Luxor News - Jane Akshar

Paula Veiga - What science and history can learn from human remains.

2012-01-30T11:33:00.003+02:00

Paula Veiga - What science and history can learn from human remains.
Paula presented her paper in an academic style, challenging for the non academic audience but it was a paper full of interest. I have extracted bullet points from the paper which I have a hard copy of.
• There are international guidelines for the handling of human remains
• Mummy investigation started in the 1800 with public unwrapping
• Today the latest non invasive techniques are used to investigate such as CT Scanning complimented by other techniques histology, serology, radiology7 aDNA research, osteology and other paleopathology techniques chemistry, isotope and carbon test finally macroscopic examination
• Radiology started to be used in 1895
• From ancient bodies we can learn
o Diet (plant remains)
o Diseases (what is a modern disease caused by pollutants)
o Causes of death
o Crop failure
o Climate changes
o Bacteria
o Animal wounds
o Trauma (battle wounds)
o Genetic diseases
o Parasitic infestation e.g. lice, Nile worms
• Ancient plant remains give us clues about ancient medical treatment
o Can this be used for modern treatment
o Development of modern drugs
o Can be grown from ancient seed and DNA comparison made (In Jerusalem they have grown a date palm from a 2000 year old seed)
• Human remains need to preserved and carefully handled
• Investigation can be restricted by location or finances
• Mummification consisted of
o Physical preservation
o Religious rites
• During mummification flies can lay eggs, mould can develop and the mummification can be poorly done all leading to decay
• Damage done to the body can be
o Ante mortem(before death)
o Peri Mortem (At the moment of death)
o Post Mortem(after death)
• Damage can be caused by
o Trauma at death
o Robbery
o Animal scavenging
• The skin is black which gave the name mummia after the Arabic word for bitumen caused by the mummification process and the use of resins after mummification
• Some small parts of the body go missing like fingers and toes
• Most mummies come from New Kingdom onwards making investigation of Old Kingdom and Middle kingdom mummies restricted.
• DNA
o Certain mummification techniques impair the retrieval of DNA
o Preliminary results are given firm conclusion status by the media
o DNA decomposes with time
o Contamination from handling, storage etc
• Endoscope and microscope analysis is very useful
• Coffins don’t always fit bodies resulting in damage to the skeleton
• Analysis of the foetus in Tutankhamen’s tomb could resolve their parentage and relationship to each other
• DNA analysis of the mould in Tutankhamen’s walls paintings revealed that it was ancient growth now dead not modern contamination
• Prosthetics were used in both life and death
o To replace missing parts of the body
o Toe prosthetic proved to be used in life
• Hair extensions and hair dressing was practised on mummies
• Adolescent pregnancy is found
• Diseases found
o Calcification of the aorta in meat eating high status individuals
o Arteriosclerosis
o Atheroma
o Fibrosis
o Aneurysms
o Damage to bones from carrying heavy loads, battles, horse riding, boat accidents or sport
o Nutritional stress
o Osteomyelitis
• The Nile is the cause of many diseases
• Tuberculosis
• Dental disease was extensive
• Tutankhamen and his relatives had malaria
• Storage in museums is harming mummies because of increased humidity
• Covering Human mummies is still controversial
• Paula is currently studying the link between Osiris and plants
As an aside there is a news paper report about the discovery of prostate cancer in a mummy which casts doubt that it is a modern disease

No #easyjet flights to Luxor July/August

2012-01-30T04:27:00.001+02:00

Finally, finally got customer services to tell me the truth.

"I understand that you are not satisfied with the previous responses sent. I can sense your disappointment at the fact that you are not able to get an answer whether we would fly from Luxor to Gatwick in July/August 2012 or not.

Having checked the details, I can confirm that we are flying from Luxor to Gatwick but are not scheduled to fly in July or August 2012. However, the flights would be available again from September 2012. You can check our timetable section link below to get more information on the dates on which we are flying on this route"

José Manuel Galán TT12 Hery

2012-01-28T23:27:00.002+02:00

José Manuel Galán TT12 Hery
Although the majority of their work has been on the tomb of Djehuty TT11 they also have the concession to other tombs as these are interconnected. Tonight Jose told us about TT12
This link from their website shows the tombs and their connections http://www.excavacionegipto.com/campana/images/03campana1.jpg they do have an English version of the website http://www.excavacionegipto.com/campana/campana11_ing.jsp.htm with excavation reports images and lots of background which I encourage you to have a look at.
They have been 10 years at Dra Abu Naga which is right in front of Karnak across the river. The sun rises between the obelisks at Karnak to set behind the hills at Dra Abu Naga. The area is very important in connection with the Beautiful Feast of the Valley as this was the first area they came to after leaving Karnak. It was the site of a lot of burials in both Middle kingdom and early 18th Dynasty
Their tombs are in order from south to north they are
• TT11 is the tomb of Djehuty a high official under Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis II
• TT399 is also early 18th dynasty but it is poor rock so was plastered so less information remains
• TT12 is Hery who was some 50 years earlier under Ahmose and Amenhotep I
• Baki
Above Baki there is another early 18th dynasty tomb. There is a 34 meter courtyard in front and the four tombs run almost parallel with the transverse hall of the T shaped tombs being broken to connect with the next door tomb, which is why their concession includes all the tombs.
Back in 2002 when they started they could only see the entrance to TT11 and to get to the other tombs they had to go through the connecting passage. They were not the first people in the tomb
Champollion 1829 reached the corridor of TT12 and he describes going through a cavern to reach it, which is Baki. Found the door jambs of Baki in the courtyard. TT12 does not have a transverse hall and is built more in the style of the Middle kingdom tombs and could even be the reuse of an earlier tomb. Champollion only saw the corridor. In his notes he notes the hieroglyphics and says they are like El Kab. He travelled with Roselline who also had a note book and copied the inscription.
He is described as scribe, butler, overseer of the double granaries of Ahotep royal wife and king’s mother but these titles don’t reflect his importance as he was born of the lady of the house Kheru of king Ahmes. This is the only example of this title and we don’t know what it means. But the reason he had such a tomb in such a place is because of his relationship through his mother.
Northern Wall
Very damaged but they have found fragments as well. There are fish and fowling scenes, probably two separate scenes and underneath the sailing to Abydos. Moving inwards there are offering bearers and the funerary banquet and hunting in the desert fringes. The relief is high quality reflect his importance and influence.
Southern Wall
The upper inscription is the one Champollion copied; the cracks are filled with mortar. There is the funerary procession and funerary banquet. Of the three registers the middle one is crossing the river, the upper dragging the mummy to the necropolis and the lower shows various gods, the hereafter and Osiris and Anubis.
Hery had an anthropoid coffin and this is the first example, the procession shows 4 mu dancers. In the lower register Anubis is shown much larger than Osiris. Their plan is to restore the fragments in situ.
Sadly there were a number of robberies and scenes taken from the tomb, a lot from the funerary banquet scenes. These robberies took place at the end of 19th beginning of 29th centenary in 1909 the tomb was protected by a wall.
Lepsius also visited the tomb in 1844 and copied the inscriptions but 15 years later the name of Heir and his sisters had gone. An unpublished diary from 1844 in Berlin has the full list.
In 1896 Spielberg did some squeezes which have ended up at the Griffiths, they have made drawings of these squeezes and there is lots more information.
Hery is shown with his mother which fits in with the idea of her importance but it means his wife gets squeezed out, his son Ahmes and his daughter are shown carrying sacks of natron. His father is not shown. There is a circular composition to the participants and the dead are on one side to the living. This is like the Stela of Aamtju MMA 19.3.32 http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/100002092?rpp=20&pg=1&ft=19.3.32&pos=1
Two women, his sisters are shown seated on chairs Senet Nefer had a different mother followed by three brothers one has a nickname related to the expulsion of the Hyskos.

Of the missing pieces some have been found in collections one piece was donated to the Met in 1970 from a couple who were on honeymoon in Egypt in 1904 and another found in the Petrie UC14549. He has sent out a request using JEA to all museums to check their collections based on the squeezes.

It was thought that the inner chamber was not decorated originally but they have found a frame line but that is all.
In 2010 they found a shaft and have excavated 4m down so far the rest will have to wait until next. In the connection between this tomb and Baki they have found a lot of Demotic graffiti, this is in the process of being studied, it refers to a door and burial place which link to a place under Baki.

Video of the opening of the coffin of KV64 #egypt #luxor

2012-01-27T14:11:00.000+02:00

I just love the way the University of Basel is handling PR, now they have released a video of the opening of the coffin. Basler Forscher entdecken Mumie - Tagesschau - Schweizer Fernsehen: SF Videoportal: - Sent using Google Toolbar

Luxor Marathon 2012

2012-01-27T11:22:00.002+02:00

It is Luxor's marathon today and we have 8 runners staying with us: Korean, American, Canadian, British and Irish - very international. Some are doing the short run and others the full marathon. Ice packs at the ready when they get back!!!

1st Anniversary of 25th January

2012-01-26T19:20:00.006+02:00

Last night the Governor of Luxor Dr Ezaat Saad hosted a wonderful celebration of the anniversary of the revolution. It was a mixture of song, dance and recitals together with speeches and the honouring of the martyrs and relatives of the martyrs. It started with a march from the library to the conference centre of children dressed up as ancient Egyptians and carrying flags of the various places around Luxor. An enormous flag was laid out in the road the whole length of the street.

The celebration started with the Egyptian national anthem followed by an iconic slide show. Here is a copy

the roar of crowd when the announcement of Mubarak’s resignation was shown was spine chilling. There is a small demonstration where some young men held up homemade placards and chanted anti SCAF slogans but it was completely peaceful and handled without trouble. So different from the past. Then it was on to the entertainment. The music was reminiscent of Um Kalthoum and the singers were lovely. I enjoyed the Upper Egyptian Folklore Dancing, the AK47 dance was unusual to western eyes but the use of guns in celebrations is very Arab.

The governor presented medals to those that had been hurt during the revolution and the families of those who died. That was really moving as some of them could not make it on stage and the he had to go down to them.

I have done a video which is a mixture of photos I took and clips from videos that are on my channel

If you want to see all the videos full length they are here.

This clip has to be the most unusual showing a dance with AK47s!!!!

Object Biography #1: A vessel naming Nesi-khonsu (Acc. no. 6736) « Egypt at the Manchester Museum

2012-01-23T11:23:00.000+02:00

A blog worth following from Manchester Museum. Object Biography #1: A vessel naming Nesi-khonsu (Acc. no. 6736) « Egypt at the Manchester Museum: Each month I hope to highlight an individual object that will feature in our new Ancient Worlds galleries. Many of the objects in the collection have incredible stories behind them but, due to an inevitable lack of space, these cannot be included fully in gallery labels or text panels. We aim to tell some of these stories – or “object biographies” – in digital content to accompany the new displays.

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Artefacts and Early Archaeologists in the Valley of Kings

2012-01-21T17:14:00.000+02:00

Artefacts and Early Archaeologists in the Valley of Kings – Donald Ryan
Or what they left behind
There is a cycle in the Valley of Kings of burial (sometimes reburial) and robbery ancient and modern. There are mummy caches with dockets recording the movement from one safe place to another. There is one artefact that he feels sums up the whole valley which is of the remnants of the face piece where the wooden remains clearly show the marks of the adze that removed the gold.

The archaeologists of the past were interested in different things, gold and treasure mainly so often when they found a tomb they would describe it as having nothing of interest because it ‘only’ held mummies and pottery, consequently they left a lot behind in the tombs they excavated
KV21
Belzoni was the first excavator of KV21 in 1817, say what you will about him although he took a lot of stuff away he also spent time documenting, mapping and publishing. He described the tomb as rob with 2 mummies who had a lot of hair. By 1825 James Burton also said there were two mummies but they were now in the small room. In 1826 Edward Lane also worked on the tomb and that was it until Don Ryan came 1989. By then the tomb was in a depression that had a trench dug in they found newspaper and debris dating back to 1893. The tomb was filled with 2 inches of standing water and had graffiti. They found a dozen large pots which had originally contained left over embalming materials. There were also seals and other detritus. Belzoni had left the stuff inside the tomb but now the mummies were scattered in pieces all over the tomb which was badly flood damaged. One mummy was missing its head. In 2007 the mummies were removed to Cairo for the DNA studies which were hardly necessarily as the pottery dated the tomb to Tuthmosis IV so they were unlikely to be members of the Amarna royal family.
KV44 & 45
These were excavated by Carter when he was working for Davies. In Kv44 there were 3 wooden coffins with mummies. It was reused in the 22nd dynasty. One of the coffins was published but the other two have been lost. There are still some original pieces in the tomb. KV45 has a similar history of an original 18th dynasty burial with a 22nd dynasty reuse. There is one single photo of the original tomb opening. In those days it was legitimate for the early excavators to take part of the discoveries for their sponsors, museums and then selves. From this tomb there was a heart shaped scarab and face plate which Don last identified in an auction house catalogue. He found lots of fragments including the remnants of 80 mud ushabties as Howard Carter had left loads of stuff behind. Three canopic jars are in the Emery museum and parts of the 4th found in KV27 which would indicate they were moved long time previously.
Of the material left in the tomb that they were not interested in were 18 sets of mummies 1 had an articulated left arm which is generally thought to be an indicator of a female royal burial. In a book edited by Kent Weeks an article by Catherine Roehrig discusses whether this was a queen’s tomb
Of the tombs excavated
Adults Adolescents Children
KV27 2m 2f 1 - 2
KV28 2m1f
KV44 3f 1 teen 1 child 8 infants
KV45 18th dyn 1m2f
KV45 22nd dyn 1m1f

KV60
Discovered in 1903 by Howard Carter he said he found 2 women and some mummified geese but ‘nothing of interest’. One has been identified as SitRe nurse of Hatshepsut. Aryton removed 1 mummy in its coffin. There was graffiti, 2 niches containing the face portion form coffin lid. In his drawing of the tomb HC left out the little room which was surprising. There was a mummified cow leg and evidence of a possible intrusive burial. The ‘geese’ were in fact joints of beef. In the 20th dynasty when they were building the tomb above they must have cut across this tomb and discovered. There is a second mummy with a bent left arm. Elizabeth Thomas thought that KV60 would contain Hatshepsut but nothing actually indicates who it is. In 2006 Zahi came to conclusion that it was Hatshepsut based of evidence of the tooth missing from the mummy and an identical tooth being found, by CAT scan, in a box labelled Hatshepsut. This was only published on the TV. Don likens it to the fairy story of the discovery of Cinderella using the glass slipper. Before giving his conclusions on the discovery he would like to see a bit more. The face piece has a notch for a beard. Another piece was found covered in black stuff, cleaning revealed lots of glyphs that talk about a woman called Ti who was a temple singer, so a third woman associated with the tomb. In the old days they were looking for big decorated tombs with high value contents.
KV48
Found in 1906by Edward Aryton and described in the publication of the tomb of Siptah. It was rediscovered in 1986 by Kent Weeks. Lots of big pots, linen and natron. Hieratic inscribed copper tenons, seals, beads. Amenenope who was a vizier under Amenhotep II. They were able to stylistically date pottery. Also found a miniature leopard skin maybe used to drape over a statue of a sen priests

KV64 Ägyptologisches Seminar: Report 2012

2012-01-17T15:45:00.001+02:00

Well done to the team from Basel for publishing this short preliminary report on the tomb. A blessing for all of us gagging for proper information. Ägyptologisches Seminar: Report 2012: Short Preliminary Report January 2012

Discovery of a new tomb in the Valley of the Kings, KV 64

January 16, 2012

During the season of 2011, three edges of an unknown manmade feature appeared at 1.80m to the north of KV 40, on the 25th of January, the first day of the Egyptian revolution. Due to the situation, it was immediately covered with an iron door.

As this structure is so close to KV 40 and as it was impossible to know whether it was just a short unfinished shaft or a real tomb, we gave it the temporary number 40b. This number is now replaced by the final designation KV 64. The KV numbers should definitely be used exclusively for real tombs or deposits and not for possible cavities and yet unascertained structures.

This season, work was resumed on January 8th. With the permission of the Ministry of State of Antiquities we started to work on the unknown structure.

It soon turned out to be a rock-cut tomb of the 18th dynasty, 15th century BCE. In the shaft the upper edge of the door appeared at a depth of about 2.5m. The shaft measures approximately 1.10m by 1.60m. Its fill showed no evidence of being affected by flood water.

In the blocking of the entrance, two stages of use could be observed. Large stones in front and over the entrance belong to a secondary occupation. Of the primary phase dating to the 18th dynasty, some 0.50cm of the plaster seal of the entrance and a Nile silt flower pot with remnants of this plaster remain on the floor of the shaft.

The tomb has a single chamber of approx. 4m (north – south) by 2.4m (east-west). The room was filled with debris to about 0.8m under the ceiling.

On the left (north) side of the chamber, a black wooden coffin lies upon the thick layer of debris. On its sides, large yellow hieroglyphs are painted. Traces of yellow decoration are visible under the dust on its upper side. Next to the feet of the coffin stands a small, wooden stelae (27.5 x 22.5 x 2cm) with very bright colours. The type of stelae and coffin clearly indicate to the 22nd dynasty, 9th century BCE. It is one of the very few burials of this period in Thebes that can be observed with its objects still in their original position.

