Great Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu) / The Egyptian Museum / The Baron's Palace
• A History of Christianity in Egypt / The Hanging Church / Mount Sinai / Jewish
Temples in Egypt
• The west bank at Luxor
important archaeological sites in the world. It is
much more than what we refer to as the Valley of
the Kings, though many have called the whole of
the area by that name. In fact, many good books
on the west bank at Luxor (ancient Thebes) are
titled, "Valley of the Kings", even though they
cover the entire area. It can be a bit confusing for
the novice, particularly considering the actual
conceptual scope of the religious concept. If one
looks at just the Valley of the Kings, one only
sees tombs, but the tombs were an integral part
of larger mortuary complexes. Indeed, the whole
west bank is honeycombed with tombs, not just
of the ancient Egyptian Kings, but of their families
and the noblemen who served them.
the peaks in the Theban
range of hills. This is Qurn,
which can be translated in
Arabic to mean "horn", or
"forehead". At this
mountains northern base,
fairly well separate from the
other burials in the West
Bank, is the Valley of the
Kings. Along with a number
of unfinished tombs, 62
numbered tombs are known
to Egyptologists. This was
the final resting place of
many of the New Kingdom
rulers.
was in Egypt's
Dynastic Period
which the Valley of the Kings is only one zone. The northern sector of the west bank
closest to the Nile River is often referred to as the Tombs of the Nobles, but it can be
divided into about five different sub-zones. Farthermost north is an area known as
el-Tarif, where large, row tombs were dug during the late Second Intermediate Period
and early Middle Kingdom.
priests and officials of the 17th through 20th dynasty, including some rulers of the 17th dynasty. Just southwest of
Dra Abu el-Naga is an area called El-Assasif, where there are 40 tombs, mostly from the New Kingdom and later.
Just south of El-Assasif is El-Khokha, a hill with five Old Kingdom tombs and 53 numbered tombs from the 18th
and 19th dynasty.
numbered tombs, most of which are from the 18th Dynasty. Here one finds some of the most beautiful private tombs
on the West Bank.
that of Hatshepsut and Mentuhotep.
tombs mostly dating to the Ramesside period. Where there are probably thousands of tombs in these areas,
Egyptologists have only explored and numbered a total of about 800 of them.
named, because it houses family members of the kings, including both males and females, and even some high officials.
There are about 80 numbered tombs in this area, probably the most famous of which is that of Queen Nefertari.
workers who dug and decorated the tombs and other Theban monuments. It is a very important area to Egyptology,
because it has revealed many of the facets of ordinary life in Egypt, and there are some wonderful tombs in its
necropolis.
southern most temple is that of Ramesses III located at Medinet Habu. The palace, one of the southernmost
monuments in the Valley, is at Malkata, just south of Deir el-Medina, and belonged to Amenhotep III, but was
probably also inhabited by a few of his successors. At one time, it was a huge complex. The northernmost temple is
that of Seti I, which at one time also probably served as an administrative center on the West Bank.
individual kings or queens, were collectively
known by the Egyptians as the "Temples of
Millions of Years". Early Egyptologists
referred to them as funerary or mortuary
temples, but in fact they were temples built
for the worship of the deceased kings, and
were even used for his worship while he
lived. There were originally many more
temples then one finds today, and those that
remain are in much ruin.
union, each year a celebration was held called the Beautiful Feast of the Valley, where the royal power was
renewed and strengthened. Also, on the 30th year of the pharaoh's reign, the sed-festival took place in order to
renew the king's strength, as well as the vitality of all Egypt. These celebrations took place in the Temples of
Millions of Years, and so activity on the Theban West Bank was centered around the Temples, while the tombs
themselves were for the most part off limits.
modern foundation or trust. They were intended to keep the king's cult alive, guaranteeing him eternal
deification, and not simply through festivals.
people. In effect, the temples were endowed with property and assets by the king before his death, so that
after his death, the temple could continue to fund exploits and building projects in his name.
several in the Valley of the Kings, and perhaps one in the Valley of the Queens, and they visit several of the temples,
most notably those of Deir el-Bahri. To an extent, this provides something of an overall picture of the West Bank, but
its complexity and size are often not realized.