LITTLE GREEN MEN AND CHEEKY BOTTOMS- Exploring the Ramesseum and Tombs of the Nobles- West Bank, Luxor, Egypt

.........the last blog post exploring royal and worker's tombs on the West Bank, Luxor......

The glory of the Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

The Ramesseum is a catchy name and easy to remember, but it's not the original term- it was actually coined by a French explorer in Victorian times. The ancient Pharaonic name, translated as "House of a Million Years", and was sadly not to be prophetic, as we discovered at the ruins remaining at today's site. But the memory of the pharaoh who built the remarkable building and his achievements will not been forgotten.  

Grand remains of the Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

Headless Osiris statues standing guard, Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

Remnant of a bigger statue, Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

Beautiful detail at the tops of the glorious columns, Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

Morning light on the columns in the Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

King Ramses II, son of the celebrated Seti I (he of the fox temple), was considered by most historians to have been the greatest, most powerful and wealthy pharaoh. He supposedly fathered more children than any other leader, and certainly erected more monuments- he was more of a builder than a warrior. If you've seen The Ten Commandments, it's Yul Brynner. His most famous architectural accomplishment was Abu Simbel, a magnificent temple in the far south of Egypt, which we were lucky enough to visit on our first trip to Egypt 15 years ago. We didn't have a blog then, but here are a couple of old photos from 2007.

Couldn't avoid the other tourists at Abu Simbel, 2007 trip to Egypt

Outstanding sights at Abu Simbel, 2007 trip to Egypt

We were dismayed to begin with when we arrived soon after sunrise at the Ramesseum and found the place a hive of activity, with dozens of workers digging, moving piles of dirt and large stones around. However, the activity was focused in the mudbrick structures around the outskirts of the complex, leaving the central temple itself mostly peaceful. As we spent time there, we began to feel it was actually nice to feel some life in the place, but also have the sacred bit mostly to ourselves. 

Hard at work, Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

Brick arches around the side of the temple, Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

Figuring out moving logistics, Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

Such clear engravings, Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

Close up of Ramses II on a pillar, Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

Light streaming in, Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

Although not much was left of the funerary temple compared to the grandeur that once was, we found the complex to be special and moving, and one of our favourite sights at Luxor. No external walls remained, giving a completely different feel to the other temples we had visited- an open, atmospheric space with so much detail to soak up in the couple of hours we spent there.

View of the Ramesseum from the excavations

Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

The Opening of the Mouth ceremony before the journey to the Afterlife 

Shadows on the story, Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

Looking along the temple from the front, Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

Fallen statues lay about in what had been the main hall, including the monumental 1000 ton statue of Ramses II, broken and just lying where it fell, showing the breath-taking scope and size of what must have been originally erected. What a shame such massive monoliths had been wrecked purposefully by the subsequent Christians after having stood proudly for thousands of years. There was also much destruction by way of scratching out faces and scenes on wall carvings at this temple, and many other we saw. A fantastic section of the temple showed a harvest festival dedicated to our old friend, he of the mighty erection, fertility God Min. 

Contemplating the shot, Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor (not Min)

So much Victorian graffiti around the temples at Luxor- hundreds of years of tourism

Supporting the boat, Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

We were intrigued by this headdress, Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

Little green man, Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

Many signs and information were placed around the site, which added interest and background to the ruins. The rooms being excavated around the edges once housed facilities such as bakeries, workshops for carvers and weavers, and a school for scribes. 

Delicate stone carvings, Ramesseum, West Bank, Luxor

To round out our tomb experience on the West Bank, the final group we visited was the Tombs Of The Nobles, the eternal resting place of various governors, administrators and minor nobility. The Royal tombs we had visited had been formal and all containing similar imagery, there in order to help the Pharaoh or family to reach the goal of the Underworld. The artisan's tombs had a completely different artistic style, broader strokes, less delicate, and containing images of normal activities with family. Different again, the Tombs of the two noblemen which we visited were simply stunning in their scenes of everyday life. Unfortunately, once again we were forced to use an extremely inferior camera on Sal's phablet, and as a result, the quality of the pictures are terrible. It is better than nothing, however, and hopefully gives some idea of the complex scenes.