From the texts on the stelae and on the coffin, it appears that the burial belongs to a lady who was a chantress of Amun, called Nehemes-Bastet. Her father was a priest in Karnak.

The coffin is in good condition and contains the intact, carefully wrapped mummy of the lady, who measured about 1.55m. Conservation work is currently carried out before transportation to a magazine.

Pottery and fragments of wood point to the existence of a burial of the 18th dynasty underneath the layer of debris, which has yet to be cleared.

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KV64 BBC News - Egyptian tomb holds singer Nehmes Bastet's remains

2012-01-17T02:21:00.001+02:00

We have an intact mummy!! BBC News - Egyptian tomb holds singer Nehmes Bastet's remains: Archaeologists working in Egypt have discovered the tomb of a female singer in the Valley of the Kings.

The tomb was found by a team from the University of Basel in Switzerland who came across it by chance.

The woman, Nehmes Bastet, was a temple singer during Egypt's 22nd Dynasty (approximately 945 - 712BC), according to an inscription in the tomb.

The coffin found in the tomb contains an intact mummy from almost 3,000 years ago.

Professor Susanne Bickel of the University of Basel told the BBC that the coffin was opened on Monday and she was able to see the "nicely wrapped" mummy of the woman who was buried in the tomb.

The opening of the coffin was carried out by Prof Bickel and her Basel colleague, field director Elina Paulin-Grothe, together with the Chief Inspector of Antiquities of Upper Egypt, Dr Mohammed el-Bialy and inspector Ali Reda.

Prof Bickel said that the upper edge of the tomb was found on the first day of Egypt's revolution, on 25 January 2011. The opening was sealed with an iron cover and the discovery was kept quiet.

Last week, after the start of this year's field season, the feature was identified as a tomb - and one of the very few tombs in the Valley of the Kings which have not been looted.
'Painted black'

Elina Paulin-Grothe said that the tomb was not built for the female singer, but was re-used for her 400 years after the original burial, according to AP.

There are other non-royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, Prof Bickel said, which mostly date from the 18th Dynasty (1500 - 1400BC).

The woman in the coffin was the daughter of the high priest of Amon, Egypt's Antiquities Minister Mohammed Ibrahim told AFP.

The discovery was important because "it shows that the Valley of the Kings was also used for the burial of ordinary individuals and priests of the 22nd Dynasty", he added.

Egyptian news site Ahram reports that the wooden sarcophagus was painted black and decorated with hieroglyphic texts.

This tomb is only the second found in the Valley of the Kings since the discovery of Tutankhamun in 1922, and is referred to as KV64 in the naming system used to label tombs in the valley. It is one of a cluster of tombs without any wall decoration found near the royal tomb of Thutmoses III.

A tomb found in 2006, known as KV63, had seven coffins in it but none of them contained any mummies - it seems to have been used as a burial cache.

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Kv64: News from the Valley of the Kings - Post a Comment

2012-01-15T23:10:00.001+02:00

BTW I have known about this tomb for sometime as had a number of other people like Andrea Byrnes and Kate Phizackerley, all of us bloggers united to keep the tomb safe putting Egyptology above personal egos. Here is Kate's comments about this back story. Blogger: News from the Valley of the Kings: There is a back story to this announcement. As many people will know, Andrea Byrnes and I were filtering all the archaeological news during the Egyptian revolution last year, and I was responsible for the Egyptologcal Looting Database. We heard rumours that a new tomb had been found in the Valley of the Kings by the University of Basel. At that point, the Valley was unprotected because the security police had been withdrawn and news of a new tomb could have drawn looters to the valley like bears to honey. Dr Thomas Schuler of Blue Shield helped us to warn the University of Basel of the growing rumours - it is another example of the work of Blue Shield in protecting Egypt's heritage. They rushed out a report about KV40b as a minor feature and I carried that here as news to pooh-pooh rumours of a new tomb.

I am not certain yet whether KV64 had been found in spring 2011 but it seems likely (if not then the rumours were assuming that KV40b is a tomb when it probably isn't). My apologies to readers that I didn't carry the story at the time but the safety of the tomb in such uncertain times was paramount. I know others like Jane Akshar also helped in damping down expectations and rumours in that critical period.

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The Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities

2012-01-15T22:53:00.001+02:00

The Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities: Ken Griffin Her name appears on the second line (from the right) with the text reading:
1. Words spoken by the singer of the harem of
2. Amun, Nehemesbastet
3. true of voice. Daughter of
4. the fourth prophet of Amun, Djed-
5. khonsuiwfankh, true of voice,
6. son of the fourth prophet of Amun, Har-
7. siese, true of voice,
8. her mother, the daughter of the king, lord of the two lands,
9. Takelot [II], true of voice, Shepen-
10. sopdet, true of voice.

The remainder of the text is the beginning part of the shabti spell so is not particularly relevant. Of course, I'm not in any way saying that this IS the same woman discovered in the Valley. However, the name is the same, she is a singer of Amun, and her father is a priest of Amun. All points which have appeared in the press!

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The Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities

2012-01-15T22:38:00.001+02:00

More EXCELLENT research from Lyn Green. The Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities: Nehemes-Bastet and Harwa?
If this Nehemes-Bastet is the mother of Padimut in Birmingham, she is the grandmother of Harwa, Chief Steward of God's Wife Amenirdis I.
Harwa was son of Nestawereret and priest Padimut. According to Padimut's coffin, he was the son of a woman called Nehemes-Bastet and Ankhefen-Mut

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The Padimut Mummy, Birmingham Museum 04/01/2009 - a photo on Flickriver

2012-01-15T22:00:00.003+02:00

The Padimut Mummy, Birmingham Museum 04/01/2009 - a photo on Flickriver: The Padimut Mummy, Birmingham Museum 04/01/2009

Dating from 1070-700BC, this is the mummy of the priest of the Godess Mut, called Padimut and meaning 'the one who Mut gave'. He was the son of Ankhefen-Mut and Nehemes-Bastet.

The mummy is contained in its original inner coffin.

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Could this be the same lady? Thanks to Lyn Green for bringing it to my attention

KV64 Archaeologists find rare 1,100 year-old tomb of female singer in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings - The Washington Post

2012-01-15T21:50:00.001+02:00

Archaeologists find rare 1,100 year-old tomb of female singer in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings - The Washington Post: - Sent using Google Toolbar

Luxor — In a rare find, Egyptian and Swiss archaeologists have unearthed a roughly 1,100 year-old tomb of a female singer in the Valley of the Kings, an antiquities official said Sunday.

It is the only tomb of a woman not related to the ancient Egyptian royal families ever found in the Valley of the Kings, said Mansour Boraiq, the top government official for the Antiquities’ Ministry in the city of Luxor,

The Valley of the Kings in Luxor is a major tourist attraction. In 1922, archaeologists there unearthed the gold funerary mask of Tutankhamun and other stunning items in the tomb of the king who ruled more than 3,000 years ago.

Boraiq told The Associated Press that the coffin of the female singer is remarkably intact.

He said that when the coffin is opened this week, archaeologists will likely find a mummy and a cartonnage mask molded to her face and made from layers of linen and plaster.

The singer’s name, Nehmes Bastet, means she was believed to be protected by the feline deity Bastet.

The tomb was found by accident, according to Elena Pauline-Grothe, field director for excavation at the Valley of the Kings with Switzerland’s University of Basel.

“We were not looking for new tombs. It was close to another tomb that was discovered 100 years ago,” Pauline-Grothe said.

Pauline-Grothe said the tomb was not originally built for the female singer, but was reused for her 400 years after the original one, based on artifacts found inside. Archaeologists do not know whom the tomb was originally intended for.

The coffin of the singer belonged to the daughter of a high priest during the 22nd Dynasty.

Archaeologists concluded from artifacts that she sang in Karnak Temple, one of the most famous and largest open-air sites from the Pharaonic era, according to evidence at the site.

At the time of her death, Egypt was ruled by Libyan kings, but the high priests who ruled Thebes, which is now within the city of Luxor, were independent. Their authority enabled them to use the royal cemetery for family members, according to Boraiq.

The unearthing marks the 64th tomb to be discovered in the Valley of the Kings.

KV64

2012-01-15T21:19:00.002+02:00

Mansour made a quick announcement congratulating the team from the University of Basle on their discovery of KV64. So nothing to add to the info we have so far. I did have a word with the dig director who expected to a good update on the website in a month.

BTW Ken Griffin may have identified her, he sent me a message

Hi Jane. Looks like the name should read as Nehmesbastet or Nehemsybastet. The second rendering of the name is in Kitchen (p.219), where she is listed as a daughter of Djedkhonsuefankh (4th prophet of Amun) of the 22nd Dyn.

KV64 New archaeological discovery at the Valley of the Kings - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online

2012-01-15T17:19:00.001+02:00

New archaeological discovery at the Valley of the Kings - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online: A deep burial well was found during a routine cleaning carried out by a Swiss archaeological mission on the path leading to King Tuthmosis III’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings. The well leads to a burial chamber filled with a treasured collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts.

Mohamed Ibrahim, Minister of State for Antiquities, said that further inside the chamber, excavators stumbled upon a wooden sarcophagus painted black and decorated with hieroglyphic texts, and a wooden stelae engraved with the names and different titles of the deceased.

Early studies carried out by the Swiss team revealed that the tomb dates back to the 22nd Dynasty (945-712 BC) and it belongs to the daughter of Amun Re, lecture priest in Karnak temples and also the singer of the God Amun Re.

Excavations are now in full swing in order to reveal more of the tomb’s treasured collection.

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KV64 - Breaking News 22nd Dynasty tomb

2012-01-15T16:13:00.002+02:00

The tomb found by Dr Elina of the University of Basel is of the Lady Nekhmet Bastet a daughter of the priest of Amun Re from 22nd dynasty when the Libyans were ruling. Mansour believes the valley has much more to be found. Mansour Boraik will give more details at the lecture tonight.

Spring 2012 Study Day Series from the South Assasif team

2012-01-15T15:40:00.001+02:00

‘Gateway to an artistic renaissance: South Asasif Conservation Project in context’ with Dr Elena Pischikova and Dr Robert Morkot.

These Study Day’s will feature two expert speakers and combine the latest news from the field (Dr Elena Pischikova) with an orientation and leading interpretation around the Kushite period (Dr Robert Morkot).
- ‘The Kushite conquest and Thebes in the 25th Dynasty' by Dr Robert Morkot
- 'South Asasif Project update - Overview and latest results from 2010 and 2011' by
Dr Elena Pischikova
- 'Looking back to Egypt's past and forwards to a new style' by Dr Robert Morkot
- 'South Asasif Conservation Project - anatomy of an excavation' by Dr Elena Pischikova, John Billman and Trisha Mason

These are fund-raising Study Day’s organized by the South Asasif Conservation Trust which supports the work of the South Asasif Conservation Project directed by Dr Elena Pischikova. The project is reliant on private finance and is very much in need of funds.

Leicester - Saturday 3rd March 2012 (in association with the Leicestershire Ancient Egypt Society) 10am - 4.30pm Lord Mayors Room, New Walk Museum, Leicester, LE1 7EA

Glasgow - Sunday 4th March 2012 (in association with Egyptology Scotland) 11am - 5pm - The Burrell Collection Lecture Theatre, Pollok Country Park, 2060 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow G43 1AT

Reading - Sunday 11th March 2012 (in association with Thames Valley Ancient Egypt Society) 9.30am - 4.30pm - Allen Lab, Whiteknights Campus, University of Reading, RG6 6AH

For details and booking information, see http://southasasif.com/Trust-Events.html

Please return your completed application form together with a cheque payable to South Asasif Conservation Trust to:-
Secretary, South Asasif Conservation Trust, 32 Windrush Drive, Hinckley, Leics, LE10 0NY.

Any queries, please email secretary@southasasif.com or telephone 01455 614741.

KV64??? Something new in the Valley of Kings?

2012-01-14T18:52:00.001+02:00

KV64??? Remember this blog post from March, the internet rumour mill is working overtime at the moment saying an announcement will be made about KV64. Luxor News - Jane Akshar: Something new in the Valley of Kings?: - Sent using Google Toolbar

I was just sent this link which tells the story in Arabic

اكتشاف مقبرة صخرية أسفل بئر غرب الأقصر: - Sent using Google Toolbar

Mummification Museum Lectures next 2 weeks #luxor

2012-01-12T10:12:00.002+02:00

7pm Sunday 15th January Dr Donald Ryan

7pm Sunday 22nd January Dr Omar - West Bank Dewatering Project

These lectures are free, everyone is welcome and last about 1 hour

News about Djehuty

2012-01-10T00:26:00.000+02:00

Arqueólogos españoles, rumbo a Luxor para estudiar tumbas de hace 3.500 años - RTVE.es: - Sent using Google Toolbar

The Life Cycle of a Theban tomb

2012-01-09T15:10:00.000+02:00

The Life Cycle of a Theban tomb – A view from the tomb of Panehsy and Tarenu TT16 by Suzanne Onstine
The team have done three seasons so far. Their approach is not to look at the tomb from a narrow 19th Dynasty viewpoint but a more holistic view of who was buried there throughout its history. The tomb is situated at Dra Abu Naga. The periods covered are New Kingdom, Third intermediate Period, Late Period and Hellestic.
The original builder has been identified as living in the Ramases II period not just on stylist grounds but also on because one of the people mentioned in it. However because he was a priest of the cult of Amenhotep I and Ahmose-Nefertari it is that pharaoh that is depicted. She was attracted to the tomb because Panehsy was a chanter, so was his wife which was a usual female role but a man to be doing it is more unusual, not only that his brother was also a chanter.
Why was Dra Abu Naga chosen by him as the location of his tomb?
He was not an important person, just a minor official however he was a priest of Amenhotep I and his mortuary temple is nearby and K.93.11 excavated by Daniel Poltz is one of the contenders for the tomb of Amenhotep I. Also in that area there is a high incidence of Amenhotep I and Ahmose Nefertari.
Condition of the tomb
The courtyard is intact. The tomb itself is built in an area of poor quality limestone so the ancient workmen had to fill gaps with mud brick, smooth with mud and then white plaster to create an even surface. There are depictions of Amenhotep I cult statue but the pictures of Panehsy and his wife Tarenu which would have been shown worshipping before it have been removed by looters.
The tomb is T-shaped and a map was done by Kemp, they hope to eventually do one themselves using latest technology, Kemp’s map show a burial chamber going out to around 50-70 meters and 1 meter wide of which they have only excavated the first part.
Having built your tomb you fill it with nice stuff, Suzanne showed examples of the sort of stuff you would expect to find in a tomb like this, so far they haven’t found anything of this quality but have found a stopper with IRP (wine) on it.
Decoration
The sort of decoration you can expect to find is bounty of the land, family and deities. The customary scenes in the Ramses II period are funeral in nature, funerary banquet and book of the dead but Panehsy has lively scenes and gives a sense of his personality with vignettes like the donkey braying but you never forget your family and the gods.

The Burial
They have no idea what the condition of the burial is, so far they have excavated 7 meters by 1 meter and it will be several years before they get to the burial chamber. They have found lots of broken cartonage form various periods.
There are intrusive burials from 21st dynasty and they have some cartonage small but nice. Also some Graeco-roman pieces. Although these pieces are small you do not need big pieces in order to identify the period. So far the only other person to be named is Tjenetshedkhonsu.
The tomb has about 1000 years of reuse, it is a mistake to think about it in just the context of 19th dynasty burial, you have to think about it in all its periods of use. She wants to create a picture of all the people who have used the tomb.
Why are the bodies and coffins so broken?
Simple answer is looters; they ripped off arms looking for bracelets broken legs apart looking for copies of the book of the dead, ripped into body cavities. The pattern of destruction shows a degree of knowledge so sadly the damage is looting rather than accidental, climate or animals, They are looking for anything they can sell easily books of the dead, stele and of course gold, Even the body of a child of 4 has been desecrated in this way. Third Intermediate Coffins are very detailed and easily identifiable.
Why did they use this tomb?
- Reuse is very common
- Scarcity of new sits
- Sanctity of this necropolis
- Evolution of styles
To be in this area meant you were close to the ancestors even if they were not your personal family. When people reused tombs in the New Kingdom a 19th dynasty person would remove evidence of an 18th dynasty original owner but in the Third Intermediate Period they did not do this.
Missing scenes
Sadly, almost tragically, looters have attacked 6 scenes and removed them. It happened sometime during the 1970-1980’s as photos from the 1950’s show these scenes and photos in the late 80’s show them missing. Tombs did not have doors at this time and this particular tomb was close to road so handy. The removal has damaged the surrounding wall relief. The scenes were selected for their anonymity; just nice pictures no identifying text. She has searched museum catalogues and published collections and has not found her scenes.
The tombs modern life, what now?
They plan to
- Investigate the entire burial shaft
- Preservation of any human remains that are found
- Analysis of finds
- Conservation of the plaster
- Publication of the entire life cycle of the tomb
Suzanne gave thanks to all especially to the Egyptian who helped her keep going through the revolution.

