on. Fayoum's history goes back in time as far as Egypt's . The main town in the oasis is located 85 km south of Cairo . Fayoum has quite a group of monasteries . Saint Anthony (251-356 AD) acted as an inspiration for hermits and there were soon numerous monasteries throughout the country . A number of them are still standing today .
The 12th Century Deir Al-Adhra (Monastery of the Virgin) just off the road to Beni Swef, about 6 km outside Fayoum City, is the most accessible.  Fayoum ranks high because of the fabulous oasis gardens, a surreal lake and the many pharaonic monuments.
Farafra Oasis is about 450 kilometres south-west of Cairo . The area  west of Farafra is covered by the impenetrable Great Sand Sea. The area north-east of Qasr Farafra is called White Desert and is definitely worth a visit (better by 4x4). Farafra is highly recommended because of charm, great bathing possibilities. The gardens are nice and there are some remaining traditional houses too.
Paris , the Forgotten Oasis . Although Paris , or Baris as it is called in most foreign traveller’s guides , is neglected by almost all travel agencies bringing tourists around the oases in the Western Desert . Few venture out here, but Paris is interesting . It has nice palm trees , though it is filthy since it is mainly abandoned by its former inhabitants and taken over by goats. Upon last investigation, there was one bus a day running between Paris and Kharga.
Dakhla Oasis offers the best preserved architecture of all of Egypts' oases. In some villages, people still live almost like the way their ancestors did. Also there is a selection of fine oasis gardens, and a pharaonic temple makes you realize how deep the history of the oases really is.
Kharga Oasis , the Golden Oasis , is the southernmost of Egypt’s Western oases . It is located in the Libyan Desert, about 200 km to the west of the Nile valley, and is some 150 km long . El Kharga is about 550 km far from Cairo , it seemed that everything there went out of time. There, I was walking longer than I really do in the city.  Ain Umm Dabadib is a major ancient settlement located to the north of Qasr Kharga in Kharga Oasis in Egypt's Western Desert , Ain Umm Dabadib includes a slant-sided temple, a Coptic church , numerous tombs, and four underground aqueducts. They run for over 13 kilometers with vents for cleaning and repairs every few meters.  As oases go, the local people seemed to be “at your service ” , they are kind and the visitors feel that they are very welcomed . The life there is simple but satisfying the little necessities of its people.

Archeologists , a team of 20 had discovered the tomb of Eyuf the mayor of Bahriyah of the 26th dynasty in a tomb complex of nobles discovered in the 1930s in the town of Bawiti in Bahariya Oasis . Some of the walls are covered in vivid depictions of Eyfu being prepared for the afterlife by Anubis, the god of death . The tombs are part of a vast necropolis found in 1993 after a donkey stumbled into it from above the ground .  That stumble revealed an entire forgotten population not just of faceless mummies, but of people with wives, husbands, children, lives, beliefs and personalities, which they took with them in death . The archeologists predicted that complete excavation will take at least a decade. Bahariya is an escape from everyday life with a lot of opportunities for those who are interested in archeology.

 

Rosalie Moller Wreck Diving - She Hasn't Aged a Bit

 

One of the most interesting ship wrecks to explore in the Red Sea is undeniably the 108 m long Rosalie Moller coal ship which was bombed by the German air force in October 1941 as she was transporting coal to Alexandria. The wreck is surprisingly intact today, with some areas covered with hard and soft corals, lying at a depth of 39 to 50 metres. The ship’s mast can be spotted from as low as 17 metres.
Only experienced divers will are allowed to make that dive: the visibility can be low, currents are very strong in that particular area, and technical diving equipment is needed.
The site can be accessed by boat from Hurghada’s port, or by liveaboard safaris.
www.egyptraveluxe.com
info@egyptraveluxe.com

 

Hurghada / Gebel Abu-Dukhan

Hurghada / Gebel Abu-Dukhan

The single porphyry quarry that provided the whole Roman Empire with the basic material to build imperial monuments and architectural features, such as the Hagia Sophia, the Great Palace of Constantinople, columns in Rome, and the revetment of the Pantheon in Greece is actually located in Egypt, a mere 65 kilometres distance north of the current city of Hurghada, in a mountain known today as Gebel Abu-Dukhan.
It is almost hard to believe that for ages, the quarry was “lost.” Even the French Expedition led by Napoleon couldn’t find it. Finally, in 1823, under the reign of Muhammad Ali, the remains of the quarry were discovered by Sir John Gardner Wilkinson, the British pioneer Egyptologist, and James Burton, a British explorer and hieroglyph expert.

Today you can visit the remains of the quarry on a 4X4 day-trip arranged through Egyptraveluxe Tours

pleas contact :info@egyptraveluxe.com
www.egyptraveluxe.com