Luxor is located 750 KMS south of Cairo.

Its name comes from the Arabic

"Al_Uqsor" meaning "the Castles" which probably refers to the two great temples located
here.
The city is commonly divided into two parts, the eastern bank of the Nile or "The city
of living" with its two great temples of Luxor and Karnak and the western bank of the Nile
or "The city of the dead" a vast necropolis where kings, queens and nobles magnificent
tombs and mortuary temples where the nobility hoped to enjoy an undisturbed eternal life
after death.

In ancient times Luxor was called Waset "the scepter" and Niwt "the city" from which
come the Hebrew names No and No _Amun “the city of Amun", the name used in Bible.

The Graeco_Romans named the city Thebes after their Greek city by the same name and
later called it "Diospolis Magna" "The city of the god Zeus". When the Egyptian god
Amun was identified with the Greek god Zeus, it was called also the city of Zeus. Finally,
Homer called it "the hundred gates city" probably because of the many gates in its city
walls.
.
From the 17th to the 20th dynasties, a period of more than 500 years_ with only a
short interruption during the reign of the heretic king Akhenaten. Thebes was the glorious
capital of the Egyptian Empire. After the last Ramesside king died in (1085B.C), the city
began its gradual decline. it was sacked twice in 671 B.C and 663 B.C.
 The complex of Karnak
Introduction
It is the most massive complex of temples in the world. Also called IPT SWT which
means the most selected among the places. The temple of Amun Ra was entirely built in
the earlier part of the 11th dynasty and lasted till the end of the Greco Roman era.
The Entrance
The temple begins with a sandstone platform where 2 small obelisks were erected by king
Seti II from the later part of the 19th dynasty. This platform was being used till the end of
the 26th dynasty as main harbor for the sacred procession.
In front of the 1st Pylon is the avenue of ram headed sphinxes. Each figure has a body of a
lion and a head of a ram also each of them holds between its paws a statuette of king
Ramses II who erected them though most of them were usurped by the priest king
Pinajem I from the 21st dynasty.
The first Pylon
The first pylon is unfinished and dates back to the reign of king Nectanebo I from the 30th
dynasty and it measures 113 M wide, 15 M thick and originally was 40 M high. So it’s the
greatest pylon in all of the Egyptian temples. Four large vertical grooves were cut in the
each tower for holding the flagstaffs behind these are square openings that provided
security for flagpoles.

The Great Court

It is large courtyard and constructed during the
reign of the 22nd dynasty. Thus embraces a
number of elements that lay outside the temple
itself. It contains a number of the way stations
where the members of the Theban Triad rested
during welcoming or departing rites at their
processional feasts every year
Some of them are older than the court and
others came after its construction.
The Shrine of king Seti II
On our left is the shrine of king SetiII with its three rooms for Amun ,Mut & Khonsu .
The king SetiII was a king from the 19th dynasty. He ruled for 7 years but he was a weak
willed king and not as strong as his ancestors Ramses II or Merneptah.
The scenes are almost damaged but we can see the king offers to the gods and burning
incense in front of the sacred barques of Amun , Mut & Khonsu each in his chapel . The
niches on the walls once held statues for the gods and the king himself.

The Temple of Ramses III

An almost completely preserved barque station of Ramses III is located here too. This
building contains all the essential elements of an independent temple, a pylon with 2
colossal statues, a court with 2 rows of eight statue pillars, a hypostyle hall and a
sanctuary.
As we see that 2 royal colossi of Ramses III guard the entrance of the temple. The
pylon is covered with inscriptions that show Ramses III slays his enemies in front of
Amun who presents him 3 rows of conquered cities and the sword of glory.

This court is conceived as a festival hall, the sides are being lined with large pillars carved
into mummy form statues of Ramses III. This type of pillars is called the Osiris Pillars.
Festival scenes and texts covered the side walls. On the right wall is yearly progress of
the ithyphallic form of Amun who related to the god Min & represented the principal of
exuberant fertility in nature.
On the left one are the usual scenes of Opet festival. We can see the king followed by
the priests who carry the barques of the Theban triad in their way to the sanctuary. Beyond
the courtyard the temple is equipped with the usual portico &a hypostyle hall.
The Hypostyle Hall and the Sanctuary
Here are 2 ruined statues for the lioness goddess Sekhmet who was the goddess of war.
The special cult center of this lioness goddess was at Memphis where she formed a divine
family with Ptah & Nefertum . She was always supporting the kings in fighting the
country’s enemies and destroy the enemies of the sun god Re or Osiris.
The best & most preserved sanctuary in Karnak is here where we can see king Ramses
III burning incense in front of the holy Braque of the god Amun. Extra rooms joined the
chapels and they were used for keeping & storing the ritual tools and ceremonies
equipment which almost made of gold and silver.
Sanctuary is a Latin word means the holy place and used for the entire cult building
devoted to a deity but is generally applied only to the room in the god’s temple where his
or her statue was worshipped daily. It lies at back end of the temple on the central axis of
the building. Its walls are ornamented with scenes from the daily rituals. Also the only
persons who were allowed to enter the sanctuary were the king & the high priest.

The kiosk of Taharqa

In the court are remains of the colonnade of Taharqa or Tirhahah as used in Bible,
a king of the 25th dynasty .The colonnade once consisted of 2 rows of 5 columns each and
screen walls which united the columns? Only a single column now stands and the huge
rectangular block of Alabaster.
Once entirely dismantled and it was rebuilt by the Antiquities Organization in 1929.
On both sides of the forecourt are rows of ram headed sphinxes of Ramses II. This side
has 33 rams while the other has 19. They once formed part of the avenue starting from the
plate form up to the second pylon which was then front of the great temple. These
sphinxes were moved to their present position when the new court was made.
Sheshonq Gateway
This portico erected and adorned by the pharaohs of the 22nd dynasty, once had a two
columned porch in front of its gateway. Relieves show kings Osorkons I & Takelot II in
the presence of various gods. Beyond the portico outside is the famous relief of Sheshonq
or Shishak as used in Bible commemorating his triumphs over Judah & Israel (930 BC).
His triumphs are mentioned in the Bible “And it came to pass in the fifth year of king
Rehoboam , that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and he took away the
treasures of the house of the lord and the treasures of the kings house he even took away
all and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.” (I king 14:25-26)
The second Pylon
The second pylon built by the king Ramses I and finished in the reign of his grandson
Ramses II and was 92 m long &23 m high .In front of its gateways is a forecourt flanked
by two granite statues of Ramses II.