Merry Coptic Christmas

2012-01-06T14:44:00.003+02:00

Christians in Egypt are now celebrating their Christmas, orthodox churches use the old calendar hence the difference. So happy Christmas to all Copts, both neighbours, friends and internet friends.

The Opening of the Mouth ritual in the tomb of Harwa

2012-01-05T19:52:00.000+02:00

The Opening of the Mouth ritual in the tomb of Harwa TT37 Miriam Ayad A progreshttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifs report

This lecture was a serious treat and I look forward to Miriam publishing her work. That book is going to be one of the classics to keep on your shelves. She started with a back ground to the Opening of the Mouth ceremony and the work she has already done in various tombs. You may find this link helpful http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/religion/wpr.html and she referred to Otto’s work continually through the lecture. Otto 1960. E. Otto, Das Ägyptische Mundoffnungsritual, Wiesbaden, 1960

The Opening of the Mouth ritual could be performed on a cult statue, a mummy or a temple. In 1960 E. Otto published examples of 75 scenes which could appear either as text, a scene or both. The ‘sen’ priest appears wearing a leopard skin and using an adze, he also appears presenting incense or pouring libations to be ritually purify the mummy.

The various scenes, using Otto’s numbering, are 2-7 and 57-75 are about ritual purification and 26 and 17 about opening of the mouth. Also the slaughtering of an ox appears and it is thought that there might be a north and south aspect to this and indeed the tomb of Rekhmire does show a different colour that might confirm this.
Anatomically the fore leg (kephesh) continues to twitch after death and this is sometimes used instead of the adze for the opening of the mouth.
The ritual in the tomb of Seti I starts in corridor G and goes to towards H and them on the opposite wall goes from H back to G. There are minor variations in text and in G sometimes the text is on one wall and the scene is on the other.
In the tomb chapel of Amenirdis the hieroglyphs are retrogrades which means you read into the back of the bird’s heads not into their beaks.
The scene numbering helps us understand how it was performed however Otto’s numbering is not always sequential and not all scenes are numbered.

Harwa
This tomb was decorated at the same time as the chapel of Amenirdis and predates Petamenophis. It is the earliest tomb in the group of monumental tombs. The opening of the mouth appears on the walls of the 2nd hypostyle hall and appears on all walls except of the east wall. The pillars are at the present time unstudied. It is very difficult to study as it is in a poor state of preservation and missing its plaster. So they have to rely on the chiselling of the plaster coming through to the wall itself. They are concentrating on:-
• Copying
• Reconstruction
• Verifying Otto’ identification
• Production of a photographic record
Some of the fragments are the size of a pencil and she showed a series of slides showing the assembling of the jigsaw puzzle of pieces. One piece as it shows the end of a piece of text means they were able to identify the size of the preceding piece of text. There is a large area of lacunae and they are very gradually filling it.
One scene shows opening taking place with a feather.
There is a great deal of repetitiveness in the scenes and she gave numerous examples of this. They have also identified that the Upper Egypt text was on the south wall and Lower Egypt on the north wall. They are concentrating on using rare words to sort things Otto identified lots but they are identifying even more. So they are improving on Otto’s work, she is able to compare it with Rekhmire which is an odd tomb having many registers because of its unusual shape.
They are understanding the geography, the physical layout and genealogy. Also building on the work of Bjerke 1965.

Jazz Night 2nd Jan

2011-12-31T16:34:00.001+02:00

The Marsam Hotel is having a Jazz Night Starring Ahmed Harfoush. The songs will be mostly english - classical jazz.

The night will be the 2nd of January 2012, a Monday. @ 8pm Entry is 10Le, But dinner will be at 7pm for 50Le (people that come for dinner and show don't have to pay entry ofcourse)

We ask that if Groups over 4 want dinner to book ahead 01003426471 - Natasha mobile.

Thank You, hope to see you there, Natalie

Postcard from Thoth Hill

2011-12-29T20:38:00.002+02:00

Michael on the roof walked up to Thoth Hill with my walking guide Mohammed Ismail. They used a new route which only took 90 minutes which Mohammed had found. Michael is reasonable fit but closer to 80 than 70, he says it is a stiff climb but not too bad, so a good walker should have no problem. This temple is unique as far as we know being on top of a hill and worth a visit.

15 years in the tomb of Harwa - Francisco Tiradritti

2011-12-27T19:54:00.005+02:00

did find it tricky to take notes and have put question marks where I am not entirely clear what was said, anyone that would like to clarify for me would be my friend for life. :)

The team started work at the tomb of Harwa in 1996 although a survey had been done a year earlier. Harwa was a very important official, Great Majordomo of the God’s wife of Amun or Divine Votaress and there are 8 known statues of him (see the website http://www.harwa.it/harwa.php?action=reset also for a life of Harwa see http://www.harwa.it/vecchisiti/sito99/harwlife.htm ) and they are in different styles the ones in the Cairo Museum and Assuan are Old Kingdom, the block statues are New Kingdom and there is a shrine that is Middle Kingdom. This is because the 25th Dynasty was part of the Pharaonic Renaissance of Egypt. Although all periods had copied previous styles the Nubian Kings specialised in this by with a Nubian twist.

In the 25th dynasty Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir el Bahri was still in use so Harwa built his tomb on the causeway of Mentuhotep.

The tomb decoration follows a pattern that Francesco calls the Path of Harwa, as you go from the first courtyard through the tomb you also go through Life, Death and Rebirth.

Due to the condition of the tomb plywood has been put on the pillars one so the fragments can be put in place and second so the missing decoration and text can be drawn. Helpfully the tomb of Pabasa which they also have a concession to, copied Harwa and they are able to use it as a reference and model for reconstruction. There is a large database of blocks, over 8000 and it is on the internet which means all the scholars working on the tomb are able to access it where ever they are, currently protected by a password they hope eventually to open it up.

In the 2nd pillared hall, when they started excavating it was completely covered by bats’ guano and the slide showed the enormous thickness of this which had to be cleaned off.

On the southern wall of the passage between the second pillared hall and the shrine there is a figure of Anubis, originally looking one way he was plastered over and turned to face the other way. Because part of the plaster had fallen off when the artists of Pabasa copied the scene the also copied part of the alteration.

Although Old Kingdom style identical offering bearers are on the walls the Nubian twist was to make each of them unique.

Francesco believe that the artists, judging by the style, went from Memphis to Karwa, Sudan by the 3rd cataract and then to Thebes.

Objects Found
They have found envelopes address to Howard Carter and of Eismann Semenowsky a painter; fragments papyri, fox hole, two late Roman funerary portraits, demotic papyrus, Book of the Dead papyri, pottery, mummies, seals, a vase of Isis with holes in her breast to pour libations.

They are working on publishing and hope to have it in traditional and e-book format. So you will have to wait for that for more details.

Next week Miriam Ayad of the American University of Cairo is going to talk about the Opening of the Mouth Ritual.

Chicago House Library Luxor has original copy of book said to be destroyed in fire last week - Books - Ahram Online

2011-12-26T12:06:00.001+02:00

please ignore this, the newspaper got it complete wrong.

Chicago House Library has original copy of book said to be destroyed in fire last week - Books - Ahram Online: Librarian Marie Bryan, manager of Chicago House Library it Luxor, has announced that they have a handwritten copy of the famous book ‘Description De l’Egypt’ and that it is open for researchers and Luxor habitants to read.

Bryan said the copy they have consists of 20 volumes, compiled during the campaign when Napoleon came to Egypt in the eighteenth century by a number of scholars and scientists from a range of disciplines. The book’s full title in English is ‘Description of Egypt: the collection of researches and observations on Egypt during the French campaign.’

Egyptian authorities announced the loss of the original copy of the book in the fire of the Egypt Scientific Institute during the cabinet office clashes, sparking considerable controversy. It has since transpired that there are several printed copies of the book which was published more than 200 years ago.

- Sent using Google Toolbar

Good old Chicago House, they have some fantastic books there.

Avenue of sphinxes to open to public in March - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online

2011-12-24T09:00:00.001+02:00

Avenue of sphinxes to open to public in March - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online: During an inspection tour of Luxor’s archaeological sites, the Minister of State for Antiquities Mohamed Ibrahim announced that the Avenue of Sphinxes will be partly opened to public by mid March. “We have chosen a date that coincides with the opening of the Berlin International Tourism Market on 13 March 2011,” Ibrahim told Ahram Online.

He explained that a 150 metre long section out of the 2,700 meters of the avenue will be ready for the public after restoration, promising to solve all technical and financial problems in order to resume restoration work in the rest of the avenue.
The Avenue of Sphinxes was built during the reign of Pharaoh Nectanebo I of the 30th Dynasty. It replaced another built in the 18th Dynasty by Queen Hatshepsut (1502-1482 BC), as she recorded on the walls of her red chapel in Karnak Temple.

According to this record, Hatshepsut built six chapels dedicated to the god Amun-Re on the route of the avenue during her reign, indicating that it had long been a place of religious significance.
However, over the span of history the avenue was lost, with some of its sphinxes destroyed and whole stretches buried in sand and build on.

Five years ago, in the framework of the Ministry of Culture, a programme to restore ancient Egyptian monuments with a view to developing the entire Luxor governorate into an open-air museum, a project was planned to recover lost elements of the avenue, restore the sphinxes and bring the place back to its original aspect.

During his tour with Luxor Governor Ezat Saad, Ibrahim visited American Research Centre excavation and restoration sites in Khonsu temple as well as monuments of the 18th and 19th dynasties at Karnak temple.

- Sent using Google Toolbar

StickingFestival's Channel - YouTube

2011-12-23T21:11:00.000+02:00

Lots more videos of the Stick Dancing. StickingFestival's Channel - YouTube

Translation from Google

National Thtaib festival is a festival held every year on the oldest Egyptian territory has seen since the dawn of history the finest arts and excelled torch light and civilization, a city which hosts the festival since its inception in 1994 the first city of Luxor under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Governorate of Luxor. The festival involved several different teams of folk groups of the General Directorate of Folk Art of the General Authority for Cultural Palaces, and accompanied by a set of flute band Nile folklore associated with the logging circuit.

For the fifth consecutive year the honor to host the shorter fifth session of the logging festival, which takes square Abu pilgrims as one of the numerous cultural festivals that have become the name of Luxor, which adds to the city tourism conferences and festivals are known by the side of cultural tourism.
Despite what is known about the art of logging as a folk art associated with Upper Egypt, but that the roots of this art back to the era of the ancient Egyptians, as recorded on the walls of Pharaonic temples and tombs of ancient art becomes popular reflects the Egyptian environment exclusive to the south of Egypt. Which underscores the civilization extended throughout history.

: المهرجان القومي للتحطيب هو مهرجان يقام كل عام على أعرق أرض مصرية شهدت منذ فجر التاريخ أروع الفنون وأبدعت مشعل النور والحضارة وهي المدينة التي تحتضن هذا المهرجان منذ نشأته الأولى في عام 1994 مدينة الأقصر تحت رعاية وزارة الثقافة وبالتعاون مع محافظة الأقصر . ويشارك بالمهرجان عدة فرق مختلفة من فرق الفنون الشعبية التابعة للإدارة العامة للفنون الشعبية بالهيئة العامة لقصور الثقافة، وبمصاحبة مجموعة المزمار من فرقة النيل للفنون الشعبية المصاحبة لحلبة التحطيب.

وللعام الخامس على التوالي تتشرف الأقصر باستضافة الدورة الخامسة لمهرجان التحطيب والذي يقام بساحة أبو الحجاج كواحد من المهرجانات الثقافية المتعددة التي أصبحت تحمل اسم الأقصر التي تضيف للمدينة سياحة المؤتمرات والمهرجانات بجانب ما اشتهرت به من سياحة ثقافية.
وعلى الرغم مما عرف عن فن التحطيب باعتباره أحد الفنون الشعبية المرتبطة بصعيد مصر، إلا أن جذور هذا الفن تعود إلى عصر قدماء المصريين كما هو مسجل على جدران المعابد الفرعونية والمقابر الأثرية ليصبح فن شعبية يعبر عن البيئة المصرية الخالصة لجنوب مصر. الأمر الذي يؤكد على حضارة ممتدة على مدار التاريخ.

ولأول مرة في مصر تقوم الإدارة العامة للفنون الشعبية بعمل نقل مباشر لأحداث المهرجان وحلقات التحطيب أثناء فترة المهرجان

- Sent using Google Toolbar

Syrian Market

2011-12-23T09:00:00.000+02:00

By the side of Luxor temple there is a fabulous market of Syrian goods. My late husband was from Syria and I have many lovely pieces from there, Syrian Damascus, inlaid goods and many other items. The market had many, many more. Bridal wear including honeymoon wear, dresses, carvings, kitchen wear. The customers are mostly Egyptian but I encourage you to have a look. Not sure how long it is there for.

I talked to one store holder commiserating on the troubles there and he said it is all media, there are no problems in Damascus and it is just a small number of people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just like we keep saying about Luxor.

Saidi (Upper Egyptian) Music in front of Luxor temple

2011-12-21T09:00:00.002+02:00

The crowds enjoy the the music.

Egyptian musicians from Upper Egypt play a form of folk music called saidi (Upper Egyptian). Metqal Qenawi's Les Musiciens du Nil are the most popular saidi group, and were chosen by the government to represent Egyptian folk music abroad. Other performers include Shoukoukou, Ahmad Ismail, Omar Gharzawi, Sohar Magdy and Ahmed Mougahid.

From Wikipedia
The music of Egypt has been an integral part of Egyptian culture since ancient times. The ancient Egyptians credited one of their Gods Thoth with the invention of music, which Osiris in turn used as part of his effort to civilize the world. The earliest material and representational evidence of Egyptian musical instruments dates to the Predynastic period, but the evidence is more securely attested in the Old Kingdom when harps, flutes and double clarinets were played. Percussion instruments, lyres and lutes were added to orchestras by the Middle Kingdom. Cymbals frequently accompanied music and dance, much as they still do in Egypt today. Egyptian folk music, including the traditional Sufi dhikr rituals, are the closest contemporary music genre to ancient Egyptian music, having preserved many of its features, rhythms and instruments.

They also played recorders and clarinets. In general, modern Egyptian music blends these indigenous traditions with Turkish, Arabic, and Western elements. Arabic music is usually said to have begun in the 7th century in Syria during the Umayyad dynasty. Early Arabic music was influenced by Byzantine, Indian and Persian forms, which were themselves heavily influenced by earlier Greek, Semitic, and ancient Egyptian music. The tonal structure of Arabic music is defined by the maqamat, loosely similar to Western modes, while the rhythm of Arabic music is governed by the awzan (wazn, sing.), formed by combinations of accented and unaccented beats and rests. Typically ancient Egyptian music is composed from the phrygian dominant scale, phrygian scale, Double harmonic scale (Arabic scale) or lydian scale. The phrygian dominant scale may often feature an altered note or two in parts to create tension. For instance the music could typically be in the key of E phrygian dominant using the notes E, F, G sharp, A, B, C, D and then have a A sharp, B, A sharp, G natural and E to create tension.

Since the Nasser era, Egyptian pop music has become increasingly important in Egyptian culture, particularly among the large youth population of Egypt. Egyptian folk music continues to be played during weddings and other traditional festivities. In the last quarter of the 20th century, Egyptian music was a way to communicate social and class issues. Among some of the most popular Egyptian pop singers today are Mohamed Mounir and Amr Diab.
Religious music remains an essential part of traditional Muslim and Coptic celebrations called mulids. Mulids are held in Egypt to celebrate the saint of a particular church. Muslim mulids are related to the Sufi zikr ritual. The Egyptian flute, called the ney, is commonly played at mulids. The liturgical music of the Coptic Church also constitutes an important element of Egyptian music and is said to have preserved many features of ancient Egyptian music.

Stick Dancing Festival in front of Luxor Temple

2011-12-20T09:00:00.001+02:00

Tahtib (Arabic: تحطيب taḥṭīb) is the Modern Egyptian term for a traditional form of Egyptian folk dance involving a wooden stick, also known as "stick dance" or "cane dance". It is sometimes also described as a "stick-dancing game", or as a highly ritualized mock fight accompanied by music. Also known as Raqs al assaya

From Wikipedia
The stick
The stick itself is about four feet in length and is called an Asa, Asaya or Assaya, or Nabboot. It is often flailed in large figure-8 patterns across the body with such speed and violence that the displacement of air is loudly discernible. There is another form practised from horseback known as “Horse Stepping” which uses a stick that is nearly 12 feet (3.7 m) long.

Performance
Although the dance form originally started as male-only, there are women who perform dressed as men and dance with other women. Another female version of stick dancing has been developed with a flirtatious and generally less aggressive style, and incorporated into cabaret or Raqs sharqi performances. The stick used for this type of dancing is generally thinner, more lightweight and hooked at one end like a cane, and generally embellished with metallic-coloured foil or sequins. The costume worn is usually folkloric: a simple Baladi dress, although Ra's el Assaya (Dance of the Stick) is often performed as part of the popularized cabaret dance set. Performance styles include balancing the cane on head, hip or shoulder.
Music
The music used in Tahtib features the tahvol (bass drum) and mizmar (folk oboe). The tahvol is a double-sided drum worn with a shoulder strap so it hangs sideways in front of the drummer and is played with two sticks. The right hand uses a heavier stick with a hooked head to beat out the "dums" which drive the heartbeat of the rhythm, while the left hand uses a light twig as a switch to produce rapid-fire staccato "taks". (Dum = the deep sound from striking the center of the drum with the right hand or with a knobbed stick; Tak = the higher sound from striking the edge of the drum with the left hand or with a light switch).

