Sunday, December 29, 2013

 Tour to ElMoalla and Elkab Tombs


Tour to ElMoalla and Elkab Tombs
http://www.egyptraveluxe.com/luxor_day_tour_to_elmoalla_and_elkab_tombs.htm

The village of Elkab is located 80 km south of Luxor and 15 km north of Edfū on the east bank of the Nile. There, at the mouth of Wadi Hilal, was the ancient city of "Nekheb" one of the oldest settlements of Upper Egypt. Its massive mud-brick walls, dating to the Late Period (747 - 332 BC) are still largely preserved. The main temple was dedicated to the Vulture Goddess Nekhbet who was the patron of Upper Egypt. The temple is heavily destroyed and not accessible but you can visit 3 smaller temples as well as rock-cut tombs of the provincial governors of Elkab. Also well worth seeing are numerous petroglyphs and inscriptions which you can find on your way between the temples on the rock faces. Egyptraveluxe Egyptologist Tour guide will pick you up from your hotel in early morning to avoid the heat .

Start walking with your Egyptologist guide in Elkab  visit 4 rock-tombs date back to the New Kingdom (18th to 20th dynasty). The colourful reliefs show scenes of the daily life as well as religious depictions in the context of the tomb-owner's burial .

Let our Egyptologist guide take you back in time with this leisurely visit to El kab listen and learn while our historian describes for you in detail the life of the war lords , the meaning of the Hieroglyphics, the reason the tombs are located here, the role played by the high priest, and much much more.

Next into the impressive Temples of Elkab , there are 3 smaller temples.  start  visit with the temple which is furthest from the main road: Temple of Amenhotep III It is dedicated to the cow-headed goddess Hathor and the vulture goddess Nekhbet and dates back to the 18th Dynasty , Temple of Setau The square temple, also called "El-Hammām" and "Chapel of Thot" was built by Setau, Viceroy of Kush, during the reign of Ramesses II ,The Ptolemaic Temple "Hemi-speos, "Hemi-speos" is the name for a temple which is partially rock cut and partially exposed. The Hemi-speos in Elkab was already built during the reign of Ramesses II but early destroyed and only then new built during the reign of Ptolemaios VIII and IX. It is dedicated to the Lion Goddess Seshmetet. A 15 m long stairway leads to the terrace, the courtyard, and the rock-cut sanctuary. .


On your way back to Luxor stop at ElMoalla to visit the tomb of Ankhtifi who was one time governor of the area between Edfu and Armant. He was a very important man in his time and noted for feeding the people in neighbouring areas during a time of famine. The tomb is of slightly irregular shape and cut directly into the rock, shaped to fit in with the harder veins in the rock strata. On entry there is a rectangular chamber that originally had 30 pillars in three rows of 10, some round and others hexagonal in form. Most pillars are decorated with fine plasterwork and those pillars near the doors carry the best examples of coloured hieroglyphs. An amusing scene on the wall immediately to the right of the entrance door shows a huge fish being caught by spear, and there is a small picture of the deceased and his beautiful wife in very good condition, about 50 cm sq. Other interesting scenes of daily life include lines of animals carrying food to relieve a local famine and a row of spotted cattle to indicate Ankhtifi’s wealth. The burial chamber lies at a lower level at the rear of the main hall. , Also enjoy privileged, personalized attention from your expert Egyptologist guide on this special private tour.





Sunday, December 15, 2013

The seven Hathors


Representations in tombs, such as that of queen Nefertari ( Dynasy XIX) , and in the book of the Dead show seven cows whose role is to determine the destiny of a chilled at birth . Each Hathor has her own name :

1- lady of the universe
2- Sky-storm
3- You from the land of silence
4- You from khemmis
5- Red-hair
6- Bright red
7- Your name flourishes through skill.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Abu Simbel Temples "Amelia B. Edwards" Diary Book


Is there anything a good coffee can’t fix?

When author, Amelia B. Edwards, visited Abu Simbel in 1874, she was appalled to see white patches marring the face of the northernmost colossus of Ramses II.

They were lumps of plaster, left behind when, 40 years earlier, a Scotsman named Robert Hay took a cast of the face for the British Museum.

Edwards had her workers clean off the plaster. However the newly-exposed sandstone was now a different tone from the rest of the statue, and some of the pourous sandstone had also become stained by the plaster.

The solution? Coffee!
They painted the face with a strong brew of coffee, brought up from the dahabieh. The cook was appalled, however; he had never “been called upon to provide for a guest whose mouth measured three feet and a half in width.”

Today you can still see flecks of white (not caused by birds) on the statue. 

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Cairo Private Tour: Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Egyptian Museum, Khan el-Khalili Bazaar

Cairo Private Tour: Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Egyptian Museum, Khan el-Khalili Bazaar

 Take a leisurely private tour of Cairo's most famous sites: the Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Egyptian Museum and Khan el-Khalili bazaar. With your own private Egyptologist guide to lead the way, you'll see Cairo's most famous attractions in one day. As this is a private tour, you can determine the amount of time you'd like to spend at each site.

Your private tour begins with a fascinating introduction to each of the three Giza pyramids: Cheops, Khafre and Menakaure. You will have free time to enter one of the pyramids (additional cost), though your guide is not permitted to enter with you.

A short drive to the city side of the plateau finds you standing at the feet of the Sphinx, the enigmatic symbol of Egypt. Also in Giza you may visit the Solar Boat Museum (optional), home to the remarkably well preserved funerary boat of Khufu.

Cairo's famous Egyptian Museum houses 165,000 Egyptian artifacts, but the priceless treasures of King Tutankhamun are the highlight. His six gilded coffins dominate the main hall, while his magnificent death mask is the star attraction. Your guide will introduce you to the museum's most important pieces before you have free time to explore at your leisure.

Continuing to Khan el Khalili bazaar, you'll enjoy free time to stroll through the maze of streets and bargain for a souvenir of your trip to Egypt. During the day you will also have the chance to visit a Papyrus Institute to see how the famous artwork is made.

The Mastaba of Ti at Saqqara

  The wall measures 1.55m wide by 4.50m in height, of which the upper 2.75m is decorated. It contains scenes with seventy-four characters di...