Great feast for Spring by the Nile

On Monday this week, the quiet peaceful banks of the Nile let place to a happy crowd. Families and children come to celebrate Cham-el-Nessim, the beginning of Spring.

Everybody enjoys this time, children are jumping in the fresh Nile river, and families are sharing food, specially old and salted fish (Fiseekh) with eggs, onions and salad, cooking in different ways. It’s exactly the day following the Coptic Easter, it was really a lucky day with a fantastic weather.

The festival was already celebrated in ancient time to honor agriculture and fertility. Ancient Egyptians believed the vernal equinox as a new life, new cycle, and made rituals and offerings to the divinities. They prepared old fish kept in salt from the best days of fishing on the latest season to invoke the new one’s coming. Salted fish, lettuce, onions and eggs were significance of hopefulness, the safety of the soul and  regenerative life.

In all Egypt, everybody enjoys the breeze of spring, going into green spaces or on boat by the Nile.

Don’t miss a felucca or traditional motor boat trip on this day! Enjoy the feast!

Tomb of Amenhotep III soon reopened to visitors?

Have you already enjoyed a walk to the Tomb of Ay (KV 23), middle of Valley of the Kings?
This is a nice way to feel the heart of the nature, when the wind whistles in your hears and echoes from the cliffs leave you a good omen for the rest of your discoveries.

This is the sacred place chosen by Pharaoh Amenothep III (also called Amenophis III, XVIII dynasty) and Pharaoh Ay (end XVIII dynasty), for them eternal life.
Located in the Valley of the West, or Valley of the Monkeys (named from Ay’s Tomb, decorated with twelve monkeys), the tomb of Amenothep III is along the way. Great Pharaoh of his time, Amenothep III reigned 38 years and let Egypt in peace and prosperity. By a «simple» cavity rock, never we imagine one of the biggest Tomb of Ancient Thebes is just 24 meters deeper!

Discovered in early excavation of the Valley of the Kings looted and emptied of its treasures (KV 22). Later, Howard Carter and Lord Carvarnon made a complete description of the tomb, in 1915.
After the entrance, many rooms lead to burial chamber : Corridor, pillared hall, chambers (it’s unique, two seems to be dedicated for Pharaoh’s wives), ante chambers. Burial chamber is decorated with fine quality, representing Pharaoh and deities (frescoes) and only the top of the big sarcophagus is still inside.

The tomb is closed for restoration, but workers are daily on the site now!

Through these pictures about magic nature and Pharaonic marvels, you can discover the place chosen by Amenothep III, Great Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, away from other tombs in the Valley of the Kings, as to mark his difference. He was Akhenaten’s father, his successor, entering in Armarnen era, stopped by Pharaoh Ay, who is the only other tomb in this Valley!

Development workers, at the foot of the cliff.                                                                       A tent  for meeting point or sharing a cup of tea, most of work is deep underground.

At the entrance of the tomb, the large pipes used to regenerate the air for workers underground.

External regenerator air connected to pipes inside the tomb. You can see the (small) entrance in the background.

Overview of the (small) entrance to the tomb at the immensity of the cliff.

Be sure to spend a beautiful trip through this balad, feeling nature, sunshine and nice discoveries we’ll be happy to share you!

If you like to spend couple of day in Luxor and the marvels, why not rent a flat to enjoy your visit?

Along the way, complete your discoveries by visiting Ay’s Tomb,presumed successor of Tutankhamun.
(ticket office in the Valley of the Kings 25LE around 2.5GBP; 4USD)

Find more excursions 

A visit to Carter’s House

Visit the world of Howard Carter takes us back to early last century in the fabulous story of his discovery of Tutankhamun’s Tomb and its Treasures.

Enter his home is also a great tour to see all objects of his time. His office, his sketches, his library. His typewriter that allowed him to maintain his correspondence with Lord Carvarnon, his camera at the time and his photo lab but also intimate places like his bedroom. The living room contains old objects, piled like the treasures stored in the tomb of Tutankhamun.
We relive and imagine his daily life, at the entrance to the Valley of the Kings, where he devoted all his life, his love and passion for Egypt.