This one represents king Ramses II standing in the

Mummified form holding all the royal signs and between
his legs is a small statue for his wife queen Nefertari or
one of his daughters because the small statue doesn’t have
a name on it so it isn’t proved for whom it has been dedicated.
Later this statue was usurped by the priest king Pinajem I of
the 21st dynasty. Egyptian Egyptologist Dr Labib Hibachi
discovered in 1954 this large Stella below the base of the other
statue of the king. It told of the expulsion of the Hyksos out of
Middle Egypt in the time of king Kamose of the 17th dynasty
between 1674:1567 BC).
Hyksos is a Greek word from ancient Egyptian Heqa khasut means the foreign rulers
they were Asiatic kings who occupied Egypt in the 15 th dynasty. Their capital was Avaris
in the eastern Delta. They ruled Egypt as a group of vassal states. After a long struggle the
Theban rulers drove the Hyksos out of Egypt under the leadership of king Ahmos I who
established the New Kingdom.
The Great Hypostyle Hall
The term hypostyle is generally applied to hall buildings which its ceiling supported
with great columns or pillars in Greece but in Egypt it is applied particularly to New
Kingdom pillared halls with raised central nave and above all to this one, the largest in the
Egyptian architecture and one of the most extensive pillared halls in the world covered an
area of 5500 sq meters.
This hypostyle hall was built in the 19th dynasty and was restored after several columns
collapsed in 1899 AD. Originally there were134 columns. 12 open papyrus columns of 22
m high along the central aisle and 122 closed papyrus columns nearly 15 m high in the rest
of the hall.
The entire structure was roofed with stone with stone slabs to admit light through the
windows that ran along the central nave at a height of 5 meters.
The decorations were begun by king Seti I and completed by his son Ramses II. Almost
of scenes show the river boat of Amun on the north and south halves and on both north
and south walls we see the portable boat of Amun born in procession (west) and rest at the
sanctuary (east).
Three red quartzite statues dating to the 19th dynasty. They were by Amunmess and
inscribed for Seti II. The exterior walls on the north covered with relieves of Seti I battle
while Ramses II battle scenes carved on the south wall.
The most interesting and best preserved of these are inscribed in colors on the south
wall of Ramses II.

The king makes an offering to the god Amun and the goddess Mut. He offers 4 bulls to
the god Min . He knees on the emblem of union bordered by Lotus and Papyrus while the
2 gods Horus and Thoth tie the knot of union. The king wearing his great crown knees in
front of Amun to offer the emblem of festivals while the god grants him the symbol of
many festivals and along reign. The king walks in wide steps before Amun in the form of
Min . The king wearing cloths of the great priest makes an offering to his father Seti I.
The king raises before Amun the symbolic plan of the temple. The king seated between
Nekhbet and Wadjet the protectors of Upper & Lower Egypt, is crowned by the hawk
headed Horus and the ibis headed Thoth.
The Obelisk of Thotmosis I
There were originally 4 obelisks made of pink granite 2 for king
Thotmosis I and 2 for king Thotmosis III only this one for
Thotmosis I is still survive here. It is nearly 20 m high and 143 tons
weight. There are 3 lines of inscriptions on it , the middle belongs
to the king Thotmosis I who found the obelisk while the other 2
lines date back to the king Ramses IV from the 20th dynasty.
The other 3 obelisks are now in New York , Istanbul & Rome.
The 4th pylon
This is the 4th pylon of Karnak which built by Thotmosis I and he introduced the row
of tall Osiris statues that line the sides of the hall.
The space between the 4th & the 5th pylons is
dominated by the obelisks of queen Hatshepsut , only the
left one remains intact. It is 29 m high
and 323 tons weight which make it the greatest in
Egypt now . Although the top of the right one is now
laying on its side near the sacred lake . The enormous
effort of transporting these obelisks from their quarry in
Aswan and erecting them in the temple of Amun was
recorded on the lowest colonnade in Hatshepsut mortuary
temple at Deir el Bahri.
The 2 obelisks were enclosed within massive sheaths in
the reign of Thotmosis III that preserved them from the worst
of the aggressive vandalism during Akhenaten reign.
The Sanctuary
The granite sanctuary shrine of Amun was built by Philip Orchidaceous the half-
brother of Alexander the Great who was acknowledged as a king of Egypt between the
death of Alexander the Great & Ptolemy I seizure of power.
The inside walls of this shrine are covered with scenes illustrating episodes of the
offering rites with Amun and his ithyphallic form Min , the god of fertility. The roof is
adorned with stars .The front room was the shrine where the god’s statue was kept and
where the daily offerings took place. The portable boats of the god rested on the pedestal
in the inner chamber.
The exterior walls of the shrine have scenes show the coronation of Philip
Orchidaceous as a king of Egypt and the festival boats of Amun.
Akh Menu
This is a structure erected by Thotmosis III. It has an unusual plan and was probably
built against an older building now lost. Its names Exalted is the Memorial of Thotmosis
III & the house of millions of years indicate that the building was dedicated above all to
the cult of the king as a manifestation of Amun Re.
The great hall is unique in Egyptian architecture for its inverted columns in the form of
the tent poles. This curious experiment of representing the royal tent in stone was never
repeated.
In this little chamber was the famous table of kings which was taken in 1843 to the
Bibliotheque National de Paris. It is one of the most important documentary sources of
ancient Egyptian history since it lists 62 kings. Only 48 were legible at the time of its
discovery in 1825.

Sacred Lake of the Temple

This lake is 130m long, 80 m wide and 4 m deep. Its water became saline through
infiltration. Stone terrace staircases leading down to the water were partly damaged but
recently have been restored. The sacred boats of Theban triad floated on the lake in the
festival of Opet at flood time. This lake dug in the reign of king Thotmosis III and also
used for purification.
This giant granite scarab on a pillar was dedicated by Amenhotep III to the sun god
Khepr who was pictured in the form of a scarab. The scarab was originally in the funerary
temple of Amenhotep III close to the Memnon Colossi and transferred to its present
position after the temple was destroyed.
Khepr was the god of cyclical renewal and of the daily rising and variable aspects of
the sun. He was depicted in the shape of scarab beetle and sometimes as a man with a
scarab face. In the course of the sun across the sky he represented morning sunrise while
Re personified the hours of the day and Atum symbolized the evening.
Also called the temple of the southern Apt or Opet. It covers 4 acres and is 583 feet long
and 181 feet wide at its greatest breath. It was first excavated by Maspero in 1884 and later
by Daressy and Legrain. Its colonnades, especially the great colonnade of Amenhotep III,
appear most impressive from the river. The lights and shadows of the great building are
the best seen in the afternoon, but a visit by moonlight will be an unforgettable experience.
The temple was entirely built in the later part of the 18th dynasty by king Amenhotep III
and the earlier part of the 19th dynasty by king Ramses II and dedicated to the Theban
Triad god Amun, his wife goddess Mut and their son the god Khonsu.

The Avenue of Sphinxes

In front of the temple is the avenue of sphinxes and there were 1000 sphinxes bordered
both sides of the avenue. It extends for about 3 kms and was connecting the temple of
Luxor with the complex of Karnak.
The function of this avenue is to limit the holy processional way. Each figure has a body
of a lion and a human head. This avenue was erected by king Nectanebo I from the 30th
dynasty.

The Temple Entrance

Two obelisks of pink granite stood at the entrance, the left one is still standing and it`s 25
m high. 257 tons weight and decorated with four baboons on its pedestal while the other
one was presented to France by Mohamed Ali in 1836 and now it is in the place de la
Concord in Paris
Both of the 2 obelisks were erected by king Ramses II and
decorated with his names and titles. The obelisk constituted
the sacred symbol of the Sun God Re and its top was
considered the sacred seat of this god.
It was usually covered by electrum to make it shine at night.
There were originally six granite statues of king Ramses II in
front of the first pylon.
The Pylon is a Greek word means large entrance gateway.
Pylons formed of twin towers with a sloping outer surface.
The earliest example of pylons in front of a courtyard appear
in the 11th dynasty. The passage through the pylon was closed
with heavy wooden doors , in some cases decorated with
copper gilding.

