27 July 2008, Luxor: The Colossi of Memnon are two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. For the past 3400 years (since 1350 BC) they have stood in the Theban necropolis, across the River Nile from the modern city of Luxor.

Five tiers of stone were used to build this statue

This statue, on the other hand, is made of a single piece of stone.

We don’t have any pictures of the Valley of the Kings apart from this one taken at the entrance. Why, you might ask? Our camera is a combination video/photo camera and video cameras aren’t allowed inside. This led to a very vocal discussion at the entrance as we tried to explain to the “guard” (through our guide), that our camera was both a photo and video camera. It was the first time they had heard of such a thing and thought it must be some white people trying to pull a fast one on them.

After much explaining they said that regardless, we had to leave it with them. No way were we going to leave a camera in a little open faced booth with someone who could just walk off with it and then have the next guard claim it was never there. We let the guards know exactly what we thought, and that we would take the camera in with us and there was nothing they could do to stop us. Our guide did a wonderful job of translating this back and forth (which was a bit like bargaining at the souq) and they finally relented but said that if they saw us take the camera out of our bag, they would fine us US $1000.

With the guards constantly looking over our shoulders hoping to collect a considerable “baksheesh” instead of the hefty fine, we didn’t tempt our luck further, keeping our camera safely out of sight, and thus are left without any photos inside the Valley of the Kings.

Present-day settlement in the desert

 Donkeys are commonly used to pull carts

Deir el-Madina is an ancient Egyptian village which was home to laborers who worked on the tombs in the Valley of the Kings during the New Kingdom period.

At its peak, the community contained around 68 houses spread over at total area of 5,600 sq m. with a narrow road running the length of the village.

The entrance to a remarkably well-preserved tomb of a worker which we visited, but couldn’t take any pictures of. We also went into the Tomb of Sennedjem.

27 July 2008, Luxor: Female pharoah Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple complex at Deir el-Bahri is one of the most spectacular ancient buildings in Egypt, and is one of our favorite buildings in the world.

It was designed by Senmut, the highest official serving the pharoah and he was believed to be her secret lover. It was the first complex built at a site on the west bank of the Nile river. This site would become the famous Valley of the Kings because of all the pharaohs who later chose to associate their complexes with the grandeur of hers.

Hatshepsut Temple was built into a cliff face that rises sharply above it. Buildings in this complex are considered to be significant advances in architecture.

 A cartouche with a scarab beetle in it.

The Holy of Holies

Osirian (Osiris was the god of the afterlife) statues of Hatshepsut at her tomb, one stood at each pillar of the extensive structure. Note the mummification shroud enclosing the lower body and legs as well as the crook and flail associated with Osiris.

Many images portraying Hatshepsut were destroyed or vandalized within decades of her death, possibly by Amenhotep II at the end of the reign of Thutmose III, while he was his co-regent, in order to assure his own rise to pharaoh and then, to claim many of her accomplishments as his.

Hatshepsut

On the ground level, there were remains of trees brought from Punt during the time of Hatshepsut’s reign. Another amazing thing.

Here are some pics taken at night in Luxor.

 The Luxor Temple

 Horse carriages waiting to pick up tourists

We were pleasantly surprised that there was wireless internet in the McDonald’s in Luxor!

Our hotel in Luxor

Swimming pool overlooking the Nile river…amazing!