It is possible that English Morris(Moorish) dancing is a descendent of this.

Mummification Museum Lecture - Merenptah Sarcophagi Reconstruction - Edwin Brock

2011-12-19T14:54:00.001+02:00

Merenptah Sarcophagi Reconstruction – Royal Ontario Museum – Edwin C Brock Director
It was wonderful to be back at lectures again and with a brand new projector and screen. Mansour Boraik welcomed us all back; he also mentioned that whilst the trouble has been going on Luxor has remained safe and quiet for the antiquities and visitors alike. Ted Brock and he had worked together at Memphis and more recently on the dewatering project due to be published soon. Mansour hopes to reopen the tomb at the end of February. There was an attendance of about 100.
Ted Brock then started the lecture. Permission for this project came just http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifbeforehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif the revolution so consequently work did not start until April. Merenptah was he 13th son of Ramses II and his eventual successor; he reigned for 10 years and was middle aged when he came to the throne. Unusually he had 4 stone sarcophagi; Ted has been studying for a dissertation on royal sarcophagi of New Kingdom pharaohs after Akhenaton. In 2003 there had been a project to restore the sarcophagus of Ramses VI KV9 run by USAID and ARCE. The inner coffin had been smashed to pieces so that the outer coffin of red granite could be reused. That had a 1 meter thick base. (There is a piece about this http://heritage-key.com/blogs/dasha/achievements-and-problems-modern-egyptology-moscow-day-two and here http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/683/eg7.htm
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
With Merenptah there are 4 sarcophagi 3 of red granite and the 4th of Travertine, Egyptian alabaster. The lids are
• 1st lid in chamber H(http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/atlas/index_kv.asp where it had been left after the 3rd box had been moved to Tanis in XXI dynasty
• 2nd lid cartouche shaped with an effigy of the king left in situ in chamber J on modern limestone blocks found in 1903 on its side by Carter
• 3rd lid (and box) was reused by Psusennes I however the remaining glyphs show that it was originally made for Merenptah when he was crown prince. It also has a effigy of the king
The fragments of the sarcophagus were stored by Carter in chamber FA. Aidan Dobson has a line drawing of the various lids in his book about mummies and they hope to do the same for the bases. The decoration on the third box, because it was made for Merenptah as a prince, shows a difference collection of gods and goddesses than would be for a pharaoh.

The sarcophagus were moved into the tomb AFTER it was carved and decorated and this created a lot of problems as the door jams were not wide enough. Larges squares were also carved out to allow for the wooden beams that were used to get it into the tomb. The door jams were then replaced by sand stone blocks.
Ted had started back in the 1980’s to sort the heap of fragments into by box. He then followed with test assemblies. New fragments were also found by the French cleaning the lower chambers and the SCA excavating outside the tomb. The test assemblies and fragments groups were drawn by Lyla Pinch Brock. Once documented the proper assembly could be made, they used epoxy resin and sometimes drilled and pined with stainless steel rods.

When complete they then decided where to place it. The second sarcophagus lid had been left in situ supported on limestone pillars, it was decorated inside and out, the end of the lid echoes the tomb ceiling. This was moved (easy to say but difficult in engineering terms to do). The pit where it was then cleared, the travertine piece left in situ, modern limestone blocks put in place to hold the box, the broken corner of the travertine was also repaired. A new floor was made, the size of this was guessed at using the damage done to the decorated tomb to estimate the original height of the box at 42cm. The entire floor was not put in place just that needed to support the walls of the box. The fragment groups were put in place using levers and rollers much like the ancients would have done. The floor trimmed to fit. They have managed to restore about 1/3 of the box and you can see the scorch marks where fire was sued in conjunction with cold water to crack the stone.
The lid could not be put back in place on top of the box as that would have raised the height so much that the effigy would no longer be visible so they have put it to the side on a plinth and expect to install mirrors and lights so the inside decoration can be seen by visitors. Lyla has also drawn on the empty spaces outlines of what would have been there.
In the question and answer Ted noted that it is was very unusual to have some many stone Sarcophagi.
Mansour also mentioned that the beard of Psusennes had been found and restored in place.

The next lecture will be Francesco Tiradritti on the tomb of Harwa and will take place Monday 26th December

As ever I welcome corrections

Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa raises EGP 16,500 for Luxor Orphanage | Al Bawaba

2011-12-18T12:23:00.000+02:00

Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa raises EGP 16,500 for Luxor Orphanage | Al Bawaba: - Sent using Google Toolbar

From Luxor Foods aka Pork in Luxor

2011-12-18T12:20:00.000+02:00

Good Morning,

Just to let you know that there are still seats on our HURGHADA SHOPPING TRIP. You still can book Today and Tomorrow. We go on Wednesday 21th.

ORDERS:

You still can order Today and Tomorrow. Your order will be ready for pick-up on Thursday 22nd, at the LUXOR FOODS OUTLET at BROODJE HOLLAND, all in time for you to finish your X-mas Dinner plans.
Please let us know if you would like a German Folder.

From all of us at LUXOR FOODS,

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS.

University of Basle in Valley of Kings from EEF

2011-12-15T14:24:00.000+02:00

The University of Basle is conducting surveys on undecorated tombs in the Vallehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gify of the Kings.
Many photos and tomb plans of the undecorated tombs KV 26, KV 29, KV 30, KV 31, KV 37, KV 40, KV 59

http://aegyptologie.unibas.ch/forschung/projekte/university-of-basel-kings-valley-project/

Beside KV40 a new discovery was made:
"During the preparations for the protective brick wall on the north side of KV 40, we discovered a manmade feature under a heap of big stones, only 1,5 m from the shaft edge of KV 40. (Fig. 6) The feature measures 1 m by ca. 2 m. Because of its close position to KV 40, it could be a funerary deposit for this tomb. Due to its small size, it could also be just the beginning of an unfinished shaft."

2011

2010

2009

5th National Festival of Sticking - المهرجان القومي الخامس للتحطيب

2011-12-14T14:31:00.000+02:00

Luxor friends: did you know that the 5th National Festival of Sticking is taking place in Abu el Haggag from 17th - 21st December? No? Well, now you do!

Thanks to Morag Brand

5th National Festival of Sticking - المهرجان القومي الخامس للتحطيب: - Sent using Google Toolbar

Luxor Lectures start 18th Dec - Ted Brock on tomb of Merenptah

2011-12-14T13:18:00.002+02:00

Great news, just heard from Mansour Boraik that lectures will restart at 7pm at the Mummification Museum. The first lecture will be Edwin Brock on the work in the tomb of Merenptah. Please pass on the good news

Irynefer Open again while TT1 is closed

2011-12-14T12:38:00.001+02:00

I am republishing this post from August 2010 as Irynefer has reopened again. Visit quick

TT290 Irynefer opens for tourists

I must be completely mad I heard that TT290 Irynefer had been newly opened for tourists and instead of going there early I went at 12:30. It was hot, very, very, very hot but it was worth it. When you buy your ticket for Deir el Medina at the ticket office there is a sign up saying Sennedjem is closed for restoration and they have opened Irynefer in its place. Although the English is a little ambiguous lol.

It is at the far end of the village and slightly up the hill. They have made a new shelter and sign for it. It is part of the normal Deir el Medina ticket and instead of Sennedjem which is being restored you get Irynefer. It doesn’t have any of that nasty plastic screening so please be careful with backpacks and brushing the walls if you visit.

The burial chamber is barrel vaulted and very nicely decorated. The round walls are on the north and south ends and the entrance is in the East wall.

Along the north wall the owner and his wife are adoring and they are wearing very Ramaside clothing, his kilt has a high back and her dress is elaborately pleated. There is a figure of Kephri as well as a god I am not familiar with who was lying along the top of a shrine or pylon, had rams horns and a feather on top of his head. According to Porter and Moss it was Sobek. It was like a sphinx pose and there was a snake in a wave above his back. There was a sen priest behind Kephri who is seatd in front of an offering table. In the second register the deceased was adoring Osiris and two guardians at the gate . There are 42 judges (I counted) and they go around from the north to the west wall. Shu and Maat are seated on left.

Also on the west wall there are also snakes and feathers alternating with baboons representing Thoth at the end. On the curve of the ceiling there are several ibis headed gods as well as a lot of familiar Gods, including the goddesses Isis and Nephytys. The deceased stands in front of falcon (Horus) with a flail. Then the deceased is being led forward by Anubis to Osiris. Above that are 5 star gods alternating red and green faces with the stars next to them.

On the south wall there is a large figure of Anubis and a mummified body lying on a lion headed couch.

The east wall is the most interesting, there is a vignette of a silhouetted human figure, apparently the shadow of the deceased a ba bird and a ba bird in flight and a black sun. Then there is Hathor (according to Porter and Moss Mehitwert-cow) lying down beside a lake, then a winged Nut with a green body and a red dress with white ribbons, although her shoulders are square onto you one breast shows which is decidedly odd looking. On the bottom register there are two vignettes one of a mummy mask on a pylon and the other of a head rest on a pylon. Complimenting Osiris on the west wall we have Ptah with the deceased and his parents. The deceased is offering a large Maat figure. Then there are two white wigged figure of a man and woman his parents Siwazyt, a priest(Head of the bark of Amun) and Tausret, his mother both wearing very Ramaside garments. the parents are shown much larger size than the deceased due to their rank. The middle register has two trees with a red sun and the deceased and his wife, Mehytkhati, adore a white calf in-between the tress. In the bottom register there is a phoenix or benu-bird in a boat with the deceased with his son on the left. The top register has the deceased drinking from a lake in front of a palm tree, similar to Pashedu but the palm tree is in front in that tomb.

I had a lot of difficulty find any information about this tomb, especially with Chicago House being closed but did find this article http://www.egiptomania.com/EEF/Blindness.pdf which speculates that spell 135 is about a solar eclipse and is in this tomb.

Osirisnet only has an intro, this image was an old cached one from Osirisnet but the current page says under construction.

Edited Ken Griffin very kindly sent me this "The tomb of Irynefer is published
Bruyère, Bernard and Charles Kuentz. La tombe de Nakht-Min et la tombe d'Ari-Nefer (= MIFAO, 54, 1), see especially Pp. 67-152." as well as directing me to Porter and Moss and I have given my description a good edit based on that info

The Muslim Brotherhood - Supporting Tourism is One of our Priorities

2011-12-14T12:21:00.003+02:00

I attended this meeting and managed to get a few video clips and spoke to him about my concerns. I was very favourable impressed and felt they had been unfairly reported and lumped in with more extremist groups.

Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website: Dr. Abdelmawgood Rageh Dardiri, Freedom and Justice Party’s (FJP) candidate for Luxor constituency, stressed that supporting tourism in Egypt is one of FJP’s top priorities as an important source of national income.

Abdelmawgood said at a conference held Saturday at a hotel in Luxor that tourism should be maintained and developed and all obstacles should be lifted.

He also pointed out to the importance of breaking the monopoly by major tour operators for projects and tourism activities in Luxor, while giving the tour guides all their legitimate rights.

He stressed that the party will preserve storage operations, regulation of search and exploration, as antiques reflect the glorious history of a great nation.

He also added that the party calls for promoting other types of tourism, in addition to cultural tourism, which is to dominate the tourism sector in Egypt.

Abdelmawgood answered the questions of some attendees which included heads of companies and projects and some foreigners regarding the party’s position from Copts and building of churches saying : “Christians are our brothers, they have same rights and obligations and a delegation from the church visited me at my home to congratulate me for winning.”

He added: “make a comparison between Muslims in Andalusia following the collapse of the state and Christians at the time of the Islamic conquest of Egypt and you will learn the reality of this religion. Look at the situation of black people in America for long years – I worked there for 15 years- . Quran spoke of Virgin Mary and the Christ well and the FJP’s program guarantees full rights of Christians.”

- Sent using Google Toolbar

A conference in Luxor via the EEF

2011-12-13T22:44:00.000+02:00

Dear Colleagues,

The American-Egyptian mission South Asasif Conservation Project would like to announce a conference "Thebes in the First Millennium BC" in October 2012. The full text of the announcement may be found below.

Dr. Elena Pischikova
Director, South Asasif Conservation Project, SCA

---

CONFERENCE: THEBES IN THE FIRST MILLENIUM B.C.

The main focus of this conference is current archaeology and research on tombs and temples of the Twenty-fifth - Twenty-sixth Dynasties in the Theban area.

Papers on other Egyptian sites and monuments of the Kushite and Saite Periods are also invited from all areas of research including archaeology, art history, history, chronology, religion, linguistics and anthropology.

The conference is organized by the South Asasif Conservation Project team as the first event in a series of regular conferences on Egypt in the First Millennium BC. We expect it to become a place for Late Period scholars to share information on the latest archaeological discoveries and research. The amount of work done in this area is growing every year and we feel the need for a regular gathering place where scholars can bring their questions, ideas, and suggestions, which will encourage discussion. Therefore, the format of the conference will combine presentations with discussion panels to give more room for communication.

The conference will be accompanied by field trips to the archaeological sites related to the period, including the Kushite and Saite tombs of the South Asasif necropolis. For more information on the South Asasif Conservation Project visit our website www.southasasif.com.

The main topics featured at the conference will include
• Kushites in Thebes
• Archaism
• Private tombs, their architecture, decoration and concepts
• Style and iconography of Kushite imagery
• Religious Texts: Book of the Dead, Pyramid Texts, Coffin Texts,
• Hours Ritual, Opening of the Mouth
• Burial equipment
• Pottery

Format
The conference is planned as a four-day event including papers and field trips. The first day of papers will be dedicated to the South Asasif necropolis. The speakers will include the mission members of the South Asasif Conservation Project. The other days will be dedicated to Twenty-fifth - Twenty-sixth Dynasty monuments in the Theban area and outside. The proceedings of the conference will be published.

Time
October 1-4, 2012

Place
Mummification Museum, Luxor

Abstracts
No more than 200 words

Deadline
March 31, 2012

If you express interest in participating or attending the conference you will receive an information package and registration form. Please send all the inquiries to

conference@southasasif.com.

We look forward to receiving your feedback.

Best wishes,

South Asasif Conservation Project
Elena Pischikova
Julia Budka
Kenneth Griffin

Made in Egypt - real Egypt - Folk Arts - Folk - Ahram Online

2011-12-12T11:40:00.001+02:00

Made in Egypt - real Egypt - Folk Arts - Folk - Ahram Online: 2 / 3
Gallery

Bright colours of blue, green, red, orange, yellow, fuchsia and purple capture the eye the minute anyone walks into the large hall of the Association of Upper Egypt for Education and Development (AUEED) headquarters in Cairo at its annual exhibition.

When spectators are lured towards the enchanting colours to focus on the details, they also notice the Egyptian art displayed on canvases hung on the walls, textiles on the counter in the middle and the cushions laid out haphazardly in the corner.

Village of Akhmim

Samira Attia, the gallery curator approaches visitors with a big smile as she does rounds around the gallery introducing the art from a village called Akhmim. She talks of its long history in textile crafts and presents the impressive art pieces on display.

“Welcome to the village of Akhmim, governorate of Sohag,” Attia announces to guests with a smile.

“Textile art and crafts have long been the heritage of Upper Egypt, especially that of Akhmim, whose name dates back to Ancient Egypt,” she explains.

“The craft has been with the Akhmim women for over a thousand years and it has been our aim since the foundation was established to develop this craft and highlight Egypt's heritage identity, so we founded the Akhmim Community Centre.”

The Akhmim Community Centre produces nowl (woven textiles) inherited from Ancient Egypt and has been the trademark of Akhmim ever since. Around 133 girls and women, ageing from 20s-50s, are involved in the production, in addition to embroidered mats and spontaneous art works.

All should represent Islamic, Coptic, or Ancient Egyptian art, “nothing foreign nor modern, in order to keep the Egyptian heritage alive,” Attia confirms.

Women of the village carry out the inherited craft from one generation to another. “We don’t interfere in the designs those young girls offer,” Attia tells Ahram Online. “This is their original work; they choose the topic of their artistic canvases from the environment they are exposed to...Colour choices and arrangement come from their instinct and talent within,” she proudly comments on those Upper Egyptian young artists.

Through the number of field trips the girls go on – including their natural surroundings – girls of Akhmim draw nature and human activities with a piece of chalk on each textile canvas. Afterwards, as Attia explains, “comes the needlework of embroidered drawings of Upper Egypt and from field trips to public gardens here in Cairo, and so forth.”

Safaa Ismail is among the latest generation of weaving artisans and presented one of the most unique pieces. “Through her short trip in Balteem, she drew the Egyptian folklore dances of villagers and a horse,” Attia explains.

“This is the result of a year and half of handmade crafts that present the Egyptian tradition,” says AUEED exhibition manager

Each hall of the AUEED premises leads to another smaller one. The woodwork of another Upper Egyptian Village, Hegaza, near the governorate of Luxor is presented here.

