Description
Discover the mighty temple of Ramesseum, the beautiful tombs of the Valley of the Queens, and the awesome tombs of the artisans at Dier el Madina, OR the lovely tombs of the Nobles in Luxor.
Tour Description:
Your guide will meet you at your hotel’s reception to commence your tour to,
The Temple of Ramesseum:
The temple of Ramesseum is a magnificent monument built by the pharaoh Ramses II.
Ramses II ( 1303 – 1213 BC ) is also known as Ramses The Great. He is the son of king Seti I and the grandson of Ramses I. He was the third pharaoh of the 19th dynasty. He ruled Egypt for about 67 years. He was married to the famous Queen Nefertari.
The early part of his reign was focused on building cities, temples, and monuments. He fought so many wars and battles against Egypt’s enemies. The famous one was the battle of Kadesh against the Hittites. This battle is inscribed in all the temples built by him such as Ramsseum, Abu Simble, Karnak, Abydos, and Luxor temple.
Ramses II signed the first peace treaty in history with the king of the Hittites.
Ramsseum Temple is a magnificent monument and contains remains of a colossus of King Ramses II, which is the largest granite statue ever fashioned to such a high standard. The colossus inspired Percy Bysshe Shelley ( 1792 – 1822 ) poem, the Ozymandias.
The famous battle of Kadesh is depicted on the walls of the great pylon, the entrance to the Ramsseum. A series of offering and religious scenes are depicted on the walls of the rooms and halls of the temple. Some very amazing astronomical scenes show the importance of astronomy in ancient Egypt. These scenes are to be found in what is so-called the library room.
Some parts of the temple are now damaged due to its building on weak foundations.
The Valley of the Queens:
The Valley of the Queens is a gorge in the hills of the west bank of Luxor.
It was part of ancient Thebes and served as the burial site of the queens and some royal children of the 19th and 20th dynasties (1292-1080 BC). There are more than 90 known tombs, usually consisting of an entrance passage, a few short halls, and a sarcophagus chamber. The most notable are those of Nefertari, the favorite wife of Ramses II; of Prince Khaemwaset, and Amenherhkepshef.
Special fee for Nefertari tomb (1400 L.E) per person.
Tombs of Nobles:
The tombs of Noblemen are dedicated to high-rank members, the high rank of the government officials, scribes, and some powerful priests.
They are located in different areas of the west bank, such as Shiekh Abdel Qurnat, El Khokha, El Asassif, and Qurnit Ma’ari.
The government arranges them in groups for the tourists. So each ticket allows you a different set of tombs.
The most popular and visited tombs are Ra Mose, Sennefer, Rakhmire, Nakht, and Menna.
Menna TT 69:
The small tomb of Menna is decorated with extremely detailed scenes, created by a master craftsman.
It provides an irreplaceable directory of scenes from everyday life and also of funerary customs.
Menna was the scribe of fields of the Lord of the Two Lands, the overseer of agricultural activities.
Nakht TT 52:
The tomb of Nakht, although very small in size, includes some of the most beautiful paintings of the Theban tombs. Their freshness of color remains astounding.
Ramose TT 55:
Ramose was a vizier at first under the administration of Amenhotep III then his son Amenhotep IV before he became Akhenaton. His tomb gives a good account of his dualism. Its engravings are among the finest of all Egyptian art.
Sennefer TT 96:
The tomb of Sennefer is justifiably, famous for its ceiling and the quality of its reliefs, as also its state of conservation. The craftsmen exploited the irregularity of that it to decorate it with vines, from where the monument gets its name “Tomb of Vines”.
Deir al Madina:
It is the ancient village of the workers of the tombs of the kings. It is one of few ancient communities that still exist in Egypt. The inhabitants of this village were called “the workers of the place of truth” (the valley of kings).
In this lovely tour, you will be surprised by the village and how it was built. It is one of the oldest settlements in history. The village contains about seventy houses, with one main street in the middle.
The workers built their tombs where they lived. They are very beautiful tombs showing the daily life aspects of ancient Egypt. Among the villagers were the stone cutters, carpenters, painters, draftsmen, law representatives, and policemen.
A temple was built for the goddess Hathor during the time of the Greeks. This temple was converted to a monastery by the Coptics, that’s why the village is now called Deir al Madina or “the monastery of the town”.
Some tombs are opened there for the public and the temple of Hathor plus the panorama of the village.
Price is per person, min (2 people).
Tour includes:
- Licensed tour guide.
- Entrance fees.
- Hotel pick up and drop off.
- Taxes.
Tour excludes:
- Tips for guides and drivers.
- Personal expenses.
- Drinks and food.
- Tomb of Nefertari at the valley of the queens.
Notes:
- Children from 1-5 years are free of charge.
- Children between 6-11 years get 50% off.
- All prices are in US Dollars, but Egyptian Pound, English Pound & Euros are accepted.
