Here a more unusual set for you the walled city at El Kab, there are two temples here I believe one dedicated to Nekhbet the other Sobek and Thoth.
Showing posts with label El Kab tombs and temple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label El Kab tombs and temple. Show all posts
Sunday, May 22, 2011
El Kab pictures from Richard Sellicks
This is an interesting set of photos as although I have been to El Kab several times I have never been able to get inside the walled part. Richard says
Friday, April 3, 2009
El Kab and Esna
Had a day out to Moalla, El Kab and Esna today. I can't begin to describe how great it is to visit these sites now the convoy system has finished. At El Kab it would appear that they are developing the site with the erection of a wall and possible plaza. I was quite surprised to see two coaches leaving as we arrived however they only visited the tombs. So perhaps this redevelopment will mean big groups will visit the temples as well.
At Esna they are cleaning the temple and you can see from these two columns the right hand one is much sharper and the background whiter. I think it will be great once it is finished.
I did like this trapping scene, when you looked at various fish and birds there were loads of varieties. Not a great fan of Ptolemaic temples but I did like this.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
6 weeks of no convoys
It's great, it's working and there is so much more to see and such a relaxing journey. On the 1st December the Egyptian government banned the convoys which operated between Hurghada and Luxor, Luxor and Aswan and Luxor and Abydos. I never understood how it made tourists safe to gather them all together at exactly the same place and time every single day but that is another story.
It has been fantastic, you leave when you like and stay as long as you like and so many sites that were a pain to get to are now easy and accessible. Abydos that had to be seen in 90 minutes now you can get there early and stay as long as you like.
On the road to Aswan sites like Moalla, Tod and El Kab are now easy to pop in.
It is all working
It has been fantastic, you leave when you like and stay as long as you like and so many sites that were a pain to get to are now easy and accessible. Abydos that had to be seen in 90 minutes now you can get there early and stay as long as you like.
On the road to Aswan sites like Moalla, Tod and El Kab are now easy to pop in.
It is all working
Friday, December 12, 2008
Travelling outside the convoy
As you know the convoy system stopped in Upper Egypt on 1st December so what is it like now. Well I have had 2 trips outside the convoy, one to Abydos and one on the road to Aswan. So what are the differences.
You can leave when you want. We started to Abydos at 6:30 so we arrived when it was cool. (In the summer I would suggest leaving seriously early.) We were able to stop on the way to go to the toilet. We spent as long as we wanted at the site, had lunch in the little café which was really nice and didn’t have to visit Dendara which I always found a disappointment after Abydos. Much nicer to visit on its own and using the Lotus boat. We actually spent about 5 hours there.
Going to Moalla (Ankhtifi) and El Kab on the road to Aswan. Well first we were able to do so without having to wait for another convoy to leave the site. I like Ankhtifi but would not want to spend 6 hours there. In the old days we would have been able to do either Moalla or El Kab but not both. Again we left Luxor when we wanted, stayed as long as we wanted and on the way back we stopped at this little café and had lunch. I don’t think they had ever had a tourist there before. They charged us 5LE for a lunch of bread, foul, cheese and tomatoes for 2!!!!! We did stop at the old enforced stopping place on the way there but actually that was more pleasant because we weren’t in a rush so were able to have more of a laugh with the salesmen.
I felt safer as we were not racing along like wacky races and anyway if a terrorist seriously wanted to attack tourists it is much more difficult when they are not gathered together in a large group at exactly the same time each day. I never quite got the hang of why that was safer. It was relaxing and more interesting because you could stop and see the local life, if you wanted.
Altogether a safer, much more interesting, more comfortable and relaxing trip. Hurrah for the end of the convoys
You can leave when you want. We started to Abydos at 6:30 so we arrived when it was cool. (In the summer I would suggest leaving seriously early.) We were able to stop on the way to go to the toilet. We spent as long as we wanted at the site, had lunch in the little café which was really nice and didn’t have to visit Dendara which I always found a disappointment after Abydos. Much nicer to visit on its own and using the Lotus boat. We actually spent about 5 hours there.
Going to Moalla (Ankhtifi) and El Kab on the road to Aswan. Well first we were able to do so without having to wait for another convoy to leave the site. I like Ankhtifi but would not want to spend 6 hours there. In the old days we would have been able to do either Moalla or El Kab but not both. Again we left Luxor when we wanted, stayed as long as we wanted and on the way back we stopped at this little café and had lunch. I don’t think they had ever had a tourist there before. They charged us 5LE for a lunch of bread, foul, cheese and tomatoes for 2!!!!! We did stop at the old enforced stopping place on the way there but actually that was more pleasant because we weren’t in a rush so were able to have more of a laugh with the salesmen.
I felt safer as we were not racing along like wacky races and anyway if a terrorist seriously wanted to attack tourists it is much more difficult when they are not gathered together in a large group at exactly the same time each day. I never quite got the hang of why that was safer. It was relaxing and more interesting because you could stop and see the local life, if you wanted.
Altogether a safer, much more interesting, more comfortable and relaxing trip. Hurrah for the end of the convoys
Thursday, July 24, 2008
El Kab Temples
We saw two temples whilst we were there. the others seemed off limits, don’t know why. This is Egypt. However what we saw was good.
The first temple was according to my trusty Baedeker the cult temple of Shesmetet. On the outside it had the weirdest graffiti. Inside there were vultures along the ceiling but white which I had not seen before. I believe that is associated with Nekbet.
