Upper Egypt

  As the slender green valley of the Nile meanders ever south-wards, the Egypt of the Arabs is behind giving way to the Egypt of the Africans, Lower Egypt's Delta is vast and rich, but in upper Egypt the fertile soil brought (until the building of the Aswan High Dam) by the mighty river, lines only a few hundred Yards along either bank. The fellahin (peasant farmers) make up for the lake of land by intensive cultivation of he little they have. A journey south along the Nile here reveals green fields of the sugar-cane and cotton, with cows pulling primitive ploughs, turning waterwheels, or towing carts. Every sort of pumping system ever devised by man, simple or ingenious, is pressed into service to irrigate the fields.

  Dotted along the Nile's banks are traces of Pharaonic Egypt from dusty heaps of broken pottery to magnificent temples. At Abydos, the vovtive temple to Osirsis built by seti 1 (19^th Dynasty) has fine mural paintings, though you must step carefully in the shadowy rooms with their broken floors. Bring  a powerful light if you have one. Abydos was a place especially sacred to the memory of Osiris, the well-loved earthly god who was murdered and cut into pieces by his brother. Unable to rule on earth, Osiris became king of the nether world. The sacred city built here in his honour disappeared long ago, but the great seti temple remains an imposing monument to him.

  The Osireion behind the temple was a cenotaph for seti 1, who wanted to show his love of Osiris by having a tomb here, though he arranged for his true burial to be in the Valley of the King's at Theabs. Farther on, a five minute walk across the sand brings you to the ruined Temple of Ramesis, which still shows some traces of the bright colours, which once blazed from its walls.

  Continuing southeast along the river you come to the temple complex at Denderah (Ten-tyris). Although the principle monument there today is a plotemaic temple, Denderah was a sacred site from historic times. The Mammisi* of Augustis to the right after passing through the great gate was built in Roman times. The artistry of the reliefes is poor compared to the excellence of Middle and New Kingdom art. The fascinating scences on the south wall and through out the temple show the birth and nourishment of an infant god, meant to symbolize the Egyptian monarch. Another birth-temple, the Mammisi of Nectanebo (30^th Dynasty) was built late in Pharaonic times, between the two Mammisi are the ruins of a Coptic church.

  Denderah's main temple is dedicated to Hathor, mother of the gods, wife of Hours. She is often portrayed as a beautiful woman whose head is topped by a pair of graceful horns bordering a solar disc. Sometimes she takes a shape of a fertile, genial cow, and sometimes she combines attributes of both woman and cow. The columns in the hypostyle hall are topped by capitals bearing the face of Hathor. The offertory has similar columns and in the murals Hathor is shown going about her benevolent business.

  Farther into the temples, the dingy and mysterious holy of holies is sombre and vaguely disquieting as you stand surrounded by mystical bas-reliefs and the dust of ages. The care-taker will take you down into the crypts for a look at several fine murals, but don't go if you're averse to stooping and scrambling, or to sharing the claustrophobic underground tunnels with bats.

  Above the holy of holies are rooms with murals showing the Egyptian process or embalming, and ceiling framed by the sinuous body of the celestial goddess Nut, who symbolized the sky to the ancient Egyptians. Up on the temple roof, the bright sunlight dispels the gloom of the holy of holies at once. Look for the sacred Lake on the Temples Western side. Behind the Temple in the Smaller Temple of Isis, sister and wife of Osiris and mother of Horus.

Divine Coexistence
  Ancient Egypt's religion was a matter of diving profusion and confusion. scores of local gods merged attributes with one another and with gods from other areas, and no one was ever quite sure which was which. All appear to have been happy and benevolent, and early Egyptians seem to have felt no pressing need to tidy up the pantheon. The simplified chart below may help you identify some of the most popular gods.
 

Luxor
  From 2100 to 750 B.C (the 10^th to 25^th Dynasties) the center of Egyptian Power and glory was focused in the Temples of Luxor and Karnak in the city of Thebes. It was here that the New Kingdom (1570-1100 B.C) saw it finest hour. While the city of the dead lay on the western bank of the Nile. The city of the living thrived between the two great temples. Theban grandeur were brought abruptly to an end by the Assyrian invasion of Egypt in the 7^th century B.C and Thebes soon became only a crumbling but magnificent attraction for visiting Greeks and later Romans. Then, renewed interest in the city saw Egyptologists sweeping away the dust of centuries from Theban temples and seeking the hidden entrances to Pharaonic tombs. The mid-19^th century opening of the Suez Canal increased European interest in Egypt, and visitor quickly discovered the area's perfect winter climate. Tourists have been enjoying Luxor's temperatures, temples and tombs ever since.