The most complete of these is the one sitting to the right of entrance which wears the
double crown of Egypt. The two eastern standing statues were given to France and they
are now in the louver.
Each tower of the pylon of Ramses II was 79 feet high and 213 feet wide, large vertical
grooves were out for holding flagstaffs. Behind these are square openings that provided
security for the poles and admitted light and air to the interior of the towers. The exterior
walls of the pylon are covered with reliefs of the Battle of Kadesh, a campaign of Ramses
II against the Hittites of Syria. Scenes from the Asiatic campaigns of Ramses II continue
along the western wall of the temple behind the pylon. The king storms the town of Tunip
in Naharin. Charges the enemy in the field receives prisoners and returns in the triumph.
Next he drives the enemy back into their city and attacks the city of Satarna. Adevasted
land scape is shown. The royal army climbs the Lebanon and the sons of Ramses II bring
in Asiatic Prisoners. Religious scenes on the inside walls of the pylon show Ramses II
with the chief deities of the temple.

The Open Court of Ramses II

Beyond the pylon is the great Court of Ramses II, 188 feet long and 168 feet wide. It is
surrounded by double rows of papyrus columns, 74 in all with bud capitals, now partly
occupied by the Mosque of Abu El- Haggag . The south half of the court is embellished
with standing colossi of Ramses II. The best of these is a pink granite statue in the
southeast corner of the court with a smaller statue of his wife, Queen Nefertari beside his
leg.

Shrine of Thotmosis III

In the north west corner of the court is the shrine of Thotmosis III with its three chambers
for the sacred boats of Theban triad. The walls are adorned with reliefs by Ramses II. The
middle chapel is for Amun-Ra , the western one for Mut and the eastern for Khonsu. In
the Amun Chapel Thotmosis is shown running towards Amun and there are cartouches of
Merneptah . The reliefs in the other chapels are of no particular interest. The well – made
granite columns in front of the chapel contrast sharply with the clumsy artistry of those of
Ramses II surrounding them. On the east wall of the court are scenes of the king offering
to Min and being received by Montu.
The Scenes of the Walls
Most of the scenes are of Ramses II but Pinajem I and his family also appear. The reliefs
on the south east part of the west wall of the court show the façade of the temple as it once
was with its pylons and flag-staffs, its colossal statues and its two obelisks, toward it walk
17 of the 111 sons of Ramses II, his queen and royal children and they are followed by
nobles who lead fat bulls decorated and prepared for sacrifice. The northeast gallery under
the Mosque of Abu El – Haggag hasn`t been excavated and the columns are still buried up
to the capitals to the height of the debris that filled the temple prior to Mariette.
The south side of the court is joined by the colonnade of Amenhotep III, the most
imposing part of the temple .On each side of the entrance to the colonnade is colossal
black granite statue of Ramses II wearing the features of Tutankhamun. On the throne of
the right hand figure is a representation of the two Niles binding together the Lotus and
Papyrus plants, symbolizing the union of Upper and Lower Egypt. Against the right leg of
the same colossus is a fine figure of Queen Nefertari , the favorite wife of Ramses II.

Colonnade of Amenhotep III

To the right and left are double statues of Amun and Mut. They carved in crystalline
limestone. They have been dedicated by king Tutankhamun and were restored by king
Ramses II.
The colonnade has 7 pairs of 52 feet high open papyrus flowers columns. These columns
may have been the beginning of a hypostyle hall or a processional way leading to the
pylon. The reliefs on the side walls are especially well made and interesting.
King Tutankhamun decorated the walls with reliefs of Opet Festival.
This festival took place in the 2nd month of the inundation season and lasted
24 days.
In this festival the god Amun leaves his house in Karnak and comes here to
Mut & Khonsu. On the west wall the festival begins at Karnak where king
Tutankhamun is shown offering sacrifices before the boat shrine of the god
Amun “top” Mut & Khonsu “ bottom right” within the sanctuary of Karnak.
The boat of Tutankhamun took part in this ritual “ bottom left”.
Next the barques are placed on carrying poles and born out of the temple on
the shoulders of priests. We can see them emerging from the 3rd pylon which
was the façade of Karnak at that time.
Atroupe of musicians marches before the procession as it reaches the river.
The next scene shows the river barques of the theban triad as they are towed
up the Nile to Luxor Temple. Since the procession moves against the current the tug boats
use their sails and they are helped along with ropes which pulled by the enthusiastic throng
on the shore that includes assorted officials , soldiers, dancers and charioteers.
On arrival the portable barques are again shouldered by the priests and carried into the
temple, at the head of this procession are dancing girls who excute astounding backwards
bends while in the lower register butchers are seen dismembering cattle and piling the
fresh meat , bread and other offerings to sacrifice.
The east wall has a similar series of reliefs that showing the god`s return to Karnak. This
boat procession cermony is still practiced today but differently. Every year a boat is
carried from the mosque of Abu El hagag into the streets of Luxor during the festival of
this saint.

The court of Amenhotep III

The court measuring 148 feet long from north to south and 184 feet wide from east to west
, is one of the most perfect and notable examples of the 18th Dynasty work. It has double
rows of papyrus columns with bud capitals on three sides. The elegance of these finely
proportioned colonnades is unrivaled. Unfortunately the roofing blocks which originally
rested on the architraves have perished so that visitors can no longer see the effect of deep
shadow contrasted with brilliant sunlight, for which the court was designed. Yet, even in
destroyed condition, it is impressive. The north end was originally the entrance to the
whole temple as Amenhotep III and his architects conceived it. Here stood the gateway
from which the avenue of Sphinxes ran, uniting this temple with that at Karnak. This
arrangement was altered later by completed at the death of the king.
The Hypostyle Hall
The court of Amenhotep III leads into the Hypostyle Hall which has 32 papyrus columns
with bud capitals arranged in four rows of 8 columns each. In front of the central columns
are fragments of an architrave with the cartouches of the 18 th Dynasty King Sobekhotep
III which must have come from an earlier temple. Ramses IV and Ramses VI usurped the
columns by inscribing their cartouches on them.
The walls have been damaged but the reliefs still show
Amenhotep III before the gods of Thebes. A set of
cartouches of Ramses II can also be seen.
At the foot of the west wall is colored personification
of the Egyptian names bearing gifts. To the left,
near the south end, stands a Roman altar with
a Latin dedication to the emperor Constantine (324-337 A.D)
The Chapel and Antechambers
At the rear of the Hypostyle Hall are four small rooms. To the left and right of the
central doorway are two chapels dedicated to Khonsu. The one to the far left is dedicated
to Mut , the one to the far right has a stairway leading to the roof.
The door in the center opens to the first Antechamber which had eight columns. These
were removed sometime during the 14th century when the chapel was converted into a
church. A recess was built bordered on both sided granite Corinthian columns. Christian
Paintings can be easily seen in awash that covered the old reliefs of Amenhotep III. The
wash is wearing away revealing the beautiful reliefs of the 18th Dynasty. The south wall
shows Amenhotep III before Amun-Ra and a lion-headed goddess. The north wall shows
him in a procession going to worship Amun-Ra with priests, musicians, fan bearers,
courtiers and soldiers.