Village of Hegaza

Hegaza, a village in Egypt, was formerly known as Al Hegaz, after what is today Saudi Arabia, or Al Hagaz, in medieval times. The village was one of the resting spots for Egyptians along the way to perform the pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam.

The Hegaza woodwork-training centre produces decorative items, kitchen equipment, games and furniture, involving around 80 young male graduates in the production.

“Large chunks of wood are cut into raa’t and bolat (several thick layers) and are left for over two years to completely dry out,” Nader explains. “Young men of Hegaza engrave and reform the whole piece of wood to produce the artistic piece and kitchenware they desire.”

“From a single chunk they make wooden jars, jugs, plates, and chessboards, etc.,” he demonstrates.

Products are left in the original colour of the wood chunk it came from, keeping its natural beauty without dyes or paint.

“The wood used to make plates and kitchenware is called Sarso’ and inherited from generations,” he gives more details.

Originally men of Hegaza used to work on woodcrafts using logs from orange trees and olive trees until the Sarso’ wood was discovered. What distinguishes the Sarso’ wood is its varied shades in each log, ranging from light beige to chocolate brown, giving each piece an artistic and harmonious choice of colours, “suiting every taste and design of the household,” reveals Nader.

In the same breath he emphasises the importance of representing core Egyptian traditions in crafts and design.

When those young men of Hegaza graduate from the Hegaza woodwork-training centre, “the AUEED grants groups of ten graduates or less the capital to start their own workshop,” he says.

“We finance the workshops, buy equipment and help distribute and market their products through something like this exhibition in addition to the recently-established Fostat Shopping Centre in Islamic Cairo,” Nader says.

Community centres in Akhmim and Hegaza are only two projects of the entire AUEED.

The proceeds of both projects go to the centres of both villages with a percentage given to artists and craftsmen of this exhibition.

Programme:
Open until 17 December
65 El Obeissi Street
Daher, Cairo

- Sent using Google Toolbar

Hashem apartments and tours, Alexandria, Egypt

2011-12-12T01:15:00.000+02:00

Found some great contacts in Alexandria. Now if you are into the later periods on history and Roman history this is the place!!!! Hashem apartments and tours, Alexandria, Egypt: - Sent using Google Toolbar

Camels and horses in Luxor

2011-12-11T21:54:00.003+02:00

Luxor isn’t just tombs and temples but camels and horse drawing carriages as well. These camels were being taken for a ride rather than the other way round. Whenever I see this I wonder how on earth they manage to get the camels in the back of the truck.

When pictures aren't worth 1000 words | Al-Masry Al-Youm: Today's News from Egypt

2011-12-08T12:57:00.000+02:00

When pictures aren't worth 1000 words | Al-Masry Al-Youm: Today's News from Egypt: - Sent using Google Toolbar

Luxor Foods : Pork in Luxor

2011-12-05T23:58:00.003+02:00

Our wonderful friends at Luxor Foods have added a huge extra range not only pork, bacon and ham but saukraut, red cabbage and loads of other Christmas goodies do pop in and see what they have. Love this little video

A peaceful Ain Sokhna by the sea - YouTube

2011-12-05T18:39:00.000+02:00

A friend who lives at Ain Sokhna wanted to show her very safe area of Egypt too. Egypt is not Tahrir Square.

The videos where shot yesterday in Tulip Resort, on the Red Sea/Suez Strait coastline in Ain Sokhna which is about an hour or so outside of Cairo and a mere 40 kms from Suez. Close by is Stella Di Mare Resort which hosts 3 international hotels, and the largest golf course in the region. Ain Sokhna is also the home of DP World port. (DP World being the port operators that the USA was all concerned about managing their ports, and is one of the largest port operators in the world)

And the dogs in the video are the baladi dogs that just kind of hang around and are the sweetest dogs and were very excited to become movie stars and do their bit to represent Egypt as a safe place.

New ministers announced in el-Ganzouri's government - Egypt - Zawya

2011-12-04T20:03:00.000+02:00

New ministers announced in el-Ganzouri's government - Egypt - Zawya: Mohamed Ibrahim Ali nominated for Minister of Antiquities

- Sent using Google Toolbar

Animal Welfare of Luxor

2011-12-02T21:20:00.002+02:00

Driving to pick up people from the airport the other day I saw a new building with AWOL on it, contacted Pauline and she directed me to a website update. Most animal welfare charities are based on the East Bank yet so much of the rural life takes place on the West so I as a West Bank girl I am delighted to support them (and they have helped with my cats as well).

Animal Welfare of Luxor http://www.awol-egypt.org/concentrates its efforts on the animals of El Marise and Armant which are the main villages of a very large agricultural area on the west bank of Luxor, just to the south of the main bridge across the river Nile. This is the bridge that you cross over on your way to the ancient sites of the west bank. You may well see us working actually on the bridge or anywhere on either side of this stretch of road. At this moment in time it is difficult Click Here to see pictures of El Marise where AWOL looks after the animals.to give you a more precise location as to where to find us on any given day due to us being mobile throughout this area. We would like to meet you whilst you are in Luxor so please Click Here for our contact details and information on where we can meet that you can print off and bring with you.

Looking to the future Animal Welfare of Luxor purchased land in 2009 in order to build the AWOL Centre. The land is ideally located as it is both really easy for the local people to bring their animals to, as well as for visitors to find as they will go right past it when they go to the west bank by road. It was very time consuming, and at times most frustrating, to obtain all the correct building permissions, but once we had them we started building in late March 2011, even though we still lacked the required funds to complete the project.

It is going to be quite different having a centre as well as being mobile but will allow us to do much more for the animals. We will in due course look forward to welcoming you at the centre and we are doing all we can to get everything sorted out and the necessary funds raised, but as this is a long term project it is vital that we get things right, in order to do our very best for the animals and people of this poor area, not just for today but for the future.

The Associated Press: Statue of Egyptian king Amenhotep III found

2011-12-02T01:42:00.000+02:00

The Associated Press: Statue of Egyptian king Amenhotep III found: CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed a large statue of king Amenhotep III who ruled nearly 3,400 years ago and who was the grandfather of the famed boy-pharaoh Tutankhamun.

The Supreme Council of Antiquities says the latest find was made at the king's funerary temple in the southern city of Luxor.

Thursday's statement says the 44 feet (13.5 meter) tall statue is made of colored quartzite. It is composed of several large pieces that once put together will depict the king as standing.

Amenhotep III ruled from 1390-1352 B.C.

The latest find comes after several other relics of the king were unearthed last year in his mortuary temple on the west bank of the Nile River in Luxor.

- Sent using Google Toolbar

Drive Thru Temple of Tuthmosis III

2011-12-01T12:58:00.002+02:00

After all the events of the last few weeks it is lovely to get back to some Egyptology. Today I was privileged to go around the Funerary Temple of Tuthmosis III with Dr. Myriam Seco Álvarez. First thanks to Mansour Boraik for arranging this for me. I find Tuthmosis III a really interesting character and his temple building on the West Bank adds to the enigma. We tend to assume that pharaohs build one temple on the West Bank and yes this is what most do. But Tuthmosis built three and at this point in time we do not understand the relationship between the three. We have the small temple at Medinet Habu which when it was built would have been the only temple at that site, we have the temple at Deir el Bahri and then the temple Dr Myriam is excavating. This is located close to the Ramasseum and in the fact the road goes right through the first courtyard, so one side of the road you have the mud brick first pylon and the other side the very large terraced remainder. (one hopes that eventually the road will be moved and the area under the road excavated as it has never been).

There is quite a lot of information on the team website http://thutmosisiiitempleproject.org/ and I also have notes from a lecture that Myriam gave http://luxor-news.blogspot.com/2009/02/mummfication-museum-lecture-tuthmosis.html

Going round today you can see that the team have done masses of work, loads of excavation and restoration. From the road the temple looks like it is made of mud brick but when you go to the top terrace and see all the stone fragments you realise that mud brick comprised only a very small part. Also the builders have made use of the natural landscape, carving into the bedrock in some places. Interestingly the temple appears to have been built on a necropolis for Middle Kingdom/ 2nd Intermediate Period and they have found a number of tombs, some intact/reused with pottery and mummies. It makes you wonder why he used that site, whether it was significant.

The stone fragments are beautifully carved and some have vivid colour on them and are worthy of museum display. The team hope to reconstruct and display what they have found but there is a LOT of work still be to done. Parts of the site are still unexcavated, lots needs recording, even more needs restoration. I suspect that Dr Myriam is going to be there a long time.

When you are on the upper terrace the layout of the temple is more obvious, split between Hathor and Amun, with separate entrances, the former being a late addition to the temple structure and boundary wall breeched in order to allow access.

Election Day 28th Nov Luxor Egypt

2011-11-29T10:34:00.000+02:00

It started with service cars with loudspeakers going along the road reminding people of the candidates. Long queues built up at the polling stations of people eager to vote in their first free election. The atmosphere was almost festive, certainly peaceful, quiet and safe.

My roving reporter says

Unfortunately, I don't think that these ones have sound. I thought that my camera had audio but apparently not. One of the videos is of a group of men outside one of the polling stations near the Tutotel Hotel and the one man told us that "Today is a great day for Egypt and we are all together, Muslims and Christians", he was a Christian man. Everyone was so excited and happy that today was a brand new start towards democracy, insha'Allah.

Luxor on the eve of the election

2011-11-27T17:22:00.002+02:00

Four more videos, one on the East Bank and three in the Valley of Kings. it really depressed me to see the car park with only 6 coaches in it. I am not sure how people will survive if we have another bad winter.

A tourist speaks

A tour guide

Some taxi drivers

And on the East bank the same story

BBC iPlayer - World Have Your Say: WHYS60: Egyptians discuss the future

2011-11-25T22:48:00.000+02:00

BBC World talking about Egyptians attitude to #Tahrir Sq. I am on several times at 5:40, 28:49- 34:31 several times and lastly 51-53. I wanted to get over that the people of #Luxor want stability, elections and to move forward. BBC iPlayer - World Have Your Say: WHYS60: Egyptians discuss the future: - Sent using Google Toolbar

Is Luxor safe, check out these videos taken today.

2011-11-25T19:08:00.003+02:00

The lovely Mustafa who reassures tourists how safe Luxor is.

All these videos were taken today (sorry about the quality) and show how peaceful and quiet Luxor is.

Luxor is safe

2011-11-25T17:48:00.002+02:00

I just sent out my roving reporter to comb the streets of Luxor looking for trouble, together with other friends on Facebook we have complied a list of what is going on
1) Big fire on the west bank....they are burning off the sugar cane
2) Member of my household has returned wounded and dirty after big fight....my cat
3) Locals assembled in Abu Haggag Square ...having a picnic
4) Rival gangs in face off .... two boys football teams
5) Huge war at the Rammasseum reported...Ramses II’s battle of Kadesh
6) Crowds, cars tooting, gunfire, motorbikes, shouting .... a wedding party
Luxor is 400 miles from the troubles in Cairo and a completely different attitude and mentality. Here most people I speak too don’t understand the demonstrators at Tahrir as they feel concessions have been made, the election process is going ahead and they want the economy to return to normal. Another winter tourist season without visitors would decimate Upper Egypt, tourism is all we have.

On a more formal note the British travel advice says

The overall level of this advice has not changed; there are no travel restrictions in place in this travel advice for Egypt.

A Divided Egypt: Outside Cairo Concerns Mount Over Tahrir Protests | mideastposts.com

2011-11-22T23:45:00.000+02:00

A Divided Egypt: Outside Cairo Concerns Mount Over Tahrir Protests | mideastposts.com:

"Why are they protesting now?” pondered one police officer, who said that he was glad to have recently been reassigned from Cairo to Minya. “Why can’t they wait until after the election and then make noise if they don’t like the outcome?”

The frustration is even more pronounced in Upper Egypt, in particular in the tourist centers of Aswan and Luxor. In the past several months, the attack on the Israeli embassy, the riots in Imbaaba and Maspero, and the sporadic clashes between protesters and the military in Cairo have devastated the tourism industry upon which most of their citizens depend. It is difficult for them to get excited about the new Egypt when the so-called revolution is threatening their livelihoods.

- Sent using Google Toolbar

4 more videos showing Luxor

2011-11-22T20:34:00.002+02:00

Here is a peaceful and quiet Luxor, these videos taken this afternoon. No demos, no violence and no tourists. This means no money for the poor people of Luxor. Hear them talk

News from Luxor Videos taken 22/11/11

2011-11-22T16:31:00.000+02:00

People from all over Egypt are watching events in Tahrir Square. It seems a bit remote in Luxor where the locals are more concerned by daily living. Their existence is hand to mouth and dependent on tourists. Here are some comments made down by the Nile this afternoon by local men who drive taxis, sell scarves and captain boats who are staring at an empty embankment that should be bustling with tourists in this, the high season for the holiday industry.

I think it is vital to reassure our tourists that Luxor is over 400 miles from events in Cairo and perfectly safe to visit. These videos were taken in the center of Luxor, you can see Luxor temple in the background

If anyone else wants to tell their stories contact me, have video camera will travel

Luxor, Egypt news and events Nov 2011

2011-11-22T00:15:00.002+02:00

News from Tahrir Square might make you worried about a forthcoming holiday to Luxor, you needn't worry. During the last 12 months I have seen a a normal Xmas and New Year followed by the revolution. Luxor continued to be the safe, quiet place it has always been. I have driven through demos that smiled and let my taxi through. Luxor is so not Cairo.

Tonight I had 2 sets of guests arrive one in the afternoon and one late at night. Both pickups were totally as normal. We took them to the East Bank supermarket and and the centre of Luxor.

My drivers and staff are frankly frustrated by events at Tahrir, they want peace and stability and are looking forward to voting. So please when the media reports Tahrir remember that is a few thousand people, there are another 80 odd million Egyptians who are looking forward to welcome you to Egypt

Interview: Reviving Egypt's heritage hotels a smart investment

2011-11-15T13:52:00.000+02:00

Interview: Reviving Egypt's heritage hotels a smart investment: the Luxor Hotel, have remained in their original form and are now part of EGOTH’s portfolio.

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The slow death of the Amenhotep son of Huy project - La lenta agonía del proyecto amen-hotep huy en luxor

2011-11-11T22:38:00.002+02:00

Edited to add the response

OPEN LETTER TO THE DIRECTOR OF “DIARIO SIGLO XXI”

November 08th, 2011

I refer to the column of opinion ‘La Linterna de Diógenes’ that, under the firm of Luis del Palacio has collected on Monday November 7th, 2011 an article that, with the title ‘La lenta agonía del proyecto amen-hotep huy en luxor’ states a series of affirmations of great seriousness in connection with the work that the team of the institution that I manage is developing in the necropolis of Luxor (Arab Republic of Egypt). In relation with the above mentioned matter I want to qualify, in my condition of person in charge of the Visir Amen-Hotep, Huy Project (TA n º-28-), for its publication, which I am confident you will consider it opportune, the following points: 1º That the information that Mr. Luis del Palacio has obtained on the Project to which he refers to in his article, is privileged and is subject to clause of confidentiality that was accepted and signed by himself when he was admitted to be part of the team that I manage, during the campaign of archaeological excavations of this year. 2º That the content of the data contributed by Mr. del Palacio as base and foundation of his article lacks the most minimum solvent technical support, and his own professional qualification does not authorize him, obviously, to venture an opinion with regard to structures and resistances in archaeological monuments. 3º That the last motivation of Mr. del Palacio to publish an article that simply tries to discredit the work that a group of Spaniards are developing in Egypt for already nine years, with an excellent result, by the way, is due undoubtedly to a series of unmentionable personal reasons that have led him to tarnish the noble exercise of the informative profession of which he arms himself with high-handedness, taking advantage of his condition and being untruthful in a serious way. 4º That one of the reasons, not the most conclusive one, due to which Mr. del Palacio was invited to abandon the team that I manage was, precisely, the formulation of threats to prejudice the viability of the project and to make an attempt on the professional and personal reputation of their Directors, myself and Mrs. Bedman González, threat that is being fulfilled in view of the article published in the digital newspaper “Siglo XXI”. 5º That the origin of all this deplorable situation has been produced in a context in which, in front of witnesses, and in evident and apparent situation of drunkenness or intoxication by consumption, Mr. del Palacio made in an extemporaneous, violent and threatening way, a series of demands related to his personal status inside the team, that could not be accepted by the direction of the project for unfeasible, being this, according to all the evidences, what has motivated the tone of his column, that tries to create an unwarranted alarm regarding the works that are being carry out since three years ago, in the same tomb, without having happened any incident as the ones that Mr. del Palacio so dramatically 'prophesies'. 6º That it should be known that the monument in which we are working is a tomb that has more than three thousand years of antiquity, that up to now remains standing, deeming that it would be a huge coincidence that it collapsed exactly now on our heads, even if this happened to give satisfaction to Mr. del Palacio in his puerile idea of using a solvent and reputable media as it is the “Diario SIGLO XXI” to give way out to his 'tantrum' because his unacceptable pretensions, bordering on the coercion to obtain personal benefits that I cannot detail in writing, have not been materialized. 7º That it should be known that technicians of ample reliability, who guarantee the security in the development of the works inside of the tomb, are integrated in our team, and that all what it has to be done is planned as a result of the detailed studies carried out, which have been opportunely submitted to the Egyptian authorities in order to obtain the corresponding and mandatory work permits in said monument.