  The town's long riverside Corniche is bordered by trees, with Nile cruise boat docks dotted along the bank. Graceful feluccas tie up next to the tourist boats, hoping to take passengers for a water-borne View of the town, or to ferry them to the King's on the Nile's opposite shore. The great Pillars of Luxor Temple, illuminated at night, dominate the eastern bank and strollers staying on the boat s or in the renowned Winter Palace Hotel never tire of passing this ancient monument. A week seems like a very short time to spend in this supremely pleasant place-half a week is barely enough to see the essentials.

  The most convenient spot to begin your sightseeing is at Luxor Temple. This most impressive building served as the setting for only one solemn pageant celebrated at the beginning of each new year, that of the chief god Amon. Amenophis 111 (18 Dynasty) and Ramesis 11 (19 Dynasty) contributed most of the construction of the temple during the period 1400-1250 B.C. When you visit it, let your imagination conjure up the ceremonies of Amon's procession, with the god symbolized in various forms-Amon-Ra, the sun god, or as Amon-Min, the lascivious and outrageously demonstrative deity whose unmistakable Phillac image appears in the Temple's murals in several places. In front of the great pylon (gateway) is one of the two finely wrought obelisks, which Mohammed Ali presented to France in 1831. The other was taken to Paris and now stands in the place de la Concorde. Inside the great pylon up to the left, the little Mosque of Abu'l Haggag is perched on pillars in the court of Ramesis 11. Several Churches once shared the temple grounds as well. Past this court, a great colonnaded way, simple but enormous, leads to the older, inner court of Amenophis 111.

  At first it's difficult to imagine that the Luxor Temple was a "minor" one, but the short ride to the awe-inspiring temple in Karnak will bring you face-to-face with pharaonic Egypt's grandest monument of all. The Great Temple of Amon is actually the largest of the vast complex of temples, sacred lakes , chapels and Sphinx-lined triumphal ways which filled nearly two miles along the Nile, from Karnak to the Luxor Temple. A century of archaeological work has uncovered and reconstructed a great deal, but there was so much built during the 1400 years of Theban greatness that the work may never be finished. The great temple was built modified and expanded according to the pharaoh's whims over a period of 2,000 years from the middle kingdom to Romans times. The first part you see was the last part built: the towering and massive first pylon, largest in the world, was to have been the Ptolemines' contribution to the temple, but they never finished it. Its broad expanse was never carved to record the great moments of the Ptolemy dynasty. Behind the tremendous bulk of the 40-foot thick pylon is the largest court of any Egyptians temple, an open space of about 8,000 square yards. The Temple of Seti 11 (19 Dynasty) is the little shrine on the left as you enter. The sacred barque, symbolizing the sun's journey through the celestial "sea" was mounted in a place of honour on the structure in the courts centre.

  The second pylon, guarded by two colossal statues of Ramesis 11, hides the most stupendous room in the ancient world: the great hypostyle hall, overpowering with its 134 gigantic columns, those along the central aisle being being even taller than the rest. A surprising amount of the original paint and decoration is visible high up on the columns. Stand here a moment. It takes a period of time for the full effect of this huge room to sink in.

  The third pylon, directly behind the great hypostyle hall, dates from the region of Amenophis 111 (18^th Dynasty, about 1400 B.C). The narrow court between the third and fourth pylons held four fine granite obelisks, of which only one remains, but an even bigger obelisk (one of a pair) erected past the fourth pylon by Queen Hatsheput is even better. The fourth and fifth pylons, erected by Thutmose 1(18^th Dynasty, about 1525 B.C) are among the oldest parts of the temple. Past the sixth pylon is the granite sanctuary which housed the sacred barques, and behind this is the very oldest section of the great temple, part of the modest shrine erected in Middle Kingdom times.

  The ruined temples area is so vast, with piles of stones fallen here and there and hidden by high grass that most of the structures which used to surround the temple are difficult to identify without an elaborate archaeological plan. But there is no missing the Sacred Lake just south of the Great Temple of Amon. Part of the ceremonial at Amon's temple required setting the sacred barques a float on the lake to symbolize the daily celestial journey of Amon-Ra, the sun. Behind the lake to the east are seats for the evening sound-and-light show, at the northern corner of the Sacred Lake a man at the small and very un-pharaonic stand sells refreshing drinks, providing an excuse for a rest-stop. In the afternoon, Luxor's fine little museum north of the Etap Hotel opens its doors, and no visitor t Luxor should miss spending a pleasant half-hour in its air-conditioned rooms. Unlike the jumbled Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the Luxor Museum is small and collection well selected and artfully displayed. The striding basalt statue of Thutmose 111 (No. 2) is particularly fine, and the striking, unusual sandstone bust of Amenophis 1V (Akhenaton, No.53) gives some appreciation of the exceptional pharaoh's strong character. Notice, too, the gold bracelet that belonged to Queen Nefertiti.

