Deir El Medina
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Above someone's visualization of how the village might have looked. These were not slaves and, in fact, are known to have manages to get the first known labor contract in human history, because Pharaohs and nobles needed the rare skills of these artisans and builders. One of them even build a small pyramid as his own tomb. |
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Here a former temple of Hathor, later converted into a Christian chapel. And you know what's next, defacing of all Egyptian images of their gods. The term may have come from that act |
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So, wandering along the upper path under the cliff above the village, I passed a number of locked doors. Tombs not yet open to the public. One of the doors had a small barred opening. Not being able to see anything inside, I jammed my camera into the opening, kept it rock-steady and let it go. And this is what I saw. A beautiful tomb, better than most I had seen - and only I saw it. This was the reward for my day-long walk but also for not taking a tour, but going at my own pace, wherever I wanted to. |
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You can see the scented wax that the women carried on their heads. A coffee-klatsch but without coffee. Surely some temple ceremony. |
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One of the tombs open for visitors - I recall nothing inside |
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One of the tombs open for visitors - I recall nothing inside |
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One of the tombs open for visitors - I recall nothing inside |
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One of the tombs open for visitors - I recall nothing inside |
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And so it's back to the village at the T-section |
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In the distance I saw the Ramesseum |
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Almost back to the ferry terminal |
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Something that I missed out on, a camel ride, such as these folks are doing - maybe next time |
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A clear sign that I was almost at the terminal. A bunch of workers arriving from larger Luxor |
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And then, since I did not want to be packed in on a crowded ferry, I decided to just rent a boat for myself for a few dollars. |
3D