Egyptian Odyssey (part 5)

Egyptian Odyssey (part 5)

DAYS 10 AND 11

For our final two days in Luxor, we were joined by Amr Elsharkwy, an Egyptologist who shared much of his professional insight into the culture of the ancient Egyptians. Many of the sites we visited were less frequented by tourists, and free from heavy crowds. Thanks to Amr, we had a virtual private tour among the tombs and temples of Upper Egypt.

For several thousand years, Abydos flourished as a cemetery for the people of Egypt. The most famous building at Abydos today is the Temple of Seti I. This temple was begun by Seti I and completed by his son, Rameses II. It is elegantly decorated and uniquely well-preserved, one of the masterpieces of Egyptian art and architecture. The temple features the Table of Abydos, listing many dynastic pharaohs of Egypt. Though some names were deliberately omitted (such as Akhenaten and Tutankhamun), it has been compared to the Rosetta Stone for its archaeological significance. Within the temple are seven chapels built for the worship of the pharaoh and principal deities, being the "state" deities Ptah, Re-Horakhty, and (centrally positioned) Amun-Re; the remaining three chapels are dedicated to the Abydos triad of Osiris, Isis and Horus.

The Dendera Temple complex is one of the best-preserved temple complexes in Egypt. The main building is Hathor temple, and on the rear of the temple exterior is a carving of the well-known Cleopatra and her son by Julius Caesar, Ptolemy XV.

The next day, we returned to the east bank of the Nile to visit the Valley of the Queens. Amr and Osama took us to the Tomb of Nefertari, Ramesses II’s favorite wife. It is considered the best preserved of any Egyptian burial site. The astonishing reds, blues, greens and golds remain as vibrant as if they were painted yesterday.

Adjacent to the Valley of the Queens is Deir el-Medina, an ancient Egyptian village that was home to the artisans who worked on the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, c. 1550–1080 BC. The village may have been built apart from the greater population due to the secretive nature of the work carried out in the tombs. The site spans almost 400 years of ancient Egyptian culture, providing one of the most thoroughly documented accounts of community life in the ancient world. There is no comparable site in which the organization, social interactions, working and living conditions of a community can be studied in such detail.

That evening, just prior to our final full day in Egypt, we visited the Luxor bazaar for shopping. Souvenirs of all types can be found, from t-shirts to jewelry to miniature replicas of Egyptian monuments, and the prices are fair, depending how much one is willing to bargain. The vendors expect their customers to haggle, until both are satisfied with the price.

In all, our tour of Egypt was the trip of a lifetime. The Egyptian people appreciate American visitors to their country. Osama and his team at Journey To Egypt provided every accommodation we could ever need and their attention was invaluable in making this an unforgettable journey.