I am guessing this a picture of Shesmetet, can anyone confirm.
The other temple we went to was one of Amenhotep III and on the front it had a later addition of Ramese II with his son Khaemwese. Now this guy is a particular favourite of mine ever since i read Reflections of Osiris by John Ray. This is where the author describes him as the first Egytologist. It was so nice to have seen him for myself.
Inside there were some great scenes in good colour. You can see where the cartouches have been attacked by Akhenaton. One cartouche is slightly dished where it has been destroyed and replaced. Great little temple
The first temple was according to my trusty Baedeker the cult temple of Shesmetet. On the outside it had the weirdest graffiti. Inside there were vultures along the ceiling but white which I had not seen before. I believe that is associated with Nekbet.
I am guessing this a picture of Shesmetet, can anyone confirm.
The other temple we went to was one of Amenhotep III and on the front it had a later addition of Ramese II with his son Khaemwese. Now this guy is a particular favourite of mine ever since i read Reflections of Osiris by John Ray. This is where the author describes him as the first Egytologist. It was so nice to have seen him for myself.
Inside there were some great scenes in good colour. You can see where the cartouches have been attacked by Akhenaton. One cartouche is slightly dished where it has been destroyed and replaced. Great little temple
El Kab
Well I thought I was going to be reporting on how the ordinary tourist could visit El Kab but I am still not sure about that as we pulled rank and demanded to be taken back without convoy as we were residents.
A group of us had heard that you could hire a private police car and visit el Kab at your own pace so decided to do that. Unfortunately what actually happened was that we went up on the normal convoy to Aswan and broke off with the guide intending us to go back during the afternoon on the return convoy to Aswan. That would be possible but we found we finished at the site well before the return convoy was due. Another group who were also doing this went on the Esna and then were picking up the convoy and the police seemed to allow that but we demanded to be taken back to Luxor and as we could prove we were all residents we were allowed to go. I would suggest the ordinary tourist combine El Kab and Esna unless they wanted to pay for their own convoy. We were told that the cost of this is 1000Le but I haven’t been able t prove this yet.
The ticket cost 25LE and allowed you into 4 tombs and 1 temple. Again we made a fuss and insisted on being taken to the other temple although the police weren’t keen at all. We were not allowed into the main enclosure but all of us suspected if you were there alone and paid you might be able to swing it. the tombs were lovely and well worth the visit on their own.
Pahery, Nomarch and tutor to the prince Wadjmose was the first tomb we went into, lots of scenes of everyday life including pigs!! The prince was shown sitting on Pahery’s lap but my photo didn’t come out.
Setaw was tucked in between Pahery and Ahmose but from a much later period, 19th as apposed to 18th dynasty, some 400 years later. But interestingly enough in the style both in construction and decoration. Loved the monkey under the chair.
The next tomb was Ahmose and he was a really important admiral and involved in the expulsion of the Hyksos. Most of his tomb was taken up by this huge biography, students of hieroglyphics would love it. You could see the grid lines quite clearly and there was a lovely little picture of his grandson Pahery, who was a painter who constructed the tomb. Now I would love to know if this the same Pahery as the first tomb. I guess it is possible if he was during Tuthmosis III and Ahmose was during the end of 17th beginning of 18th dynasty. Can anyone advise me?
the last tomb we went into was Reni and here was another example of pigs together with a greyhound. On the opposite wall there were great funerary processions scenes. Opening the mouth etc and some Muu Muu dancers. I will do the temples in another post.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007
A group of us had heard that you could hire a private police car and visit el Kab at your own pace so decided to do that. Unfortunately what actually happened was that we went up on the normal convoy to Aswan and broke off with the guide intending us to go back during the afternoon on the return convoy to Aswan. That would be possible but we found we finished at the site well before the return convoy was due. Another group who were also doing this went on the Esna and then were picking up the convoy and the police seemed to allow that but we demanded to be taken back to Luxor and as we could prove we were all residents we were allowed to go. I would suggest the ordinary tourist combine El Kab and Esna unless they wanted to pay for their own convoy. We were told that the cost of this is 1000Le but I haven’t been able t prove this yet.
The ticket cost 25LE and allowed you into 4 tombs and 1 temple. Again we made a fuss and insisted on being taken to the other temple although the police weren’t keen at all. We were not allowed into the main enclosure but all of us suspected if you were there alone and paid you might be able to swing it. the tombs were lovely and well worth the visit on their own.
Pahery, Nomarch and tutor to the prince Wadjmose was the first tomb we went into, lots of scenes of everyday life including pigs!! The prince was shown sitting on Pahery’s lap but my photo didn’t come out.
Setaw was tucked in between Pahery and Ahmose but from a much later period, 19th as apposed to 18th dynasty, some 400 years later. But interestingly enough in the style both in construction and decoration. Loved the monkey under the chair.
The next tomb was Ahmose and he was a really important admiral and involved in the expulsion of the Hyksos. Most of his tomb was taken up by this huge biography, students of hieroglyphics would love it. You could see the grid lines quite clearly and there was a lovely little picture of his grandson Pahery, who was a painter who constructed the tomb. Now I would love to know if this the same Pahery as the first tomb. I guess it is possible if he was during Tuthmosis III and Ahmose was during the end of 17th beginning of 18th dynasty. Can anyone advise me?
the last tomb we went into was Reni and here was another example of pigs together with a greyhound. On the opposite wall there were great funerary processions scenes. Opening the mouth etc and some Muu Muu dancers. I will do the temples in another post.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007
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