We started our next day with a tour booked through our hostel that included visits to the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, and the Temple of Medinet Habu. I loathe taking tours because I like to go at my own pace, but it was a great deal that included all admissions, an air-conditioned van, and transportation across the Nile.
The Valley of the Kings is just that-- a large grouping of tombs for many of the Pharaohs. The tombs are located on the west side of the Nile where the sun sets, or dies, while the ancient town of Thebes (modern Luxor) is/was located on the east side, where the sun rises, or is born. I love the poetry of that. The site was chosen because it was barren and the tombs could be hidden once sealed. Of course that didn't prevent grave robbers, and most were pillaged immediately. That is why King Tut's tomb was such a rare find-- not because he was an important Pharaoh, but because his tomb was never robbed, and therefore everything was intact when it was rediscovered in the 19th century.
Officially there are no photos, even of the grounds outside, but of course we were sneaky
The little building on the top of the mountain is a security outpost. Apparently the Valley used to be dangerous to visit because snipers would enter the grounds and target tourists. Today the Egyptians are to be admired for their effort in protecting tourists, obviously because tourism is such a major portion of the country's economy. Everywhere we went there were police with large machine guns, although thankfully there was never a reason for them to be used. There is even a branch of the police specifically for tourists, identified by their armbands, who are there to protect and help, but also to assist with smaller things, like helping when vendors get too aggressive. We never had reason to fear for our safety, but we also never strayed from the major tourist sites in the area. The road between Cairo and Luxor, for example, is still prohibited to tourists after attacks in the 1990s, and therefore many of the sites in that area are unavailable. The train we took between the two cities is specifically for tourists, and each car has two armed guards posted.
Entrance to the tomb of Ramesses IX. Even though we traveled before the advent of tourist season, there were still a ton of people. Inside the tomb was like a cattle-call, with people walking single file in and out. But the paintings and carvings are beautifully preserved and if you were able to ignore the crowds and intense heat and humidity (about 10º hotter than the outside temp of 115º) then things were wonderful!
Entrance to the tomb of Ramesses III. You had to climb up these stairs, walk a little trail to get to the entrance, and then climb down a bunch of stairs in the tomb itself. Because of this it was a lot less crowded than the others.
The entrance to the tomb itself, taken while the guard went inside for a brief moment. We really wanted to get some photos of the inside, but saw cameras being confiscated by those who tried.
View back out towards the valley
The Valley of the Kings is just that-- a large grouping of tombs for many of the Pharaohs. The tombs are located on the west side of the Nile where the sun sets, or dies, while the ancient town of Thebes (modern Luxor) is/was located on the east side, where the sun rises, or is born. I love the poetry of that. The site was chosen because it was barren and the tombs could be hidden once sealed. Of course that didn't prevent grave robbers, and most were pillaged immediately. That is why King Tut's tomb was such a rare find-- not because he was an important Pharaoh, but because his tomb was never robbed, and therefore everything was intact when it was rediscovered in the 19th century.
Officially there are no photos, even of the grounds outside, but of course we were sneaky
The little building on the top of the mountain is a security outpost. Apparently the Valley used to be dangerous to visit because snipers would enter the grounds and target tourists. Today the Egyptians are to be admired for their effort in protecting tourists, obviously because tourism is such a major portion of the country's economy. Everywhere we went there were police with large machine guns, although thankfully there was never a reason for them to be used. There is even a branch of the police specifically for tourists, identified by their armbands, who are there to protect and help, but also to assist with smaller things, like helping when vendors get too aggressive. We never had reason to fear for our safety, but we also never strayed from the major tourist sites in the area. The road between Cairo and Luxor, for example, is still prohibited to tourists after attacks in the 1990s, and therefore many of the sites in that area are unavailable. The train we took between the two cities is specifically for tourists, and each car has two armed guards posted.
Entrance to the tomb of Ramesses IX. Even though we traveled before the advent of tourist season, there were still a ton of people. Inside the tomb was like a cattle-call, with people walking single file in and out. But the paintings and carvings are beautifully preserved and if you were able to ignore the crowds and intense heat and humidity (about 10º hotter than the outside temp of 115º) then things were wonderful!
Entrance to the tomb of Ramesses III. You had to climb up these stairs, walk a little trail to get to the entrance, and then climb down a bunch of stairs in the tomb itself. Because of this it was a lot less crowded than the others.
The entrance to the tomb itself, taken while the guard went inside for a brief moment. We really wanted to get some photos of the inside, but saw cameras being confiscated by those who tried.
View back out towards the valley
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