Yours faithfully,

Francisco J. Martín Valentín
DirectorVisir Amen-Hotep Huy Project (TA nº -28-)

Original article

La lenta agonía del proyecto amen-hotep huy en luxor

Two months ago I advised the Spanish Archaeological Mission "Amen Hotep Huy Vizier Project", which I was a member until last November 4, on the advisability of not undertaking the campaign this year. The main reason is the lack of budget, given that the ministry has directed with deep Angeles Gonzalez Sinde blunder, not considered appropriate to support work with public money that would put Spanish Egyptology between the dropouts of the world. The project did not because, this year with some government assistance and has barely started, in fits and starts, by well-meaning insistence obfuscation (obfuscation, but in the end) of its directors, Francisco Martin Valentin and Teresa Bedman.
In a rarefied socio-political climate so improperly called the "February Revolution", the excavation team joined their duties, hampered by administrative in mid-October. I had the opportunity to observe in situ the early development of this campaign, which will run until December 20, if there are no circumstances that interrupt, and I publicly confess my deep concern, especially now that I can as a former member freely give my opinion as they are not bound by any confidentiality.
I must say first that this lack of budget applies to the whole project, both labor itself (had to bounce a dozen of workers last week with a lot protests) and the security of the excavation: the tomb-temple, a hypostyle hall of almost 400 m 2, is in a state so precarious that the roof threatening to collapse, at least partially, throwing pieces that could easily injure or even crush those who are at that time indoors. The team, both technically and formed by local workers, spends many hours a day with the sword of Damocles over their heads, and rarely the metaphor is so well adjusted to reality. The directors, who, in my opinion, are so irresponsible as heroic have decided to go ahead against all odds, no helmets give or reinforced boots lead to digging into the grave or make efforts to consolidate hypogeum the flimsy structures. The reason is simply lack of funds, though no less reportable fact, given that what is being put at risk are lives, not ancient mummies. To address any possible accident, only has a kit with bandages, hydrogen peroxide and paracetamol. On the other hand, the chances of quickly evacuate an injured are minimal.
Both the Egyptian authorities and the Spanish (the latter at the consular or embassy level) are not sufficiently informed of these circumstances which pose a high risk. If something happens, God forbid, not only could be casualties, which would be more painful, but other archaeological concessions that Spain has in Egyptian soil would endanger its permanence, especially at a time when the Supreme Council of Antiquities Egypt has tightened the requirements for archaeological missions, especially following the dismissal of Hazi Hawass.
During the visit a Luxor few days ago Miguel Angel Oliver, director of Cuatro TV news, to make a report and interview many, including the head of the archaeological heritage, Mustafa Amin, and the director of the Temple of Luxor and Karnak, Ibrahim Soliman, there was no opportunity to explain the precarious state of the tomb, whose roof could collapse partially, to tell of how, at any time. A Oliver, stayed for three days in the Sycamore House itself, the seat of the Spanish mission, he hid this fact because we are specifically requested that we did not mention this. I now, as a former member of the Institute for the Study of Ancient Egypt and Amen-Hotep Project Huy, I release the "vow of silence" imposed by Professors Martin and Bedmar and expose human lives are endangered and the prestige and the credibility of our country in the world of Egyptian archeology. As a matter of personal ego, should never be assumed those risks and agencies should intervene speedily.

Flats in Luxor official home of the Theban Mapping Project under Kent Weeks

2011-11-07T17:02:00.002+02:00

Flats in Luxor is delighted to announce that they are now the official Luxor home of the Theban Mapping Project, under director Kent Weeks. The new facility will comprise accommodation for the offices of TMP as well as a public reading library A long-held dream of Kent's has been to provide guides, tourists, students, foreigners and local Egyptians with a library where they can learn more about Egypt and Egyptology, Egypt's natural history and its modern people, read English and Arabic novels, and generally enjoy books. No such facility has existed in Luxor--until now. Flats in Luxor had the ideal flat that could be converted to perform this function, in the heart of the west bank.

Kent Weeks said ‘I often get Egyptians on my team who are keen to learn more and want books. This library will be my gift to them, opening the world of literature and knowledge.”

Jane Akshar said “We are privileged to be able to provide a home for this wonderful educational facility and to Theban Mapping Project. We look forward to a long and happy association.

Theban Mapping Project http://www.thebanmappingproject.com
Since its inception in 1978, the Theban Mapping Project (TMP, now based at the American University in Cairo) has been working to prepare a comprehensive archaeological database of Thebes. With its thousands of tombs and temples, Thebes is one of the world's most important archaeological zones. Sadly, however, it has not fared well over the years. Treasure-hunters and curio-seekers plundered it in the past; pollution, rising ground water, and mass-tourism threaten it in the present. Even early archaeologists destroyed valuable information in their search for museum-quality pieces.

Today, however, we realize that the monuments of Thebes are a finite resource. If we fail to protect and monitor them, they will vanish, and we and our descendants will all be the poorer. The TMP believes that the first and most essential step in preserving this heritage is a detailed map and database of every archaeological, geological, and ethnographic feature in Thebes. Only when these are available can sensible plans be made for tourism, conservation, and further study.

During the last decade, the TMP has concentrated on the Valley of the Kings. Modern surveying techniques were used to measure its tombs. From the data collected, the TMP has prepared 3-D computer models of the tombs. And of course, the TMP is continuing its excavation of KV 5. For the TMP staff, sharing their work with the interested public is just as important as what they do in the field. This has been done through a series of publications and this growing and award winning website.

Flats in Luxor http://www.flatsinluxor.co.uk
Established in 2003 by Jane Akshar and Mahmoud Jahlan, providing quality accommodation to independent travellers and long stay visitors to Luxor. Now with 2 swimming pools, a restaurant, 27 apartments and 5 villas, it has featured in Sunday Times, Boston Globe, Lonely Planet and A Place in the Sun.

Dig houses in Egypt: Stoppelaere House on Luxor's West bank

2011-11-05T19:33:00.000+02:00

More updates on dig houses in Luxor, this is the one that is often mistaken for the Carter House as it is on the top of the hill and the Carter House in a grove at the bottom. Dig houses in Egypt: Stoppelaere House on Luxor's West bank: - Sent using Google Toolbar

The Workmen’s Huts in the Theban Mountains -Project 2008–2013

2011-10-31T20:00:00.000+02:00

I have loads of good Finish friends who love Egyptology, it seems to be a national characteristic :) This is an excellent website about the work of the Finnish team in Luxor for all those friends. The Workmen’s Huts in the Theban Mountains -Project 2008–2013: - Sent using Google Toolbar

Dig Houses in Luxor (via EEF)

2011-10-30T18:23:00.003+02:00

We(Marcel and Monica Maessen) are happy to announce that we have been able to put up three new articles about dighouses in the Luxor area.

Although investigiations into the houses' history is still ongoing, we felt we had to place our preliminary articles anyway. Not in the last place to hear the reactions of people who actually lived in one of the houses.

Here are the articles we placed:

The Metropolitan house:
http://www.tawy.nl/EN_dh_The_Metropolitan_Dig_House_Luxor.html

The "The Garis Davies" house:
http://www.tawy.nl/EN_dh_Beit_Nimsawi_Home_to_Norman_and_Nina_de_Garis_Davies.html

Theodore Davis House:
http://www.tawy.nl/EN_dh_Davis_House_Luxor.html

Complete photoshoots will be available in February 2012.

Looking forward to all reactions.

More information on one of these houses (or any dighouse in Egypt) is always welcome.
For this, please reply off-list to research@tawy.nl

Marcel and Monica Maessen
The t3.wy Project

Pork in Luxor

2011-10-24T10:32:00.005+02:00

Pork in Luxor
You have always been able to get pork at Christian run restaurants like the Gaddis but now we have direct supplies from Germany from Luxor Foods. They had their launch party with lots of delicious samples.

Snippets from Egypt Property for Sale:

Some products needed cooking and the schnitzels, curry flavoured bacon were really tasty, others were cold meats like ham and Parma ham.

This is just a selection from their range and very welcome addition to the Luxor food front. When I first moved here it was hard to get cheddar cheese, sliced bread, sugar free cereals now with Arkwright’s, KZ and 40 we have great supermarkets with a good range of products. See below for the current product/price list

This is the current product price list in Egyptian pounds

OUR PRICE LIST.
511869 GRILL SAUSAGE 10 PER PACK. 1KG EP 162,50
67306 GOULASH FROM THE SHOULDER, CUT 2X2X2. 2KG EP 330,--
67305 GYROS,2KG EP 303,--
57313 COLLAR STEAK, 160 GR. P.P. EP 27,--
67304 MINCED MEAT, 18%FAT, 2KG EP 282,--
67309 ESCALOPE (BREADED) 120 GR. P.P. EP 18,--
67310 CORDON BLEU, BREADED, 140 GR. P.P. EP 22,50
67311 MINI KNUCKLE, READY COOKED, 180 GR. P.P. EP 34,50
67308 HAMBURGER/MEATBALLS, PACKED 10X 25 GR.(T.250 GR) EP 30,--
MEAT.
24097 CHOPS, COLLAR, IN SLICES, 1KG EP 123,--
25031 BELLY, AS GROWN, FLANK, IN PIECE, 800 GR. EP 69,--
26017 FILET, 2 PIECES/PACK, 650 GR. EP 163,50
27098 SPARE RIBS, 2 PIECES/PACK, 1900 GR. EP 187,50
23037 COLLAR/NECK, BONELESS, 2.500 GR. EP 349,50
23037 COLLAR/NECK, BONELESS, 1.250 GR. EP 147,--
21617 TOPSIDE WITH CAP, 1 PIECE, 2.500 GR. EP 349,50
24267 LOIN BONELESS/ SLICES, 600 GR. EP 93,--
SMALL PACKAGES.
511866 COOKED HAM/SLICES, 200 GR. EP 37,50
511851 COLD CUT OF SMOKED ROAST/SLICES, 100 GR. EP 24,--
511864 CRUSTED HAM/WESTFALIA STYLE, 200 GR. EP 54,--
FAMILY SIZE.
511854 RAW SMOKED HAM, 500 GR. EP 144,--
511846 SMOKED BACON, IN SLICES, 500 GR. EP 133,50
511847 SMOKED BACON, SERRANO STYLE, IN SLICES, 500 GR. EP 220,50
511849 BREAKFAST BACON, IN SLICES, 500 GR. EP 117,--
511850 SALAMI/WESTFALIA STYLE, IN SLICES 90 MM. 500 GR. EP 96,--
PIECES.
511867 COOKED HAM, NOT SMOKED, 2000 GR. EP 369,--
511859 RAW SMOKED LOIN, 1800 GR. EP 360,--
511859 RAW SMOKED LOIN, 900 GR. EP 180,--
511861 COOKED HAM, PRAGUE STYLE, 2.200 GR. ½ PIECE, EP 459,--
511861 COOKED HAM, PRAGUE STYLE, 1.100 GR. ¼ PIECE, EP 220,50
511863 COOKED HAM IN STRIPS, 500 GR. EP 73,50
SMOKED PIECES.
511868 P SMOKED LOIN, BONELESS, 1900 GR. EP 313,50
511868 S SMOKED LOIN, BONELESS, 600 GR. EP 99,--
511860 BACK PIECE, PRE COOKED/SMOKED. 2500 GR. EP 418,--
511860 BACK PIECE, PRE-COOKED/SMOKED. HALF PIECE, 1250 GR. EP 209,50
511858 COLLAR, NECK, BONELESS, PRE-COOKED/SMOKED, 2500 GR. EP 396,--
511858 COLLAR, NECK, BONELESS, PRE-COOKED/SMOKED, 1250 GR. EP 198,--
511862 ROAST WITH CRACKLING, PRE-COOKED/SMOKED, 3800 GR. EP 570,--
511862 ROAST WITH CRACKLING, PRE-COOKED/SMOKED, 1900 GR. EP 285,--
511857 SQUARE CUT BELLY, BONELESS, PRE-COOKED/SMOKED 1750GR. EP 228,-
511856 P TENDERLOIN CHOPS, PRE-COOKED/SMOKED, 1000 GR. EP 133,50
511856 S TENDERLOIN CHOPS, PRE-COOKED/SMOKED, 550 GR. EP 73,50
511855 RIBLETS, 1 PIECE, PER-COOKED/SMOKED, 800 GR. EP 90,--

ITS EASY, PHONE YOUR ORDER IN, 01110123158, OR EMAIL LUXOR.FOODS@GMAIL.COM AND WE SEND YOU A CONFIRMATION.ORDER PLEASE BEFORE THURSDAY, THEN YOUR ORDER IS WAITING FOR YOU ON SUNDAY A WEEK AFTER (11 DAYS) AT OUR OUTLET “BROODJE HOLLAND”
EL RHODA EL SHARIFA STREET, OPP. THE LOTUS HOTEL. (known locally as Little Britain St)

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Working Shaduf | Irriigating the land in Luxor

2011-10-22T13:07:00.000+02:00

Working Shaduf | Irriigating the land in Luxor: Meet Mohammed, he has a small plot of land which is still watered using a shaduf, the video clip shows it in operation.

A shaduf is a simply but effective method of raising water from a lower level, often a canal, to a higher level, usually a field. Shadufs are shown on ancient egyptian tombs and have be in use in Egypt for 5 thousand years. Often today they have been replaced by diesel pumps.

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THEBES (The Blackburn Egyptology Society)

2011-10-22T12:23:00.000+02:00

Good news for Blackburn, you now have your own Egyptology Society. Here is details from their facebook page. (clever name) (2) THEBES (The Blackburn Egyptology Society): The Blackburn Egyptology Society (Thebes) is a newly formed society which will meet on a monthly basis, with the inaugural meeting on 7th November 2011.

Meetings will usually take place on the first Monday of each month, in the Abram Room, which is located on the first floor of Blackburn Library, and begin at 7.15pm (doors open 7pm).

Entry only £4.

Mission
Thebes 2011-12 Lecture Programme:

Monday 7th November 2011
“The Return of the Lost Pharaohs” by Michael Eastwood

Monday 5th December 2011
“From the Nile to the Kent: A New Look at Kendal Museum's Egyptology Collection” by Anna Garnett

Wednesday 4th January 2012
“Perfected Images: Masterpieces of Late Period Egyptian Art” by Dr Campbell Price

Monday 6th February 2012
“The Early Dynastic Naqada Royal Tomb: A Royal Tomb Assemblage from Earliest Pharaonic Egypt” by Hayley Meloy

Monday 5th March 2012
“The Fortress at the End of the World” by Dr Steven Snape, Senior Lecturer in Egyptology, University of Liverpool

Monday 2nd April 2012
“Old Kingdom Tomb Art” by Sarah Griffiths

Tuesday 8th May 2012
“Everywhere the Glint of Gold” by Claire Ollett
Email
thebes2011@yahoo.co.uk

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Virtual visit to the tomb of Djehuty TT11

2011-10-20T23:31:00.000+02:00

what to do in Luxor at night

2011-10-20T22:05:00.001+02:00

Some night time shots of Luxor, they have made a nice square in-between Luxor temple and MacDonald’s and this is a popular place for the locals to spend an evening. Families will picnic here late at night, enjoying food and drink. The kids play football and other games. All with the back drop of Luxor temple. A word about Christians and Muslims, in the video you can see two nuns crossing the square, we thank God that Luxor has not seen problems between Muslims and Christians and these two nuns can walk, relaxed and chatting in front of Luxor’s most famous mosque Abu Hajaj

Spaceobserver.net

2011-10-18T00:22:00.000+02:00

I went on this trip some time ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Recommended for an evening in Luxor. Nice to see they have a website now. spaceobserver.net: - Sent using Google Toolbar

Council of Antiquities survey paves way for land sell-off - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online

2011-10-16T18:08:00.000+02:00

Council of Antiquities survey paves way for land sell-off - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online: For the first time since the French expedition to Egypt in 1789, the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) is to establish a comprehensive inventory of the land it owns around Egypt.

Such an inventory will entail archaeologists carrying out major archaeological surveys of these plots in order to declare them protected archaeological sites.

Mostafa Amine, secretary-general of the SCA, told Ahram Online that lands declared free of monuments or artefacts will be offered for investment. He continued that lands housing movable artefacts will be declared open for investment after all authentic objects have been removed to museums.

The inventory processes will led by Atef Abul Dahab, head of the Ancient Egyptian department at the SCA, who promised the inventory would be completed as soon as possible. Abul Dahab explains that SCA archaeologists will begin investigating lands originally in the possession of private individuals and governmental authorities which were transferred to the SCA whilst investigations were made into the possible existence of antiquities.

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Jane Akshar's place, flats in luxor - Review of Flats in Luxor, Luxor, Egypt - TripAdvisor

2011-10-15T17:34:00.001+02:00

Such a nice review from a revolution guest, well she was staying here while it was going on.