So much detail in this tomb, Tomb of Rekhmire, West Bank, Luxor

The first, the tomb of Rekhmire, a high ranking minister, was in a dreadful state for looking around. The guard turning on the lights hardly made a difference, as most of them didn't work, and those that did were ineffectual on the images high on the wall. We had brought our own torch, but it was a shame to know we were missing much of the detail. We were able to make out the fascinating rendition of Rekhmire overseeing the receiving of various exotic animals from foreign dignitaries- giraffes, baboons and panthers from Nubia and Syria. In the scenes of Rekhmire inspecting all manner of work productions, and we found it easy to make out trades people making bread, working with metals and laying bricks, all with detailed tools, quite captivating. Another charming section showed ladies being prepared by servant women for a banquet, with one of them shown from behind, apparently a very rare depiction in ancient Egyptian art. 

Wall showing intricate detail of a building site, Tomb of Rekhmire, West Bank, Luxor

An unusual upward sloping roof, Tomb of Rekhmire, West bank, Luxor

Women preparing for a banquet, spot the cheeky bottom!

This photo shows how we were struggling to see the magnificent paintings with a torch!!

We had saved the best for last with Sennefer's tomb. Sennefer was administrator of gardens, granaries and cattle, and the tomb was completely different to any others we had visited from the moment we stepped in. The tomb, a long way down a steep plain staircase, opened up into a colourful and busy wonderland- a chamber completely covered with various plant life, most notably grape vines on the low uneven roof. The designs mingled with geometric patterns to have the effect of a giant gorgeous carpet above our heads. Although the panels on the walls were covered with glass due to the snug proportions of the room, it was easy to make out engaging scenes of the gardener with his wife and family. 

Loved this portrayal of Sennefer with Lionel Richie-style perm!

Gawking at the ceiling, Sennefer's Tomb, West Bank, Luxor

Gawking at the ceiling Part 2, Sennefer's Tomb, West Bank, Luxor

Stunning interior of Sennefer's Tomb, West Bank, Luxor

A short video gives a much better idea of the wonderful atmosphere inside Sennefer's Tomb

Outside in the fresh air once again, a walk around the site hinted at the presence of literally hundreds of tombs- little doorways and gates to what must be endless burial places. We could only wonder what was behind all the entrances.

Mysterious little openings every where we looked, Valley of the Nobles, West Bank, Luxor

Our second month's stay on Luxor's West Bank, wasn't quite as enthusiastic as the first. Of course the benefits of staying in Luxor for the coolest winter months were many. We enjoyed sunny days, relaxed residents, a cheap-ish apartment, plenty of fresh food and endless ancient sights with which to occupy ourselves (although, we did start to become a bit "templed out" after two months). It is just in our characters to start getting itchy feet after a long stay in one place! So, plans were put into place for the next part of our Egyptian travels- to Cairo, and then to think about what to do next.

Man and egrets, West Bank, Luxor

Early morning hot air balloons, West Bank, Luxor

A list of prices for the various sights around Luxor, we will include this at the end of each Luxor post for reference:

East Bank

Luxor Temple 160

Karnak Temple 200

West Bank

Medinet Habu 100

Deir-al Medina (Worker's Village), including Hathor Temple 100

Tombs of the Nobles, between 40 and 60 for a group of three

Valley of the Kings 240 for three tombs

Valley of the Queens 100, Tomb of Nefatari an extra 1,400!!!!

Al-Deir Al-Bahari (Hatshepsut) 140

Temple of Seti I 60

Ramesseum 80

We got around almost entirely with public transport. This was easy and very cheap. Each public minibus ride around the West Bank was 2 LE each. Bike hire was 50 LE for 24 hours, with an excellent selection of bicycles.

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.....further travels in Egypt, this post from Dahab on the Red Sea coast.......