Necropolis of Thebes Travel Guide

 MM212 Says:  For centuries, the locals nibbled on stones from the inner-most part of the Temple of Ramses III to construct other edifices, so we are now left with very little of what must have once been a highly impressive series of hypostyle halls. Three such halls preceeded the inner... 

 MM212 Says:  The Second Pylon leads to the Second Courtyard. It is of a similar size to the first, though bordered on all four sides with porticoes, two of which are lined with Osirid statues of Ramses III. During Coptic times, the Second Courtyard was used as a church and its wall... 

 MM212 Says:  Connecting the First and Second Pylons, the First Courtyard of the Temple of Ramses III is bordered by a portico on either side. The right hand portico is lined with statues of Ramses III in the form of the god Osiris, and his queens. The left hand portico has columns with... 

 MM212 Says:  The enormous First Pylon of the Temple of Ramses III is dedicated to the glory of the Pharaoh. Scenes of offerings of prisoners to the gods dominate the two walls of the Pylon and supplemented with smaller scenes. 

 MM212 Says:  The best kept secret in western Thebes, the funerary Temple of Ramses III is often skipped by organised tourist groups. Yet, it is one of the best preserved and largest temples in all of Thebes. Ramses III, a 20th Dynasty Pharaoh, modelled his funerary temple after the... 

 MM212 Says:  Referred to as Madinet Habu, this temple complex is the largest in Western Thebes and second only to the Complex of Karnak in size. The complex is made up several temples and structures built by various Pharaohs, but the largest and most dominant is the Funerary Temple of... 

 MM212 Says:  Built in the 15th century BC by Pharaoh Thutmosis III, the Temple of Amun is the oldest temple in Madinet Habu. It is much smaller than the funerary Temple of Ramses III, but remained in use for over 15 centuries through Ptolemaic and Roman times. During these latter... 

 MM212 Says:  One of the star temples in the Necropolis of Thebes, the funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut was built during her reign in the 15th century BC. She became the defacto ruler while her son, Thutmosis III, was too young to be Pharaoh and she seemed to have had to impose her... 

 MM212 Says:  With desert cliffs towering above, Deir el-Bahri is the most dramatic of all temples in Thebes. In fact, it is a complex of mortuary temples and chapels built by several pharoahs from the Middle and New Kingdoms in the Necropolis of Thebes near the edge of the fertile... 

 MM212 Says:  What was once the hypostyle hall of the Temple of Hatshepsut is now an inner courtyard with few of the columns standing. The courtyard is dominated by the towering cliffs above and is flanked by two chapels, one dedicated to Hatshepsut, the other to Thutmosis. The back end... 

 MM212 Says:  In contrast to the lower terraces, the third terrace in the Temple of Hatshepsut is quite small. Statues of the Queen in the form of the god Osiris were erected along the terrace and its portico's columns making this part the most spectacular part of the temple. Only seven... 

 MM212 Says:  One of the most celebrated parts of the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Punt Colonnade tells the story of Queen Hatshepsut's expedition to the Land of Punt. Historians have located this distant nation somewhere in east Africa, specifically Ethiopia or Somalia. In an amicable... 

 MM212 Says:  Dedicated to the goddess of love and happiness, Hathor, this small chapel is adjacent to both the Temple of Hatshepsut and the ruined Temple of Thutmosis III, and dates from the reign of Queen Hatshepsut. In Ancient Egypt, the goddess Hathor is generally represented either... 

 MM212 Says:  The vast middle terrace of the Temple of Hatshepsut contains the more interesting features of the temple. The northern end, along the cliff is unfinished portico with multiple columns. The adjacent corner of the terrace, facing east, is the chapel of Anubis with its... 

 MM212 Says:  In the glory days of the Temple of Hatshepsut, the lower or first terrace was the grand entrance into the temple. The vast area was once planted with trees brought back from the Queen's expedition in the Land of Punt (thought to be Ethiopia or Somalia) and an impressive... 

 Kuznetsov_Sergey Says:  The Valley is situated 2 kilometers to the North of the Hatshepsut Temple (about 10 kilometers from Luxor). It is possible to reach the valley by bus or by car. Parking and entrance in the valley are on the distance about a kilometer from the tombs. This distance can be... 

 MM212 Says:  While I did not try it, a hot air balloon ride above the Necropolis of Thebes seems like a fun idea. It is popular among visitors and probably gives excellent perspective over the varied layout of the land. Perhaps on my next visit!