  The best time for a stroll in the modern town Luxor is at dusk, when the market streets are still filled with life but not overcrowded, and most of the day's business has been done. Ay sunset, it's pleasant to sit at the Nile-side café. One, with an upper-level terrace, between Luxor Temple and the New Winter Palace Hotel, has a fine view of the river and the temple.    

Theban Necropolis
  The Valley of the Kings shelters the fabulous tombs of many great Theban Pharaohs, including the relatively modest one belonging to Tutankhamon. But the valley is only a small part of a vast "city of the dead" which extends over large tracts on the far (western) side of the Nile from Luxor. Including the tombs of countless nobles, court officers and Royal Family members, the number of burial places is in the hundreds. A dozen temples, large and small are scattered throughout the necropolis. An attempt to appreciate all the magnificence in a single day could well end in bewilderment and exhaustion, so it's a good idea to plan at least two days to tour the major sights of Thebes' city of the dead.

  Motorized ferry-boats ply the Nile between the winter palace dock, the Savoy Hotel dock, and the Western Bank. The boats operate continuously between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. and you buy a return ticket when you board on the east bank. The booth at the west bank dock is the place to buy your tickets to one or more of the temples and tombs. Don't set off to the tombs without them. Next to the booth, plenty of taxis and donkeys are always available for hire.

  From the dock, a road heads inland through lush irrigated farmland. About a mile and a half along, towards the ragged mountains, a pair of mammoth seated figures rise from the midst of a farmer's field: these are celebrated Colossi of Memnon. The temple which must have enclosed them was ruined long ago by earth-quakes, but these two seated figures of Pharaoh Amenophis 111 remain, giving mute testimony to the greatness of their maker more than 3.000 years after his death. Unlike most monuments in this region, the colossi sit on priceless agriculture land though the edge of the desert is only a few hundred yards away.

  West of the Colossi is a complex of temples called by its modern Arabic name Medinet Habu. A rough and crumbling mud brick wall surrounds two temples which seem, as you enter, to present a never-ending file of pylons. The first temple was started in the time of Amenophis 1 (18^th Dynasty). It's very revealing to compare this small, pretty temple with the much larger one behind it, which is the work of Ramesis 111 (20^th Dynasty), who lived some 350 years after Amenophis. The Ramesis temple was put up all at one time rather than over the centuries, and though its size is impressive, its less pleasing aesthetically. Look closely at the relief decoration: it's carved very deeply to make it more dramatic, but the depth makes it seem somewhat coarse as well. The temple's plan is the classic one, though it has three hypostyle halls, and cleaning of the decoration revealed a surprising amount of surviving colour.

  From Medinet Habu, a road runs directly to the valley of the Queens. Close to 80 tombs here sheltered the remains of queens and royal children, though few have survived the ravages of time in good condition. One is well worth a visit. Number 55, that of Prince Amon-her-kho-peshef (20^th Dynasty) preserves fine paintings with astonishingly bright colours, especially the blues and yellows. No. 44, the tomb of prince Kha'emwaset, and open to the public. The finest tomb, that of Queen Nefelari (wife of Ramesis 11), No. 66, is closed while restoration is carried out to repair damage caused by salt deposits. Returning from the Valley of the Queens, take the first turning left to reach the necropolis of Dier el Medineh. Of the hundreds of tombs discovered with in and around this modern-day village, No. 1 is of greatest interest. It belonged to Sennejam, a high official of the 19^th Dynasty, and its paintings retain an amazing freshness of colour, looking as though they were completed yesterday. Be careful as you descend because the stair way is broken, and the rock-hewn entrance very small. Tomb No.359, of Inherka (20^th Dynasty) is a very close to No.1 and is filled with paintings of gorgeous sloe-eyed goddesses. The kings of 19^th Dynasty were ambitious builders, and none more than Ramesis 11 (1304-1237 B.C), whose awesome monuments are strewn throughout Egypt. His tomb in the valley of the King's is a little disappointing, but the funerary temple he built to his own memory at the edge of the cultivated and remains a stupendous architectural achievement. Called the Ramesseum, it was fine Osiride statues of the pharaoh, to your left. Next is a great bulk of ruined stone which formed a colossus of truly incredible stature: this seated figure was 56 feet high and weighted over 2,200,000 pounds. Behind the Ramesseum on the hillside is the necropolis called Sheik Abd El-Gurnah, after the present-day village there. All the tombs worthy of a visit date back to the 18^th Dynasty, one of the ancient Egypt's most glorious periods. Be prepared for some delay. The tombs tended to be small but the crowds of visitors are not. Some tombs are lit, but in other caretakers illuminate the tomb interiors by an ingenious juxtaposition of mirrors, reflecting a brilliant beam of sunlight into the darkness. But only a few people can be in one of the tombs at a time or the beam will be blocked. In some smaller tombs numbers are restricted to protect the murals, Tombs are occasionally closed for restoration work.