Chapel of Alexander the Great

Returning to the second Antechamber, or Offering Chapel we enter the sanctuary of the
Boat built at the time of Alexander the Great. The original four columns in the center of
the older hall were replaced by a chapel opening north and south which still occupies the
center of the original chamber. The chapel`s reliefs show Alexander the Great before
Amun, Mut and Khonsu to whom the building is dedicated. The scenes on the walls of
the original chamber, within which the shrine has been built, show Amenhotep III
worshipping various gods. He is especially visible making offerings to the sacred barque
of Amun. The barque was a structure of gilded cedar of Lebanon which bore a shrine
housing a portable image of Amun.
The Transvers Hall
Beyond the Sanctuary of the Boat are ruined chambers that open to the Transvers Hall , a
room with 12 bud columns. Its scenes are too much damaged to be interest through they
were once of considerable beauty. At the entrance to the south is sacred tree of before
Amun-Ra. The king is followed by the goddesses of the north and south ,Wadjet and
Nekhbet. Behind this hall lies the sanctuary, a small four columns chambers with scenes
of Amenhotep III dancing before Amun-Ra and being led by Hours and Atum into the
presence of Amun-Ra, here depicted as Min the god of the eastern desert. The outside
walls of the temple are covered with inscriptions representing the Battle of Kadesh.
The chief attraction of the Temple of Luxor is its simplicity of structure. It stands in sharp
contrast of Karnak which is actually a group of temples that document the history of
Thebes.

The Birth Room

The roof of this room was originally supported by three clustered columns, but these and
the roof have collapsed. This room owes its name to the reliefs on its walls that depict the
divine birth of Amenhotep III. This King, wanting to prove he was the son of the god
Amun-Ra himself and not of his father Thotmosis IV, tried to strengthen his position by
portraying his divine birth.
The reliefs in the western wall are in four vertical rows. The southernmost scene
shows Khnum, the creator god molding the child (the king) and his spirit ( the Ka) on a
potter`s wheel . Opposite him, the wise goddess Isis gives life to the child by raising the
sacred “Ankh” sign to his nose. The following scenes show details of his divine birth : the
gods sit in council discussing the forthcoming birth of the child , the king`s mother Queen
Mutemwia, has a private meeting with Amun-Ra who is disguised as her husband ,
Thotmosis IV , Amun-Ra and the Queen sit together on the symbol of heaven supported
by the goddess Selkhet and Neith , Amun-Ra while revealing his identity holds the sign
for breath of life to the queen`s nostrils and instructs her to name the child Amenhotep ,
the pregnant mother on her way to give birth is comforted by Hathor and Khnum. The
queen gives birth with assistance of the patrons of child birth , Bees and Tulris , who sit
beside and below the birth couch. Isis presents the new born prince to Amun-Ra who
holds him in his arms .Amun is joined by the goddesses Hathor and Mut. The top row
shows the queen with the goddess Selkhet sitting behind her, to the right two goddesses
feed the child and his guardian spirit, below, the prince and his guardian spirit are suckled
by two cows, nine shapes of Hathor and stand in front of Amun-Ra, and in the corner
Amenhotep III appears as a king. Other reliefs in the room show Amenhotep III blessed
by various gods.
 The Valley of the Kings
The Valley of the kings lies north west of Deir Elbahri. Here as a safe guard against tomb
robbers new kingdom pharaohs carved their tombs among the barren narrow cliffs sacred
to the local goddess Mertseger.
King Thotmosis I was the first king to be buried here.
Other kings and high officials followed him and now more than
64 tombs have been identified. During the political upheaval of
the 21st dynasty many mummies of the kings were removed from
their tombs and placed together in several cashes.
One was discovered in 1881 in Deir Elbahri and the other was
in 1898 in the Valley of the
Kings at the tomb of king Amenhotep II.
Ancient Egyptians believed that man physical body housed his distinct immortal entities.
One his Ka symbolized by a pair of upraised arms. The other was the Ba it was freed from
the body at death. The Ba was represented as a bird with human head. The mortuary texts
included provisions of food and offerings for the Ka and prayers or released for the Ba.
The Pharaoh was regarded as a son of the Sun God Re.
At death the king would begin his journey through the nether world. Accompanied by the
sun god and a retinue of gods who provide him along the way. The deceased king would
sail through the treacherous regions in a solar boat. Each of the 12 regions corresponding
to one of the 12 hours of the night was entered through a massive gate guarded by
ferocious demands. The king was called upon to recite the correct password or formula.
The tombs follow a uniform pattern. Three descending corridors of varying length lead to
pillared hall and to the main tomb chamber. Some tombs have small recesses at the end of
the 2nd and the 3rd corridors were built to hold personal effects and funeral furniture.
The final tomb chamber usually rectangular although sometimes carved in the shape of
cartouche contained the sacred sarcophagus of the deceased. Some tombs also included a
deep pit for discouraging robbers.

Ramses IV ( 1163 – 1156 BC ) 20th dynasty

This tomb was robbed anciently and the body of its owner placed in cash in the tomb of
king Amenhotep II. It was opened during Ptolemaic and early Christian times as evidence
by graffiti in its back chamber and used as a church in the later part of the 5th century.
The plan of this tomb sketched on papyrus now in Turin museum was carefully followed.
Over the outer lintel are the king`s names with a disk containing a scarab and a ram
headed Atum adored by Isis and Nephtys.
Steps lead to 3 corridors. The first 2 have texts of the book of
Litany of Ra & the 3rd has texts from the book of caverns.
The vestibule has texts of the book of the dead and the negative
confession. The square burial chamber is decorated with the book of
Gates divisions 1-2 are on the left wall, divisions 3-4 are on the right.
The astronomical ceiling includes god Shu supporting goddess
Nut constellations and a calendar of feasts.
The granite sarcophagus is 3.30 m long , 2.15 m wide and 2.75 m high. On the lid goddess
Isis and Nephtys protect the king. The rooms to the back are guarded by Uraei and a
winged disk decorated with texts from the book of the dead. In the second room the
mummified figures of the king are shown in a row.
Ramses IX (1131 – 1112 BC) 20th dynasty
This tomb is a typical late Ramesside tomb, built as a series of long straight corridors. The
first corridor approached by stairs has four small undecorated lateral chambers

Texts on the left are Litany of Ra and a chapter from the book of the dead. A priest wears
the side lock of royal prince pours forth the symbols of life and wealth upon the deceased
who is dressed like Osiris.
Texts on the right are from the book of caverns demons, serpents and ghosts with bull and
jackal heads greet the sun as it begins its journey through the underworld.
The second corridor has recesses for statues of the god. The ceiling is decorated with
constellations. The book of the dead continues on the left wall while the book of cavern
continues on the right.