Jane Akshar's place, flats in luxor - Review of Flats in Luxor, Luxor, Egypt - TripAdvisor: I visited Flats in Luxor twice in early 2011, before and after the revolution. The first time was to make a connection to a dajabiya that took me to Aswan (arranged by Jane--and it was an excellent trip). I was supposed to return to Luxor from Aswan to visit the tombs and temples there, but the trains stopped running during the revolution, so I returned the next month as I was living in Europe for the year. Jane is a treasure. She helped me so much, mostly with information about the tombs and temples but also had dinner with me one night (I was traveling alone) and hooked me up with a group of French tourists so that I could go to Abydos without breaking the bank. I stayed in an apartment in her building (there are several to choose from) on the top floor, and this was perfect, in large part because it gave me access to Jane and her library but also for the spectacular view of the area. The apartments are on the west bank of the Nile. There is a village but it is also very rural which appealed to me--there were banana plantations, donkeys roaming around, and the gorgeous green-green everywhere of Egypt near the Nile. I felt like I was really in the country, not insulated by some Western-oriented resort on the east side of the river, and this suited me just fine. I walked into the village, rode the ferry across the river to see the temples there, enjoyed interacting with the locals. I recommend reading Jane's blog before making the trip, which is remarkable for its detail about the most recent developments in the archeological excavations and for its wit. I highly recommend staying at Flats in Luxor when you visit. You'll have a richer experience for it.

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Amenhotep III temple safe from flooding

2011-10-15T01:53:00.001+02:00

Just picked this up on Facebook via Robin Young

From Dr. Hourig Sourouzian, director of the Amenhotep III Mortuary Temple Project,

"As you guessed, the news about the flooding concern the north gate of the temple of Amenhotep III , where the SCA was working, and it was irrigation water.
The part of the temple where we work is safe and the monuments untouched."
Knowing that the lower part of the temple is part of the West Bank dewatering project funded by USAID thru a grant to the American Research Center in Egypt, which has successfully lowered groundwater there, I asked Hourig if this was a breach in a dike from one of the local farms irrigation channels. Her response is as above.

Keep in mind too, while reacting, that the Temple was regularly flooded by the inundation thru the mid 1950's. I was on site the day they discovered the lowest course of intact mud brick in the foundations: still good after 5,000 years. There are some who think the temple was designed to be inundated as part of the restoration of life ritual of the mortuary cult. Bad as the current water may be, probably no lasting damage.......

Project resumed in Luxor to protect temples from subterranean water - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online

2011-10-12T13:41:00.000+02:00

Project resumed in Luxor to protect temples from subterranean water - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online: 2 / 3
Gallery

Following nine months of delay, an American-Egyptian mission responsible for lowering ground water at archaeological sites in Luxor resumed its work today. The project aims to decrease the subterranean water level that has affected the foundation stones of five temples in Luxor: Karnak and Luxor temples on the east bank, and Seti I, the Ramessium, and Merneptah and Haremhab on the west bank.

Today, to mark the resumption, the secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Amine, U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson, Governor of Luxor Ezzat Saad, and the head of the National Authority for Drinking Water and Sanitation Mohamed Mohsen inaugurated the project.

The project, which was established in 2007 at a cost of LE50 million and is funded by USAID, aims at reducing the subterranean water under these temples by channelling it into a huge reservoir connected to the main Luxor city drainage system.

Amine told Ahram Online that this reservoir will be able to gather 1,100 cubic metres of water every hour. He added that archaeologists will monitor the structural integrity of these temples in order to restore any damage that could have occurred to any of the temples’ blocks.

Collaborative work between the Council and USAID started in 1993, when almost 70 archaeological projects were conducted in different fields of excavation, restoration and training for curators.

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New twist in the tale of Tutankhamun's club foot - life - 11 October 2011 - New Scientist

2011-10-11T16:59:00.000+02:00

New twist in the tale of Tutankhamun's club foot - life - 11 October 2011 - New Scientist: "IT IS normal," Robert Connolly exclaims, poring over the faded pages of an obscure, decades-old book. Connolly has found an image that appears to settle the controversy over whether the boy king Tutankhamun had a club foot. As with many mysteries related to the famous mummy, the truth is hard to pin down.

The argument started last year when a team led by Egypt's then-chief of antiquities, Zahi Hawass, reported that Tutankhamun's left foot was severely deformed.

Hawass's team CAT-scanned the mummy in January 2005. Their subsequent paper, published in 2009, noticed no foot-related problems. Then a reanalysis concluded that Tutankhamun's left foot was in a sorry state. The authors diagnosed club foot, two diseased metatarsals, and a missing toe bone (Journal of the American Medical Association, DOI: 10.1001/jama.2010.121).

The finding that Tutankhamun was disabled made headlines around the world. But Connolly - a researcher at the University of Liverpool, UK, and part of a team that X-rayed the mummy in 1968 - is convinced it is wrong.

The 1968 team was led by the late Ronald Harrison, also of Liverpool, UK. Most of his X-rays were never published, but Connolly says they show that both of Tutankhamun's feet were normal. If Connolly is right, the deformities in the scans are due to damage inflicted since 1968.

Connolly knew that the X-ray of the left foot appeared in a book Harrison had contributed to - Chronicle: Essays from ten years of television archaeology - written to accompany a TV documentary. New Scientist tracked down the book and the image shows a healthy foot.

Our excitement was short-lived, however. Though the photo (pictured) is labelled "left foot", it turned out to be a flipped image of the uncontroversial right foot.

Ashraf Selim, a radiologist at Cairo University in Egypt, who co-authored last year's paper, says the mix-up vindicates his findings that Tutankhamun's foot was deformed in life.

Yet other experts share some of Connolly's concerns. James Gamble, an orthopaedic surgeon at Stanford School of Medicine, California, says the foot must have twisted after death because the shape of the bones is normal, an impossibility in a club foot.

And Frank Rühli, at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and co-author of the Hawass team's 2009 paper, says the abnormal metatarsals and missing toe bone are located close to an open lesion, suggesting damage might be a possible cause. Selim counters that recent damage would have caused telltale breaks in the fragile bones.

The missing X-ray of the left foot would settle the matter. Connolly's hunt continues.

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Foreign missions resume their archaeological works in Upper Egypt - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online

2011-10-09T13:45:00.000+02:00

Foreign missions resume their archaeological works in Upper Egypt - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online: 3 / 3
Gallery

This year’s October-December archaeological projects by foreign entities resume in full-swing under government authority.

The Permanent Committee of Antiquities (PCA), led by Mostafa Amine, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), approved the resumption of several archaeological works carried out by foreign archaeological missions.

The Polish archaeological mission will start a comprehensive documentation at Queen Hatshepsut’s temple on Luxor’s west bank. They will focus on the archaeological features of the open court, such as the shrine for the goddess Hathor, Queen Hatshepsut’s sphinxes and the recently unearthed Osiris statues.

The German Archaeological Institute’s mission in Cairo resumes the restoration and documentation of noblemen’s tombs, also on Luxor’s west bank, but in Draa Abul Naga. Their mission also includes mapping the labourer’s huts at the Deir El-Medina area and documenting the human and animal remains found there.

Yale University’s archaeological survey will continue in the Moalla area, located between Luxor and Edfu cities. The American Research Centre in Egypt (ARCE) will carry out the restoration work on god Khunsu’s temple at the Karnak temple complex on Luxor’s east bank. Works to control the ground water level at Karnak temple will be also resumed by both American missions, as well as replacing the stony grounds of all the chapels and shrines located inside the temple.

Meanwhile, the Belgium mission from Leuven University will document, clean and restore the stone engravings located along the road from Elephantine Island, right through the Shalat area in Aswan.

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Diving in the Red Sea

2011-10-07T23:53:00.000+02:00

What about this wonderful day trip to the Red Sea.
Diving in the Red Sea

The Modern Neighbours of Tutankamun - new book about Qurna village

2011-10-07T14:31:00.004+02:00

Really excited about this new book by Kees van der Spek about Qurna village. Regularly readers will remember the controversy surrounding the removal of the villagers from the hillside. This book tells their story. It will be available on Amazon US and AUC in Cairo

AUC Press—Publisher’s synopsis

A historical–anthropological study of the people who lived in the antiquities precinct of Luxor’s West Bank Until their recent demolition, the colorful mud-brick hamlets of al-Qurna village, situated among the Noble Tombs of the Theban Necropolis on the Luxor West Bank, were home to a vibrant community. Inhabiting a place of intensive Egyptological research for over two centuries, it was inevitable that Qurnawis should become part of the history of Egyptology and the development of archaeological practice in the Theban Necropolis. But they have mostly been regarded as laborers for the excavation teams or dealers in the illicit antiquities trade. The modern people inhabiting the ancient burial grounds have themselves rarely been considered. By demonstrating the multiplicity of economic activities that are carried out in al-Qurna, this study counters the villagers’ stereotypical representation as tomb robbers, and restores an understanding of who they are as people living their lives in the shadow of valued cultural heritage.

Author’s Bio

KEES VAN DER SPEK is an independent scholar who lives and works in Canberra, Australia. He received his doctorate in political science and international relations in 2005 from the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University for his historical–anthropological study of the Luxor west bank community of al-Qurna, where he conducted ethnographic fieldwork during 1997, 1998, 1999, and, most recently, in 2009.

Endorsements

“Egypt's most famous ancient site contains a village where for hundreds of years a local community has lived and worked among the monuments. This book tells the story of this village for the first time. It offers a compelling account of the struggle, survival, and eventual dispossession of a people living precariously amid Egypt's ancient past.”
—Timothy Mitchell, Columbia University

“Kees van der Spek’s study of the Qurnawi, their close ties to Egyptology, and the effects that bureaucrats who believe theme park tourism will be the answer to Egypt’s economic problems have had on their lives, offers an important lesson for anyone concerned with protecting humankind’s patrimony and planning for Egypt’s future.”
—from the Foreword by Kent R. Weeks

“Van der Spek employs a wide range of analytical approaches with a sure touch. Even literary theory, into which many scholars sink incoherently, is made to serve clearly functional purposes in this well-written book. Readers who know little or nothing about Qurna will be effectively introduced to that unique village and its people; those who are familiar with it will find many more dimensions and subtleties than they ever expected; and those who regret its tragic loss will have this remarkable study to remember it.”
—Jason Thompson, author of A History of Egypt from Earliest Times to the Present

Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep son of Hapu and Ay/Horemheb

2011-10-05T16:59:00.012+02:00

A fellow student asked me if I had any photos of this temple and it is one of the ones I had never visited so thanks Patricia Kennedy for spuring me into action.

If you take the tiny road in front of the main ticket office and go along 1/4 of a mile or less you come to the Pharoahs Hotel. Ask them nicely and they will let you up on the roof to take photos.

The plan of the temple is very simple and although compared to Amenhotep III's temple it is tiny, compared to others it is a decent size.

From the roof you can see most of the temple, just the eastern part is obscured by the trees. it is possible that some of the rooms might give you a better view.

I then took photos go along the north side of the temple looking south, starting at the eastern edge to the west.

The next set are taken on the western edge looking East

The last set are taken on the south/west corner looking north with the hotel in the background.

Finally in front of the hotel was the mud brick remains of the temple of Ay/Horemheb. I found this quite interesting that the architect gets a stone built temple but the kings get mud brick.

So it is definitely worth a walk along this road after buying your tickets and on the way to Medinet Habu.

Ain Shams reveals a part of its history - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online

2011-10-04T16:51:00.000+02:00

The story reminded me when we were digging our swimming pool and I spent loads of time looking at it. Hubby asked why and I said well in case they find something. He then told me off for being an idiot and if they did find something that would be the end of our ownership of the land and no swimming pool. You learn :) This discovery in Cairo looks as though it happened under similar circumstances. Ain Shams reveals a part of its history - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online: Coincidence has always played a major role in discovering important archaeological sites. Among such finds are King Tutankhamen’s tomb on Luxor’s west bank and the golden funerary treasure of King Khufu’s mother Queen Hetepheres on the Giza plateau. Today, coincidence led to the discovery of an unidentified 26th Dynasty tomb in the Ain Shams area.

According to Atef Abul Dahab, head of Ancient Egyptian Antiquities, the tomb was found during routine digging work in Mansheyet Al-Tahrir Street in Ain Shams to lay the foundations of a residential house.

Workers stumbled upon what is believed to be a stony wall engraved with hieroglyphic text.

An archaeological committee from the Supreme Council of Antiquities embarked on an inspection tour and found that the wall is a part of a 26th Dynasty tomb.

Early investigations, said Abul Dahab, reveal that the tomb is empty of any treasured artefacts and inscriptions, which indicate that it had been robbed in antiquity.

Excavation work will continue to inspect the whole area and be sure that it is an empty plot free of any artefacts. The committee will then remove the tomb and hand over the land to its owner.

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New antiquities head, new plan, protestors satisfied - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online

2011-10-03T16:13:00.000+02:00

New antiquities head, new plan, protestors satisfied - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online

Today, in his first day in office, newly appointed Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) Mostafa Amine met with protestors camped in front of the SCA’s Abassiya building for four days.

Amine told Ahram Online that he told protestors that he agreed with Prime Minister Essam Sharaf to immediately resolve their problems and to appoint all temporary staff who have spent more than three years working at SCA.

As a first step, he asserted, 4065 temporary employees will be immediately appointed to be followed by more appointments until the almost 12,000 temporary employees are all made permanent. The protestors were convinced and promised to end their protest.

But what about fresh graduates?

Amine responded that for the time being it is impossible to hire new graduates as “We have to appoint the temporary staff first, as they have priority.” “They are among the SCA’s staff and its office echelon,” Amine pointed out, asserting, “I have to first fix the conditions of the SCA's temporary staff and then see about outsiders.”

Amine said the delay in appointing the temporary staff is not the fault of the SCA’s last secretary general, but rather is the fault of the previous government. Even the 4065 temporary employees that former Minister of Antiquities Zahi Hawass had approved appointing were not appointed due to government reluctance amid fears that other ministries would ask for the appointment of their temporary staff.

Amine also met top SCA officials and listened to their complaints. He informed them of the details of his meeting with Sharaf in an attempt to open a new page with them and other SCA staff. “I am the son of the SCA and all the staff are my colleagues,” Amine said.

Asked about the fate of Egypt's ancient monuments under his tenure, given his specialty in Islamic and Coptic monuments, Amine assured that his training would not be an obstacle to caring for ancient Egyptian monuments. “My duty is to preserve Egypt’s antiquities, whether Islamic, Coptic, Jewish and Pharaonic,” Amine confirmed.

Amine told Ahram Online that he wants some time to reorganise the SCA and its administrative and archaeological works, but he promises to complete the SCA’s mega projects such as the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) overlooking the Giza Plateau, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (NMEC), as well as removing all encroachment at Al-Muizz Street and at Sphinxes Avenue in Luxor in order to reopen it soon.

Amine said that his first decisions as SCA secretary general were to appoint former secretary general Mohamed Abdel Fatah as the head of the NMEC Supreme Committee, and Adel Abdel Satar to head the Islamic and Coptic Antiquities Department. Amine was formerly head of that department.

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Another new SCA boss?

2011-09-29T21:53:00.001+02:00

Nigel Hetherington (a good source) just posted on my Facebook wall "The revolving door that is the office of the secretary general of the SCA has spun again and there is a new boss-Dr Mustafa Amin Mustafa"

James Watt: Rediscovering Luxor

2011-09-27T17:07:00.000+02:00

James Watt: Rediscovering Luxor: Rediscovering Luxor
Posted 25 September 2011 by James Watt | 7 Comments

Just back from Luxor, my first visit as Ambassador. A wonderful memory of vast blue skies, above a landscape so timeless and historic that the stillness of it brings a calm to the soul that is rarely found in our hectic city lives. Brilliant green fields, stretching far either side of the Nile, touch the great temples and tombs of the West Bank, while on the East Bank Luxor as a town is full of colour and greenery around the vast temples of Karnak and Luxor.

I don't normally write this blog as a travel article, but I have to start with the sheer beauty of Luxor as a place. I had gone with my mind filled with all the obvious questions. How is tourism doing? How has the revolution affected Luxor? What do people feel about the future? I talked to the new Governor, Dr Izzat Saad, and other officials, to people in the tourism industry, and to some of the small British community living there. The picture they gave was very much the same. Tourism has been hit very hard by international nervousness about Egypt following the revolution of 25 January. The local economy is struggling as a result. Unemployment has risen and to some degree so have social tensions. But with my outsider's eye I could see this needed to be put in a wider context. Like all of Egypt, but more so, Luxor has superb tourist infrastructure. Not just some of the most stunning landscapes and ancient monuments in the world, and physical infrastructure such as hotels and cruise boats to match, but the human resources too which make this a enduring top-quality tourist destination. Hotel and other staff are trained to a very high standard, and have a spirit of hospitality unsurpassed in the world. The population as a whole welcomes tourists warmly - and is very tough on anyone who wants to disrupt this. The undisciplined behaviour of some taxi drivers and horse-cab drivers is currently the object of much criticism by local people, who know that such things can spoil Luxor's high reputation.

