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