  The Tomb of Nakht No.52, is small but depicts all the Nile's abundance in its beautiful scenes of wine-making, fruit gathering, and reaping. Nakht was an astronomer attached to the Temple of Amon. In the nearby Tomb of Mena, No.69, the colours are equally beautiful, though the mirror-light and the glass-plates which protect the murals weaken their impact. The Tomb of Sennefer, No.96, is a bit out of the way, half way up to hillside, at the bottom of a steep stairway and through a small opening. However the extra effort is amply rewarded, as the colours are amazingly well preserved and the uneven ceiling the charmingly decorated with grapevines. The tomb of Rekhmire, No. 100 is as magnificent as one might except for an ex-mayor of Thebes. Murals show ambassadors from foreign countries bringing offerings of giraffes, leopards, baboons and monkeys, elephant tusks and produce. Other murals show vignettes of Theban daily life as men work in the fields or at their crafts, producing good to be offered to the great Amon.

  Romose's Tomb, No. 55, like Rekhmere-Ra's is also an imposing eternal resting-place. But his pharaoh, Amenophis 1V (Akhenaton) carried out his religious revolution while work was in progress, and Ramose's tomb was abandoned unfinished when pharaoh and court moved down the Nile to tell el-Amarna. The bas-reliefs in the tomb are exceptionally fine. Girls with delicate features and carefully plaited hair were carved with great skill, and then abandoned unpainted. The effect is of exquisite engraving rather than of bas-reliefs. A few figures are out-lined in black the first-stage in the painting process and these offer a contrasting beauty. For yet another glimpse of Theban artistry, find the tomb of Khaemhat, No.57. Unusually, it shelters several statues of its owner and his family. The nearby tomb of Userhet. No 56, is also worth a visit. The artistic brilliance of the 18^th Dynasty seen in these tombs stands out over more boldly in the temples of Dier el-Bahari, west of the main road.

  The story of the Queen Hatshepsut, for whom one of the temples was originally meant, is a fascinating tale. If a pharaoh had no legitimate son to be his heir, he often put forward one of his legitimate daughters, thereby strengthening the son's claim. This happened to Thutmose 1, bastard son of Amenophis 1. But Thutmose and his wife Ahmose

  Had the same problem over again: no son. Thutmose 11 was there fore selected from among Thutmose 1's numerous bastard sons, and was married to Hatshepsut, princess of the royal blood. As luck would have it, Thutmose 11 and Hatshepsut had only daughters, and the problem o f a legitimate successor arose yet again. Thutmose 11 died in 1505 B.C., perhaps of chagrin over the plethora of princesses, and yet another illegitimate son became Thutmose 111. But the new pharaoh was a mere boy. And so Queen Hatshepsut, his step-mother, acted as regent, consolidating all power in her own hands. She became used to wielding the royal crook and scourge, symbols of the pharaoh authority, and also dressed and acted as though she were the pharaoh even wearing the traditional stylized beard. Her rule as a man lasted 22 years before her death allowed Thutmose 111 to take his rightful place. Thut-mose then had a brilliant reign lasting until 1450 B.C.

  The temple of Hatshepsut is unique in all Egypt, being built as a series of terraces on a grand scale, with stark colonnades blending in with the grooved mountainside which rises behind the temple. Hathor is the honoured goddess here, and murals showing the sacred cow are everywhere. The rooms behind the colonnade on the second terrace hold well-preserved paintings. The ceiling in the Chapel of Hathor at the southwestern (left) end of his terrace is as starry and blue as any night-time Egyptian sky, and the yellow hues are as bright as reflected sunlight.

  On your way to the renowned Valley of the Kings, stop at Gurnah for a look at the funerary temple of Seti1 (19^th Dynasty), father of Ramesis 11. Little is left of the temple's first two pylons and courts, but the hypostyle hall is filled with scenes showing Seti 1 and his ubiquitous son Ramesis 11 making offerings to Thebes' great god Amon.