The third corridor has texts from the book of Amduat.

The burial chamber walls are decorated with texts from the
Book of Caverns. The ceiling has a double scene from the
Book of day and night with Nut and the divine boat drawn by
Jackals.
The sarcophagus is missing in this tomb and might be stolen.

Merneptah (1224 – 1214 BC) 19th dynasty.

This tomb 110 m long has 5 corridors, 2 halls and several side chambers. The outer lintel
has a disk containing a scarab and ram headed Atum. Isis on the left and Nephtys on the
right to protect this triad.

The first has texts from the Litany of Ra. The king appears in front of Ra Hor Akhty “right
wall” and followed by an interesting scene of the disk between a serpent and a crocodile.

The second corridor has two registers. In the first the gods go upstairs with texts of the
book of gates “ 2nd division on the left and 3rd division on the right wall”. In the second register are texts
of the book of Amduat “ 3rd division and Anubis Jackal with Isis on the left wall & the 4th and Anubis with
Nephtys on the right”. The 4 and 5 divisions of Amduat continue into the third corridor and
th th

the 10th & 11th divisions continue into the room after that.
On the left wall of this room Osiris and 2 sons of Horus and 4 gods all face out. Anubis
and 2 sons of Horus face in. A similar scene is on the right wall but the king appears as
Inmutef in the place of Anubis.
The small open hall “stairs” continues the book of
Gates 3rd to 5th divisions. The pillars have traditional
offering scenes. The side chamber has offering scenes to
Osiris , Isis , Nephtys & 4 sons of Horus.
A stairway leads to the next hall.
On the right is the outer lid of the granite
sarcophagus decorated with a text from the book of
gates and from the book of Amduat.
In burial chamber are more texts from the book of gates. The red granite inner sarcophagus
lid is decorated with the 1st division of the book of the gates.

Ramses VI (1151 – 1143 BC) 20th dynasty.

This tomb is one of the longest and most important in the Valley of the Kings. It was
started by Ramses V and Ramses VI usurped the tomb and painted over the cartouches of
his father and finished its construction. The debris from the tomb covered the entrance to
that of Tutankhamun up to 1922 when the tomb was discovered by Carter.

The first 3 corridors have nearly complete sections of the book of gates. On the door lintel
a scarab in a disk with the ream headed god appears between kneeling Isis and Nephtys.
On both sides of the first corridor the deceased king appears before RaHorAkhty and
Osiris and offers them incense.

The astronomical ceiling includes a decant list. The door jambs to the 2nd corridor have the
cartouches of Ramses VI. The book of gates continues on the left wall. At its end Osiris
appears before the solar boat of the sun god. A pig represented evil is chased away by
sacred dog headed Apes. On the right wall is a text from the book of caverns. The boat of
the sun god travels through the 12 hours of the night. Both books continue on into the next
corridor to the pillared hall of offerings. The goddess Nut appears on the ceiling as a part
of the book of day and night.
This book also continues on the ceiling
into the next chamber. The offering scenes
on the pillars include incense, ointment and libations.
Above the doorway in a double scene Ramses VI
presents offerings to Osiris. On the left wall of the
descending passage to the next corridor Nekhbet &
Neith appear as serpents. On the right wall Mertseger and Selkhet appear as serpents.
The texts on these walls & those of the next corridor are from the book of Amduat.

On the ceiling of the last room before the burial chamber are scenes showing the
resurrection of Osiris, the book of day and night and cryptographic texts. On the left
Ramses VI appears with parts of day and night with 4 rows of divinities on each side. On
the right Osiris as a mummy on a couch is brought before Horus also with 4 rows of
divinities on each side.

The burial chamber has 4 pillars. On left wall Ramses VI kneels at each end with decants
and their associated deities. On the central wall the book of Aker portrays the mummy on
a mound with figures preparing for its resurrection. On the right wall is the boat of the sun
god who is in the form of a beetle with a ram head. The boat is being worshipped by 2
human headed birds and the souls of Kheper & Atum.

Below are headed captives. Above Nut appears with upstretched arms. These texts from
the book of caverns also show the Ka the double of the living person with its own
personality in the life after. Here if it receives the offerings it ensured the survival of the
deceased person. The Ka is shown with upraised arms. A goddess reaching for the sun
stands on the Ka head. In a beautiful representation the goddess Nut twice represented
stretched across the ceiling portraying the morning and evening skies. With her head to the
west and her loins to the east she touches the earth with her fingers and toes. At the
evening she swallows the red sun to give birth to it a new every morning.
Tutankhamun (1333 – 1323 BC). 18th dynasty.
The most famous tomb in the Valley of the Kings
one of the smallest tombs. This tomb is still
containing the mummy of the king. Its discovery in 1922 by
Haward Carter caught the imagination of the world.
More than 5000 objects were discovered in this tomb which
created the question how was the great pharaohs’ tombs like
Ramses II or Thotmosis III?

The corridor and 2 small antechambers are not decorated only the burial chamber itself is.
The funeral procession is depicted on the right wall with 9 friends and 3 officials dragging
the sarcophagus on a sledge to the tomb. One of the officials was Hormoheb who later
became a pharaoh.
On the rare wall the deceased king Aye wearing a priestly leopard skin performing the
sacred ritual of Opening the Mouth before the mummified figure of Tutankhamun
dressed like Osiris. Tutankhamun wearing a short white skirt and crown appears before
the sky goddess Nut. Tutankhamun followed by his Ka are embraced by Osiris.
The scene on the left wall is from the Amduat first division showing the solar boat and
Khepr beetle and three registers of baboons representing the 12 hours of night. On the far
left Anubis and Hathor give the deceased king eternal life. The granite sarcophagus is the
outer most of the 3 coffins contains the body of Tutankhamun
 Deir Elbahri
El_Deir el_Bahri means "The Northern Monastery “and refers to the Christian monastery
which was erected on this site about the 7th century A.D.
El_Deir el_Bahri encloses two funerary, one of them belongs to the XI Dynasty about
(2050B.C) and the other belongs to Queen Hatshepsut of the XVII Dynasty, over 550
years later. The ancient site was called "Josret" or "The Holy", when Queen Hatshepsut
built her temple beside that of the XI Dynasty; she called it "Joser_Josru" or "The Holy of
Holies". The two temples together are now known as "Josreti" or the two holies.
This temple of Hatshepsut, which faces Karnak on the east bank of the Nile. It differs in
plan and style of architecture from all other temples in Egypt. The temple was erected by
Hatshepsut for several purposes. First, it was a funerary temple in which the queen and
her parents were to be worshipped. Second, it was a "Paradise for Amun" the favorite god
of the queen and was dedicated to him. It also contains chapels sacred to other deities of
the necropolis: Hathor, the patroness goddess of the Theban necropolis and Anubis the
god of the dead .Still another objective of the temple was to support Hatshepsut`s claim to

the throne.