I am as puzzled as the next person by the way fears about tourist destinations are exaggerated and spread - not just by the international press, but by websites which claim to give objective travel advice but in reality do much damage to objectivity. Egypt remains a first-class holiday destination, whether you are seeking cuture and history, or simply time on the beach, or both. Prices are amazingly low as businesses struggle to get through this difficult year. The great monuments are almost empty of visitors. Safety in any place tourists are likely to go remains better than pretty much any country in Europe. Egypt deserves a much better fate.

Of course the governorate of Luxor is not only about tourism. Agriculture is the other main economic activity, and more can be done to develop industry and communications links. Britain is able and ready to help with this, as in the European Union, and I have taken ideas back with me to Cairo from the Governor for potential projects.

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Egyptian mobile numbers to change next Thursday - Economy - Business - Ahram Online

2011-09-27T16:28:00.000+02:00

Which means my number will be 01003564540 and my husbands number 01224155057, so make a note and change all your favourite numbers. Egyptian mobile numbers to change next Thursday - Economy - Business - Ahram Online: - Sent using Google Toolbar

World History | Is an Egyptian pharaohs daughter the mother of all Scots? |

2011-09-26T14:19:00.000+02:00

Don't worry I don't believe this but thought you might enjoy it. World History | Is an Egyptian pharaohs daughter the mother of all Scots? |: Is an Egyptian pharaohs daughter the mother of all Scots?

An ancient story about the origin of the Scots is given credence by some new research. From various writings of ancient chroniclers we deduce that the nation of the Scots is of ancient stock, taking its first beginning from the Greeks and those of the Egyptians."

WALTER Bower wrote his compendium of Scottish history, Scotichronicon, in the 1440s. This sweeping Latin text aimed to set down the history of the Scottish people from the earliest times and by so doing to show what race of people we were.

He referenced his chronicle from ancient texts and oral history. What he recorded was astounding.

According to Bower, the Scottish people were not an amalgam of Picts, Scots and other European peoples, but were in fact Egyptians, who could trace their ancestry directly back to a pharaoh's daughter and her husband, a Greek king.
... Quote:
The queen's name was Scota from where comes the name Scotland. The Greek king was Gaythelos hence Gaelic, and their son was known as Hiber which gives us Hibernia.
Nor was Bower the first to propose such exalted lineage for the Scots. The story goes back further and was even included in The Declaration of Arbroath.

This seminal document - written in 1320 by the Barons and noblemen of Scotland - was a letter imploring the Pope to intervene on their behalf during the Wars of Independence.

The text refers to "the ancients" who "journeyed from Greater Scythia and the Pillars of Hercules to their home in the west where they still live today".

According to tradition, this royal family was expelled from Egypt during a time of great uprising. They sailed west, settling initially in Spain before travelling to Ireland and then on to the west coast of Scotland. This same race of people eventually battled and triumphed over the Picts to become the Scots the people who united this country.

Now a new book, Scota, Egyptian Queen of the Scots, by Ralph Ellis, claims to prove that this origin myth was no made-up story but the actual recording of an Egyptian exodus that did indeed conclude in Scotland.

In tracing the sources that could have influenced the Declaration and Bower's Scotichronicon, he finds that the main British reference was likely to be the eighth-century historian Nennius. But it is in tracing Nennius's sources that Ellis thinks he's found the answer.

He believes that that the originator of the Scota Gaythelos story was an ancient text, The History of Egypt, written in 300BC by an Egypto-Greek historian called Manetho.

Ellis writes:
... Quote:
The possibility that Manetho was the original author of the Scota and Gaythelos story is interesting, because it gives the whole story much greater credence.

Having traced the original source - which was, if not contemporaneous, at least reasonably informed Ellis believes that we can begin to put flesh on the bones of this story.

Using Manetho's text, Ellis establishes that Scota was really Ankhesenamun, daughter of Akhenaton and Nefertiti, and wife of Tutankhamen. He also finds that far from being a Greek king, Gaythelos was a pharaoh himself Aye.

Little is known of Aye, although Ellis speculates that he was the father of Tutankhamen and married Ankhesenamun after his son's death. Aye ruled only briefly before religious struggle brought him into conflict with the Egyptian people and he and his court were forced into exile.

Having established the origins of Scota/Ankhesenamun and Gaythelos/Aye, Ellis tracks them as they flee. He contends that the couple took enough ships to bring 1,000 of their followers and plentiful supplies out of Egypt and across the Mediterranean.

He finds that they landed first in Spain, where they lived for several generations (their son Hiber giving his name there to Iberia). Four generations after they first settled, the descendents of Scota made their way to Ireland.

Here Ellis refers to Irish stories, but supplements the myth with facts. He points to the number of gold torcs necklaces worn by pharaohs - that have been found in the country. He shows us tombs that were surely built with Egyptian knowledge. He even finds us a mummified head that demonstrates that Scota's people took their method of embalming their dead with them from Egypt halfway across the world.

From Ireland it was a short hop across the water as later Iberian "Egyptians" seeking a new homeland in Ireland were told to populate Scotland. This colony became so successful that eventually many of the original Irish "Scots" then moved across too.

It all seems exceptionally compelling. Who's to say that just because it's unlikely it isn't actually possible?

Well, most historians for one. Boardman says of Ellis's research that to "search for historical figures is just madness. It's never going to work".

He concludes, that much as medieval Scots and clearly present-day ones too would like to believe in these ancient roots there isn't much chance that it is true.

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His Excellency Mr James Watt , HM Ambassador, and Mrs Amal Watt visit Luxor

2011-09-23T19:49:00.003+02:00

All the British community in Luxor were invited to meet the Ambassador and his wife bu Mr Gaddis the Honorary Consul. It was a small reception with the Gaddis hotel ham rolls featuring heavily. The Ambassador made a point of speaking to just about everyone and gave a short speech about the importance of the ties of Britain and Egypt.

Resignation of Egypt's head of antiquities declined - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online

2011-09-23T00:12:00.001+02:00

You just could not make this up. SCA head is not allowed to resign. However what everyone should note is the freedom of the press reporting this. times have certainly changed. Resignation of Egypt's head of antiquities declined - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online: The Egyptian Cabinet has declined the resignation of Supreme Council of Antiquities Secretary General Mohamed Abdel Fatah while the latter vows not to return until gaining full authority

A day after the resignation of Mohamed Abdel Fatah, head of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), the Cabinet scheduled an appointment with him on Sunday to discuss the issues behind his resignation.

In a telephone interview with Ahram Online, Abdel Fatah said that he would not return to the post without having full authority in the post. He pointed out that even when he allocated LE300 ($50) as a compensation to an archaeologist who had a leg amputated, the archaeologist was not able to receive the compensation as the SCA secretary general has no mandate to make such decisions.

Abdel Fatah resigned Tuesday following the intensification of protests and demonstrations in front of the SCA premises asking for council to be returned to being the Ministry of State for Antiquities, for salary raises, and the appointment of new graduate archaeologists.

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Cross Egypt Challenge, a 1700 km scooter ride throughout Egypt

2011-09-21T19:40:00.000+02:00

They are going to be in Luxor on 21st October, what fun! #luxor #egypt #vespa Cross Egypt Challenge, a 1700 km scooter ride throughout Egypt: - Sent using Google Toolbar

Head of Supreme Council of Antiquities confirms his resignation - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online

2011-09-20T20:43:00.000+02:00

Head of Supreme Council of Antiquities confirms his resignation - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online: n a telephone interview with Ahram Online, Mohamed Abdel Fatah, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, confirmed his resignation of the post. “I am fed up,” Abdel Fatah said angrily. “All these protests stand against proceeding with archaeological works properly,” he said.

“I cannot be responsible without concrete authority in my hands,” Abdel Fatah said. In fact, Abdel Fatah cannot put into effect any of his decisions until he has the approval of Prime Minister Essam Sharaf.

He also asserted that there are specific people who are behind all protests in front of the Council for personal gains. “They are profiteering from accelerating such protests to create chaos that stops archaeological work from proceeding properly,” Abdel Fatah said. “I am not against any of the protesters’ demands,” he has told Ahram Weekly, “but I am against their way in asking, and the time.” Abdel Fatah pointed out that he had several meetings with them and promised to meet their demands according to an appropriate timing schedule, but they never listen.

“All archaeological work is put on hold due to these continuous and non-stop protests,” he said.

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Dr Fattah resigns as head of the SCA

2011-09-20T16:31:00.003+02:00

This news report http://tahrirnews.com is about the resignation of Dr Fattah the new head of the SCA. It is a very worrying development to be honest. Make an effort and use a translation tool like google to read it.

This is one translation

Sources within the Supreme Council of Antiquities said that archaeological «Mohamed Abdel Fattah» Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities resigned on Tuesday from his post as Secretary General of the [Supreme Council of Antiquities], after growing sit-ins, strikes and demonstrations, which caused the closure of the headquarters building of the Center, during the past two days and moved on to the building of the Abbasid area in large numbers.
Council officials have been forced to call in troops from the military police and civilian police to disperse demonstrators in front of the building, who tried to enter by force.
Abdel-Fattah said that he had made his resignation «after the increase of these sit-ins and strikes», pointing out that he refuses to be responsible with no powers or just be an interface or a figurehead of the Department of Egypt's monuments and should be granted full powers to manage the SCA.

Youm7 English Edition | Electronic ticketing system put in place at Pyramids

2011-09-19T02:02:00.000+02:00

Could the Valley of the Kings be next? Youm7 English Edition | Electronic ticketing system put in place at Pyramids: A new electronic ticketing system will be implemented at the Egyptian Pyramids archeological region tomorrow, reported Mohamed Abdul Fatah, general-secretary of the Supreme Council for Antiquities.

Abdul Fatah reported that this measure is being taken after a series of successful experiments.

The system facilitates ticket-selling and park entrance procedures for both individuals and groups in an organized and efficient manner.

There will be two ticket colors: red for Egyptian visitors and dark blue for foreign visitors.

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Stopplaere House

2011-09-18T02:59:00.000+02:00

Ever wondered what the house on the hill as you enter the valley of the kings was. Bet you were told it was the Carter House. Wrong!! that is the house at the bottom in the grove of trees. The house on the top of the hill is much younger. Here is lots of good information about it.

Stopplaere House: "The Stopplaere house, which dates from the year after New Gourna was completed, was designed as both a guest house for the Department of Antiquities and the headquarters and apartment of Dr. Alexander Stopplaere who was the chief restorer of the Department at that time. The architect's drawings of the house, which went through several revisions, all convey the difficulty of combining these two diverse entities into one, showing how the architect was struggling with the duality of functions involved.

The first scheme he attempted uses a square plan to group both sectors around two perfectly balanced parallel courtyards that are divided by a bisecting wall. The demands of a ridge-like, linear site, however, which is strategically located at the summit of a step ridge overlooking the main entrance into the Valley of the Kings and Queens at Luxor, eventually forced the opening up of the plan into an elongated rectangle. A skylit gallery, of a kind that first appeared in the Hamid Said house, is used to join both sides of the residence, and the bisecting wall of the original concept finally emerges as a fully expressed buttress in the finished building, effectively separating the main entrance and its garden from the private quarters of Dr. Stopplaere.

In spite of the fact that no "as-built" drawings for this project exist, the small collection of initial sketches that have survived provide a rare insight into the creative thought processes of the architect, and show how actual site conditions began to inform a beginning design idea. The photographs of the actual building are equally important in that they include interior views of both the rooms and the courtyards. As is the case with so many of Fathy's surviving works today, access into the Stopplaere house is now very restricted, which gives these interior views added significance."

Source:

Steele, James. 1989. The Hassan Fathy Collection. A Catalogue of Visual Documents at the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Bern, Switzerland: The Aga Khan Trust for Culture, 19.

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Gettign an Egyptian visa in advance, my guests experience

2011-09-15T15:11:00.003+02:00

With the recent hiatus regarding visas, where the newspapers reported a change in getting visas on arrival to having to get them in advance and then this decision was reversed, I thought you might like to know about one of my guests experiences. My advice was to apply in advance to be on the safe side. I just got this email from her

Have VISA - will travel!

I have to say how impressed I am with the Egyptian Consulate in London and as re-assurance for your visitors:

Posted all paperwork Saturday Special Delivery
Using the Post Office Track and Trace facility I knew it had arrived with the Consulate on Monday
Consulate advertises a 5 working day turnaround
Wednesday I did Track and Trace for the return of the documents with the response - out for delivery
By lunch time Wednesday - Passport and Visa in my hand!!

Excellent service or what...??!!

Egypt to host official World Tourism Day celebrations | News | Breaking Travel News

2011-09-13T14:06:00.000+02:00

Not Luxor but Aswan so still Upper Egypt!!!!! Egypt to host official World Tourism Day celebrations | News | Breaking Travel News: - Sent using Google Toolbar

UNESCO to help Egypt restore its World Heritage sites - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online

2011-09-13T03:43:00.000+02:00

UNESCO to help Egypt restore its World Heritage sites - Ancient Egypt - Heritage - Ahram Online: 3 / 3
Gallery

During a meeting held yesterday at the Supreme Council of Antiquities’ (SCA) offices, the director of UNESCO’s cultural department Tamara Twinasky announced UNESCO’s full collaboration with the SCA to restore and preserve Egypt’s archaeological sites, which were listed on the UNESCO’S World Heritage List in 1979.

Mohamed Abdel Fatah, the secretary-general of the SCA, told Ahram Online that Twinasky pledged UNESCO’s full support to continue restoration and development work now carried out at the Memphis Necropolis (the Giza plateau, Abusir, Dahshur and Saqqara) especially at Dahshur and Saqqara which was meant to be completed earlier this year. She also told Abdel Fatah that UNESCO will provide its full support to complete the construction work at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (NMEC) in order to meet its opening deadline on March 2012.

At the end of this month, Twinasky said that a technical specialist and international consultant assigned by UNESCO will visit Egypt to inspect the restoration work being carried out at the Djoser Step Pyramid, considered the first ever pyramid in history, and provide any needed advice.

Tarek Shawqi, director of UNESCO’s regional bureau, stated that comprehensive training courses for restorers and curators of the NMEC would be established as soon as possible in order to bring skill levels into line with international standards.

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Help in Egypt - new charity

2011-09-13T01:48:00.001+02:00

About Us: - Sent using Google Toolbar
Here is a news letter from this new charity.

HELP IN EGYPT was granted full charity status on 16th August 2011.

It was a momentous day for Philip, Brenda and Ruth. Two years hard work to build up our reputation, with the support of our kind sponsors we are on our way to a brighter future for the needy families in Beshlaw.

In October 2009 HELP IN EGYPT was officially formed and has been releasing funding to enable children from poor families to register and attend school. Most recently a chance meeting between Brenda and Mr Mohamed Ali from Beshlaw on the West bank of the Nile opened up a wonderful opportunity for HELP IN EGYPT to join together with the Egyptian charity AL BADER, run by Mr Mohamed Ali. The village did not have a school and Mr Mohamed Ali, together with a small team of village members have renovated an old mud brick building and opened it as a school. Philip and Brenda with their daughter Ruth asked if they could visit Beshlaw village and on doing so found 4 young lady teachers teaching about 50 children in 2 small classrooms. The children sat on rough wooden benches whilst the teachers taught orally and the children learned parrot fashion. There were no blackboards, pens pencils or paper. In fact, no facilities at all. Mr Mohamed Ali and the village Sheikh produced written records of their project which showed the distribution of food deliveries sent by a business man from Cairo. The recipient families had to sign for their share and it was noticed that all the signatures were thumb prints. No one in the village can read or write so there is a great need to develop this new school.

HELP IN EGYPT has pledged its support and will endeavour to raise the profile of this project. Already 10 sponsors have offered a monthly donation which will go a long way in supplying paper, pencils and equipment for the school. It is hoped that in the future the school can encompass a small clinic to give medical aid to the children and adults. Head lice is prevalent, minor cuts and infections are a regular problem with the children. Also an advice clinic to help young mothers with any problems regarding the welfare of their child. .

There is so much to be done, it will not happen overnight. HELP IN EGYPT visited Beshlaw in July 2011,the improvement in the school was noticeable, all the children had their own book and pencil, the storage boxes we had supplied in April were being utilised in each classroom and the story mats had been laid down as the children were about to present a concert. A number of the younger girls sang Arabic songs to welcome us back to Beshlaw. At the Summer School, puppets had been made and we were treated to their version of Punch and Judy although it was all in Arabic, the children's laughter was entertainment in itself.

Mohamed Ali called a meeting to discuss the next project we want to start, Dr Mahmoud a young man from the village is keen to develop a room into a small clinic when HELP IN EGYPT, who knew they had 90 square metres of village land, gave them a surprise donation of 20,000 Egyptian pounds for the AL BADER charity to begin work on the building of a proper clinic for the village. A further donation of 5,000 Egyptian pounds to erect lighting in the local streets near the school as the building is used in the evenings by village women who attend sewing classes and discussions on families and the care of young children and babies.

Mattel Toy company gave us great support by donating £3,000 to HELP IN EGYPT which enabled us to help the village to start their project and we shall continue to support this project to its completion.
Would you care to give your support to this village? It is a very worthy cause and HELP IN EGYPT monitors the progress and publishes regular newsletters with photos showing the positive steps being made.
For more information please contact HELP IN EGYPT.

helpinegypt1@hotmail.co.uk~~~~~01494719817~~~~07500039278. charity no 1143379.