Idea : You can complete and enjoy this day with a visit of Tutankhamun’s Tomb in the Valley of the Kings (including 3 other tombs) and discover pieces of his treasure in Luxor museum

Howard Carter, British archaeologist and Egyptologist born in 1874 and died in 1939, to 64.

Talented  painter, he discovers Egypt at the age of 17 , reproducing in the site of Beni Hassan, between Cairo and Luxor,  frescoes  of princely tombs, richly decorated with scenes of agricultural and artisanal life. Then, he becomes  a big fan of all these wonders Pharaonic.

The many stages of his life lead him to become one of the most renowned archaeologists, crowned by his victory of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb.

Howard Carter will work with the greatest Egyptologists of his day, Flinders Petrie and Gaston Maspero who offered him to work for the Department of Antiquities as inspector general of monuments in Upper Egypt. But his impetuous nature will make him crossing period of loneliness  and he resigned for excuses he will never do to wealthy French tourists demanding repayment of the ticket of a site considered too dark!
Maspero who regrets the departure of the talented Carter, introduce him Lord Carnarvon, who excavate in amateur since 2 years without success. He needs a man to supervise his action and will finance his work.

They will work together over 10 years,  searching many sites without great succes and finance and Lord Carnarvon’s hopes are diminishing with time. After evidences of an unknown pharaoh was found, a so-called thutankhamun, the famoustly obstinated Howard Carter began looking for his grave in an unprospected area. November 4, 1922, four days after starting excavations, Howard Carter had his consecration by discovering the first steps of the entrance to a tomb never plundered. Anubis on the door announced a great person. November 25, the opening of “the door” left Carter’s team in shock, faced with these historical treasures and millennia we have the chance to visit today, in several museums.

A special room is dedicated in Cairo’s museum, where it is magical to watch the perfection and beauty of the gold mask of Tutankhamun’s mummy, and also other  beautiful objects in the museum of Luxor.

1922 – 2012

90 this year, after the discovery of these magnificent treasures.

His office, where we imagine him with several feelings, to see his sketches, his library,

We guess a few moments of relaxation while listening to music or typing on his machine..

Through the light, Carter is still here…

A video projection is provided with Carter that speaks to us in hologram, not available this day…anyway, it’s an enjoyable trip!

Have a look to the oven working with external air!

Some everyday items

Enjoy Luxor at your own pace

Spending a couple of days in West Bank to feel the magic of Pharaohs time, it’s the way to live here, you have to feel this one time in your life! Then, Egypt does the rest, you will know!

Everything is very special.
First, You are here! and all around you is just amazing.
Some people come to visit as they buy them bread everyday and ask: how much?…and go back, forgotten the essential! Incredible but real! And they stay never long in most of sites, it’s the positive!
Then…come back to our beautiful and calm day in West Bank, the true way to be here.
So, you are here, the weather is very lovely, the sweet color of the nature and the main of your day make you feel in other world.
Two majestic statues welcome you in this beautiful world, the Colossi of Memnon, whose make feeling quiet, strong, high and so present all over this time (3400 years old!). When you pass over them you enter the magic land of the eternal Luxor (ancient Thebes) where the Kings and Queens Valleys are, Temples and sites where the Pharaohs lived and died.

Only one road to «jump» from temple to temple, and you go back in the line of lifetime. Along this road, the Temples of Sethi I, Ramses II, RamsesIII, Hatshepsut for the most famous and beautiful conservation and restoration, but also Amenophis III, Merenptah, still in restoration. The Sacred mountain keep the marvels of the tombs of kings, queens and nobles, with beautiful color make you thinking it was done yesterday.

To enjoy your journey, there is some nice places to stay between you’r visiting temples if you are bit hungry, or just to appreciate fresh juice (orange, mango, lemon, banana…) and keep your good vibes with beautiful view, never far away from king’s Valley and green landscape, palm trees and sunny colors. I’m thinking specially one place call «Moon Valley» and so, other are nice too without feeling you are in a flashy fashion place,that’s why West Bank is so special cause you feel the nature like before.

Visiting Luxor, and specially West Bank, at your own pace, need a couple of days to see, feel and enjoy this very special time in your life.
Spending sunset time on the Nile, discovering the two beautiful temples in est side, Karnak and Luxor Temple and when the night comes, the sacred mountain illuminated is just wonderful.

 

Luxor, you will always amaze me!