There are few buildings remaining anywhere in which the struggle for power within can be
so clearly traced. The building primarily represents Hatshepsut, but the names of her
father Thotmosis I and her brother and husband, Thotmosis II also appear. In addition,
her nephew Thotmosis III who married her daughter is represented as coregent, although
in a very subordinate position. It is evident that Thotmosis III after succession to the
throne, chiseled out and effected Hatshepsut`s figures and cartouches from the reliefs,
thus, satisfying his hatred and wreaking his vengeance upon her, for the subjection to
which he had been replaced during his regency.
Hatshepsut`s beautiful sculptures were destined to endure further mutilation. When
Akhenaton`s religious violence against Amun was at its height, his agents carefully
destroyed the figures of the hated god and all references to him.
Although Hatshepsut`s reliefs suffered double mutilation first, from family hatred
and then from religious violence, they still remain among the finest existing specimens of
the XVIII Dynasty work.
The Lower colonnade
The west end of the court is occupied by a colonnade consisting of square pillars in front
and sixteen _sided pillars behind. The colonnade is divided by a ramp into north (right)
and south (left) sections. The colonnade in the north section is badly ruined and little
remains of the reliefs which once adorned its back walls. In the north corner there are
traces of a scene in which waterfowl are being caught in clop nets.
The most interesting scenes are those in the south colonnade, south corner in which is
depicted the transportation of Hatshepsut`s two great obelisks.
At each end of the colonnade once stood Osiris figure of Hatshepsut, larger than life size.
The one on the right has been partially, though imperfectly restored .The two standing
figures, shown returning to life, must have formed impressive and features for the long
colonnade.

The Middle Terrace

The Chapel of Hathor
At the far left is the Chapel of Hathor, corresponding in position to the Chapel of Anubis
at the end of the north colonnade. These structures only partially survive. The first
colonnade originally consisted of four square pillars in front, four in the center and a
double row of eight sixteen sided columns behind. The front pillars were ornamented with
Hathor capitals, consisting of a woman`s face with cow`s ears.
The second colonnade had round Hathor headed columns, three of which are partially
survive and sixteen sided columns, six of which are partially preserved.
There are few reliefs preserved in the second colonnade. On the right wall Thotmosis III
holds an oar as he stands in the presence of goddess. To the right of Thotmosis is
procession of ships (above) and soldiers with standards and axes (below).Notice the two
soldiers dancing to castanets.
On the left wall are two scenes. One is a sacrificial scene. In the other there is a boat
containing a Hathor cow, the queen drinks from the cow`s udder. On the west wall a
Hathor cow licks the hand of king Thotmosis II.
Past the colonnade is the shrine itself, which is comprised of three rocks hewn,
chambers one inside the other. The innermost chamber has a vaulted roof. The chapel has
a vaulted ceiling studded with stars. It encloses a magnificent statue of the cow goddess
Hathor. In front of Hathor stands the figure of Amenhotep II who is also depicted
drinking from the cow`s udder.
The Colonnade of punt
On the walls of this colonnade are the famous scenes of the voyage to Punt, undoubtedly
the most interesting series of reliefs in Egypt. Their primacy isn`t altogether due to their
artistic quality, but also the voyage and to the vivacity with which they picture the
incidents of the voyage and to the fact that they are the earliest source of information for
the land of Punt., (apparently the Somaliland cost inhabited by alight skinned race
resembling the Egyptians).

The Egyptians called punt “The Divine Land.” It was a mysterious country, visited in
times past by their father in the days of Hatshepsut, its where about had become
unknown. It was a land from which many of Egypt`s god had come and the sun rose out of
there each day. Amun, promising to lead Hatshepsut`s five great galleys to “the Ladder
of Incense” promised it was a secret land. In the truth, place of delights the sacred
territory.

The expedition which lasted about two years returned with gold, ebony, cassia, ivory
tusks, apes, monkeys, greyhounds, oxen, giraffes, panther skins and slaves, plants and
fruits, electrum, and the most precious of all , myrrh and incense to be used in offerings
and in mummification. Thirty one incest trees, their roots bound in bundles of earth were
brought back, and planted in the garden of Amun in the temple. For the queen and her
subjects, the expedition represented novelty, or at least the renewal of an old adventurous
spirit.
The Birth Colonnade
The north section of the middle terrace colonnade is known as the Birth Colonnade ,
because of the character of the reliefs adorning its rear walls. The god Amun, discontented
with the mixed marriage among the Egyptians monarchs, decided to restore the pure, solar
line by creating a child of his own. Incarnated in Thotmosis I ,he appeared to Queen
Ahmos in “a flood of light and perfume” and created the royal daughter , Khnumit Amun
Hatshepsut. The scenes begin at the south end of the colonnade, next to the ascending
ramp with a relief showing a council of the gods in the presence of Amun. The next scene
depicts Thoth leading Amun (both almost entirely erased) into the chambers of Queen
Ahmos. Next, Amun is seated face to face with the queen. He is impregnating her with his
Ankh, the divine breath of life, which is held to her nose. Their seats are borne up to the
heavens in a style similar to scenes in the Birth Room of Amenhotep III at Luxor Temple.
Next we see the ram headed creator god Khnum, receiving instructions from Amun
and shaping Hatshepsut and her “Ka” or live image, upon his potter`s wheel. The frog
headed goddess Heqt is shown putting breathe of life into the nostrils of the newly created
child.
The scenes of the birth are remarkable, and are handled with great delicacy. The
remaining scenes of the north colonnade refers to the queen`s presentation to the gods of
Egypt, her presentation by her earthly father, Thotmosis I to the magnates of the land and
her coronation.
The Chapel of Anubis
Two steps at the north end of the colonnade descended to a vestibule with twelve
sixteen sided columns. The fine reliefs on the walls have remarkably well-preserved
coloring. However, the image of the queen has been mercilessly erased. On the west wall
of the vestibule, on either side of the doorway which leads into the chapel, Hatshepsut is
seen presenting offerings to Amun-Ra (on the left) and Anubis (on the right). The vulture
of El-Kab hovers above the head of the queen (now erased) on one side and the hawk of
Edfu hovers above her head on the other side. The north and south walls contain scenes
showing the queen standing either between two gods or before various deities.
At the back of the vestibule are three steps which lead to the inner Chapel of Anubis.
The colored bas-reliefs on the walls represent the queen before various gods. Anubis is
especially prominent .Thotmosis III appears once on the east wall of the second chamber
of the chapel, he is shown pouring a libation before the god Soker.
The Third Terrace
Further up the ramp lies the upper court or the third terrace. A colonnade consisting of
two rows originally ran along the face of this court on the upper level. The first row
contained twenty-two Osiris statues of Hatshepsut, which were later converted into
square pillars by her enemy Thotmosis III, the back row had the same completely ruined.
However, since 1967 the Polish Expedition, in collaboration with the Antiquities
Organization, has been making architecture restorations in this and other parts of the court.
Next to the colonnade is a magnificent granite gate, on which the cartouches of
Thotmosis III has replaced that of its builder Hatshepsut. Through the gate is a huge hall
enclosed by a double row of columns.
Across the hall is a set wall niches surrounding the door to the Sanctuary. In the north
corner of the hall the door of the vestibule leads to the Altar Court in which there is a great
limestone altar dedicated by the queen to the god Ra Hor Akhty of Heliopolis. The ten
steps leading up to the altar approach from the west side, thus, the officiating priest faced
the sun which he was worshipping.
In the south wall of the hall is a doorway leading to some chambers, the innermost of
which is called the Southern Hall of Offerings. The reliefs on the north and south walls of
the chambers depict processions of servants bringing offerings after style of the Old
Kingdom reliefs at Sakkara.

The Sanctuary
A granite portal in the middle of the upper court, reached by porch with balustrades,
forms the entrance to the Sanctuary. It consists of three chambers, one inside the other,
hewn in the rocks of the cliff. The first two chambers have vaulted ceiling and wall niches
in which statues of the queen once stood. The third small chamber was added under
Ptolemy VII, Eurgets II. It was dedicated to the deified Imhotep, the great vizier of King
Zoser, from the 3rd Dynasty and to the defied Amenhotep, son of Habu of Amenhotep
III`s time. Both Imhotep and Amenhotep were worshipped as healing gods. El-Deir el-
Bahri had become by this place of healing and miracles similar to Asclepius of Greece.
The contrast between the delicate and beautiful work of the 18 th Dynasty and the clumsy
and ill-proportioned figures of the Ptolemaic artists with their bulging muscles and rolls of
fat couldn’t be better exhibited than here where the Ptolemaic work can be seen in close
relationship with that of Hatshepsut.
In the valley of the south of El-Deir el-Bahri lies the hiding place in which the great
collection of the royal mummies was stored until their discovery in July 1881.Afew yards
to the north of the lower court of Hatshepsut`s Temple was the great common tomb in
which 163 coffins of priests and priestesses of Amun (XXI Dynasty) were found by the
Antiquities Organization in 1891. Many of the coffins have been presented by the
Egyptian government to foreign museums.
The colossi of Memnon
Amenhotep III from the 18th dynasty built a mortuary temple in west Thebes that was
guarded by 2 gigantic statues on the outer gates. All the remains now are the 23 m high
statues of Amenhotep III. Though damaged by nature and ancient occupation the statues
are still impressive.
The ancient Egyptians called the left one “ruler of rulers” later travelers called them
Shammy and Tammy which may have been a corruption of the Arabic words left and
right. Today they are known locally as Elsalamat which means the statues.
The right statue depicts Amenhotep III with his mother Mutemwia while the left one
represents him with his wife Tiye and one of his daughters.
On the sides of the statues are reliefs depicting the union of Upper and Lower Egypt? Both
statues are carved of quartzite stone.
Due to an earthquake in 27th BC these statues became known for a bell like tone that
usually occurred in the morning due to the rising temperature and humidity. Thus they
were equated by early Greek travelers with the figure of Memnon the son of Aurora
whose mother was the goddess of dawn.
To be granted a song mean that you were much in favor of the gods. Visitors came from
miles to hear the music including Emperor Hadrian in 130 AD. The roman emperor
Septimius Severus seeking to repair the statues in 199 AD in advertently silenced them
forever.
 The temple of Horus Edfu
Edfu is located in the half way between Luxor and Aswan on the west bank of the Nile. In
ancient times it was called DBU or EDBU which means the town of piercing. The Coptic
form was ATBO which became the modern name Edfu. The ancient religious name was
Behdet and the romans called it Apollo polis Magna meaning the city of god Apollo.
Because they equated the Egyptian god Horus and their god Apollo.
The construction began in 237 BC during Ptolemy III the main building was finished in
the 10th year of Ptolemy IV “Philopator” in 212 BC and its decorations weren`t completed
until 57 BC during Ptolemy XII. So the temple has spent 180 years to be built because of
revolutions in Upper Egypt against the Ptolemaic were interrupting the work.
The great temple of Edfu is the 2nd largest in Egypt after Karnak and the most complete
one.

This temple dedicated to the god Horus and his wife goddess Hathor.
The great pylon is 34 m high and more than 65 m long. Four large vertical grooves were
cut for holding the flag staffs. Above them are four openings providing security for flag
poles.
The twin towers of the entrance were planned as perfect mirror images of each other’s. Both
of them have reliefs of King Ptolemy XI smiting his enemies before Horus & Hathor.
Above this scene the king makes the offerings in front of 2 rows of local divinities. And
above the huge door way appears the winged solar disk representing Horus of Edfu.

It has a story called the legend of Horus of Edfu sometimes times the legend of winged
solar disk relates that while the god Ra Hor Akhty was embarking from Nubia a revolution
broke out against him. He entrusted Horus of Edfu and asked his help to crush the rebels
particularly the god Seth and his followers. Horus defeated them in many battles on the
Nile but they reappeared again in the forms of crocodiles and hippopotami.
Horus drove them to the eastern boundaries of Egypt and then to Nubia where he assumed
the form of winged disk with an uraeus on each side. His emblem a winged many colored
solar disk became a symbol of protection against evil and was placed over the gateways of
all Egyptian temples. It became a symbol of defense and triumph for gods and kings as
well. Two statues of Horus as a falcon flank the entrance and both of them are made of
grey granite.
The forecourt
It has a colonnade on 3 sides while the fourth is occupied by the columns of the main
temple with their screen walls.
The 32 columns show capitals with elaborate Ptolemaic, floral and palm leaf designs. The
columns themselves have sunken reliefs of the king whose name hasn`t carved making the
offerings in front of local gods.

The most important scenes are these which show the coronation of the king. We can see
the king coming out of his palace wearing the white crown of upper Egypt proceeded by
an incense burning priest and the 4 standards of upper Egypt. The jackal of the 1 st cataract,
the Ibis of Hermopolis , the hawk of Edfu and the totem of Thebes.
He is then purified by Thoth and Horus of Edfu crowned with the double crown by
Nekhbet and Wadjet. Then he receives the scepter from Horus in the presence of Atum,
Seshat the goddess of writing and Maat the goddess of truth and is led by a god who
holds the ankh to his nose into the presence of Horus Edfu. Finally he stands before
Horus & Hathor.
Beneath these scenes is a series of representations of the festival voyage of Hathor up
river to meet her husband Horus of Edfu. On the other side are similar scenes but the king
wears the red crown of Lower Egypt. The scenes on the pylon show the king worshipping
Horus and Hathor as the reliefs on front show him slaying his enemies in front of the two
gods.
The pronaos
The façade of the pronaos has 6 columns with three screen walls on either side of the
central doorway. The reliefs on the screen walls show Ptolemy Eurgets II making
offerings to Horus, Hathor and to Horus again.
In front of the entrance once stood 2 colossal granite statues of Horus one still standing
while the other has badly smashed.
Inside the pronaos or large hypostyle hall are two small chapels. The left one is the chapel
of consecration where golden vases were kept with which the pharaoh was purified when
actin as high priest at the great annual festival of Horus and Hathor.
The chapel on the right was the temple library where the papyrus rolls of Horus were
kept. Under the winged disk above the doorway is a representation badly damaged of the
senses of hearing, sight, taste and reason each pictured as a human figure worshipping
ascribe palette.
Among the ritual reliefs are ones that refer to the building of the temple. The king in
company with Horus and Seshat pegs out the ground for the future temple, cut the first
sod, purifies the ground so that the building on it may be holy raises the first block of
stone, presents the completed building to Horus and finally offers Horus the emblem of
its decoration.

The second hypostyle hall

It is smaller than the first one but on the whole it is more beautiful and well-proportioned
area. Its 12 columns with their richly carved floral capitals are not as heavy as those in the
large hall. The reliefs also are similar to those outside in the large hall but hall has 4 doors
in its right and left.
On the right one door leads to the outer corridor and the other gives access to the stairway
to the roof.
On the left one doorway leads to the room of the Nile god Hapi while the second leads to
a store chamber or the laboratory for the sacred oils that used in the worship.
The hall of Altar
We are now in the first antechamber which known in the ancient times as the hall of the
Altar of offerings with rituals scenes appropriate for such chamber. Most likely the altar at
which the regular daily sacrifices were offered was here. The left doorway gives access to
the stairway to the roof and one leads into a chamber from which the stair way to the roof
gained.

The vestibule
This hall was known as the hall of the repose of the gods. On the left entrance wall the
king is shown binding four kneeling captives before Horus & Hathor. Above this relief is
another which shows the child Horus rising from the reeds of the marches where legend
placed his birth.
The door to the right leads to the chapel of Nut the goddess of the sky. Its ceiling shows
the goddess Nut with various shapes of the sun in corresponding boats. The reliefs in this
chapel depict the king and the queen offering to King Ptolemy III and his wife Arsines.
The king and the queen adored by 2 images of the dead kings who painted in blue. The
door to the left leads to the chapel of god Min the god of fertility, generations and growth.
The sanctuary
In the middle stands a low altar on which the sacred boat of Horus rested. Behind the altar
stands a splendid monolithic shrine of dark grey granite and it was erected by the king
Nectanebo I from the 30th dynasty and most have been transferred from the older temple
to its present position.
It was originally closed with bronze doors and held an image of the sacred hawk the
emblem of Horus. The reliefs here show the king acting in his function as a high priest
opening the lock on the shrine of Horus. Opening the door of the shrine appearing before
the gods offering incense to his parents and the sacred boat of goddess Hathor.
The sanctuary is surrounded on three sides by a corridor from which 10 chambers open.
Entering on the right side we see the chamber of spread wings with reliefs showing the
gods who defend Osiris.
The next room is the chamber of the throne of the sun. It shows the sun god with the other
gods. Here some of original coloring still survives in good condition.
The third room is the chamber of god Khonsu the hawk headed moon god who is shown
with other gods.
Three of the chambers on the western side are devoted to Osiris and his cult. The second
to last chamber on the west side the chamber of the throne of the gods also has coloring in
good condition.
A reproduction of the sacred boat of Horus made of wood and ornamented with the head
of the god rests upon an altar in one of the three rooms on the north side.
The outer corridor
One of the architectural high lights of Edfu is the great girdle wall which encloses the
whole rare part of the temple with ambulatory formed between this wall and the walls of
the main temple.
The reliefs one the walls depict the struggle between the god Horus and his uncle god
Seth. Generally the right wall consists of scenes in which Horus is depicting slaying the
enemies of god RA who are shown as crocodiles or hippopotami.
The NiloMeter
The Nilometer has astair case winds around it. It had an underground connection with the
Nile but it is now gone.
 The temple of Kom Ombo
Kom Ombo lies 26 miles north of Aswan. This temple was built in the Ptolemaic era and
embellished in the Roman period. In ancient times it was called NBU which means the
gold and in Greco Roman era it was called OMBOS. The word KOM in Arabic means the
mound so Kom Ombo means the mound of gold.
The temple was dedicated to 2 deities instead of only one as in other temples. It differs
from the others in being built for 2 gods the god Sobek “crocodile” and the god Horus Wr
“Horus the great”
The right side is dedicated to Sobek with the goddess Hathor and the god Khonsu Hor
forming a triad. The left is to Horus Wr with the goddess Tasentnefrt and Panebtaway
forming the second triad.
The decorations of this forecourt were the work of the emperor Tiberius. Here 16 columns
making up the colonnade which run around three sides of the court only the lower drums
remain standing.
The reliefs on the drums represents Tiberius offering to the gods in the middle is the
square base of an altar on which the sacred boats rested during special festivals
celebrations.
Two small granite through on each side lead to the two central axes of the temple. Here the
blood from sacrifices on altar was collected.
The screen walls to the right still have scenes representing the king Ptolemy XII being
purified by Thoth and Horus in the presence of the crocodile headed Sobek to whom this
side of the temple was dedicated. On the left side a similar scene for Horus the elder to
whom this side is dedicated.
The outer scenes show the king wearing a long robe and holding a staff leaving his palace
to go to the temple. Raised cobras in Uraei crown the door ways.
The first hypostyle hall
The great hypostyle hall of the temple has 10 columns with different types capitals. Some
are floral some are palm leafed and others are unfinished.
The reliefs on the columns are similar to those outside they represented the king making
his offerings to the gods worshipped in the temple.
All the scenes of this hall represent the Ptolemaic kings giving offerings to the gods and
goddesses of the temple. Though the temple is divided into two sections the two great gods
of the temples are found together in scenes on both sides.
The small hypostyle hall
The small hypostyle hall is identical to the great hall except that proportions have been
greatly reduced. It is 10 columns have open flower papyrus form capitals unfortunately
most of the walls have vanished.
All the scenes are similar to those of the forecourt and the great hypostyle hall.
The vestibules of the temple
The three vestibules of the temple were built by Ptolemy VI and they have the usual
scenes of presentations of offerings to the gods of the temple.
The sanctuary
The two sanctuaries built by Ptolemy VI although they are completely destroyed a block
of grey granite in each one served as pedestal for the two sacred boats.
The corridor
Two corridors surround the temple. The interior one opens into seven matching rooms
along its northern side. The purpose of those rooms is unknown. Their decorations shows a
king making offering to various gods were never finished.
The exterior corridor has the most important scene of the temple. It is too unlike and it
doesn’t have any other copy in all the Egyptian temples.
The scene shows the emperor Trajan as a pharaoh of Egypt kneels before the deified
Imhotep and presents him a long table of surgical instruments which arranged in 4
registers.
R1: 2 pots for mixing the ointments or medicine.
A papyrus scroll that contains written charms which done for healing.
Heavy shears to cut bones if necessary.
A sponge to drip the anesthetic for ill person before surgery.
2 scrapers & 2 spoons with sharp ends used in Gynecology.
R2: 2 pincers , 2 bags tied with strings to keep the disinfection.
2 Horus eyes, a scale and lotus.
R3: 3 hooks one of them in the form of Horus & Sobek.
3 spoons used to enlarge the back end
A bag tied with string. 2 towel clips to put the sterilized towels on skin.
Beaked vessel, a vase with burning incense, big knife & 2 beaked vessels.
R4: An unknown instrument
A sign of Wadj which means ever green and refers to youth power.
A big knife, 2 hooks, 2 drills and a saw.
2 signs of hieroglyphic mess which refers to birth.
Twisted razor used as anus injections.
And on the left side of the table we can see the goddess Isis sitting on a chair supported by
2 bricks.