Egypt

Egypt

Cairo, Day 1, Part 1 of 3: the Alabaster Mosque of Muhammad Ali (no, not THAT one)

Before the five-times-day prayers, and especially before the big Friday service, Muslims are expected to wash face, hands and other body parts. This is a fountain in the courtyard ( not currently flowing as the whole place is under renovation) with low benches in front of spigots along the base for this ritual cleansing.
Inside the ceiling of the purifying fountain.
Because of renovations there are no carpets. Ordinarily carpets would cover the entire space to make the prayer prostrations more comfortable.
At the Friday services, back before there were microphones) the Imam would sit at the top of the stairs to deliver his sermon.

Cairo, Day 1; Part 2 of 3: The (old) Cairo Museum, not far from Tahrir Square. We weren’t allowed to take photos in the room with everything recovered from King Tutankhamen’s tomb. I was awed to stand directly in front of the famous bust of King Tut with the inlaid stones and gold and alabaster surfaces.

This carving is only about 4” tall.
A typical sight. Note the baseball cap hung on her purse strap. And of course the ubiquitous cell phone.

Cairo, Day 1; Part 3 of 3: Khan el Khalili Market

Our tour guide, Rasha, in the red shirt. Note the man in the foreground. He was never been introduced but is always shadowing us keeping an eye on everyone. Note the side arm discreetly hiding under his jacket on his right hip.
This guy is spinning cotton candy onto a stick.
A tea seller.
A look inside a mosque with prayers in progress
I call him a bread head. Saw several of them.

Cairo, Day 2; Part 1 of 3: the grounds of the Step Pyramid. Be sure to read the captions.

On the plateau of the Step PyramidOn the way to the pyramids to the southwest of downtown Cairo you pass through some slums. These are illegal dwellings. When it was decided to widen the freeway the parts of the buildings that were in the new path were simply shorn off leaving the interiors exposed. Makes for very interesting “found art.” We were told that the government built new housing for those that were displaced farther out, to the dismay of those citizens who are now at a greater distance from work and families.
On the plateau of the Step Pyramid
We had time to walk around the Step Pyramid before seeing smaller tombs at the site. At the back side I was shanghaied into riding this camel, even though I knew there would be a free camel ride later in the day. Fun!
Note the cobra friezes along the top of this wall.
The cobras guarding the entrance to the Southern Tombs across from the Step Pyramid.
Note the Step Pyramid motif in the metal railing
The entrance to the tomb of King Umas
There are hieroglyphs carved into the walls and stars on the ceiling.
This is the King Umas’ name
We then entered the tomb of the princess Sesheshet Idut. Here the hieroglyphs, all bas relief carvings were also painted with natural pigments such as red and yellow ochre. This shows a boat on the water with fish swimming beneath.
Fishermen casting a net at the left and a line with hooks at the right.
Perhaps the most famous image in this tomb: a female hippo giving birth and a crocodile just waiting to feast on the newborn.
Slaughtering a cow or an ox

Cairo, Day 2; Part 2 of 3: visiting the carpet school

On the road to and from the Step Pyramid there are many date palms. The fruit is getting ready to harvest in the next month. There are two kinds; red and yellow.
They hand tie the individual colored threads into the warp threads following a pattern on graph paper showing exactly which color goes in each pixel (if you will)
Here is the pattern showing which colors go in the grid. There can be from 250 to 500 knots in each square inch depending on the skill of the weaver and desired quality.
A different form of carpet weaving (more freehand they explained) using a simple loom. The boy is the seven-year-old son of the master shearer.

Cairo, Day 2; Part 3 of 3: visiting the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx

The Sphinx is smaller then I expected, but still quite impressive.
I was very happy with the new clothes I bought specially for this day, much of it outdoors in 98 degree weather. My hat, shirt (from Outdoor Research) and pants (from Patagonia) all have SPF incorporated into the fabric. The shirt and pants are lightweight and stretchy with zippered pockets. I loved how the hat remained snuggly but comfortably on my head—there was a light breeze—while giving good coverage.
Then this happened
Not only are there dogs at all of these sites but this photo shows you the scale of stone blocks next to the seated men. How many tons all transported and placed by hand?!
I just love the vibrant yellow of the dress on the right.
And here is my #1 favorite shot of the day.
The runner up for my favorite image of the day. Getting the stink eye!

Egypt Day 3: Luxor (1 of 2; Karnak Temple)

The day began with a 5am wake up call so we could get some coffee and a bite to eat before heading to the airport for a 50 minute flight south to Luxor.

We left our luggage at the carousel, after verifying that all had arrived, for the cruise folks to deliver to our state rooms. We then headed off to the first of two ancient temple sites, which it turns out are connected by a 2 mile long boulevard lined with 1,054 sphinxes. It took them 70 years to excavate the entire path and just last year celebrated its completion. More on this in the next post.

The Karnak Temple (I kept expecting Johnny Carson to show up) is one of the largest complexes of its kind. It was largely rubble when first discovered and has been carefully reconstructed with work continuing.

There is SO MUCH history I can’t keep it all straight. This temple was begun by Seti I, and later expanded by Ramses III, and has temples to Amenhotep III and other gods. It’s all about celebrating Amon-Ra the Sun God. There are a few captions but I’ll just let you enjoy the images and marvel at the scale of columns, the hieroglyphs, and the amazing reconstruction work.

The obelisk of Hatshepsut, the most important female pharaoh who reigned for 64 years.
One has to be reminded that originally everything was brightly painted. Our guide suggested that this was an escape from the starkness of the monochromatic desert. It’s a wonder that some of the pigment remains.
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We were taken to a visitor center (which is just behind the prior image of the sphinxes) to view a documentary about the ancient Egyptians and their advanced understanding of science and the planetary system, etc. Outside of that building was this wonderful frieze—which appears to be the backdrop for an outdoor performing space—of musicians and dancers.
Not all of the puzzle pieces have found their correct location (yet).
The scale model of the complex which is over a mile on each side.
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This is the north end of the Avenue of the Sphinxes which runs south, for almost 2 miles, to the Luxor Temple.
A mosque spotted on the way to the airport.
The entrance is lined with these sphinxes. These have rams heads, but some have lions heads.

Egypt Day 3: Luxor (2 of 2: Luxor Temple)

As you saw from the Karnak Temple photos there was bright sun and no wind. It was about 96°, not much shade to escape to, and the pavement radiated heat. Brutal!!!

So it was nice to be delivered to our brand new (this is its maiden voyage) cruise ship, the Viking Osiris for lunch and a nap in air conditioned staterooms.

Then at 5:30 in the evening, when the temperature was now 106°, we took a 10-minute bus ride to the Luxor Temple. This one is more to do with Ramses II, and again has been reconstructed from rubble and vandalism.

The scale of everything here is huge!
The photo in the back, from 1949, shows how just a few sphinx heads were still above the surface. No wonder it took 70 years to complete the excavation process.
A column from the later Greco-Roman era (332 BC-364 AD) that combines Corinthian and Ionic capital styles.
The Avenue of the Sphinxes at night
Notice at the lower left those seems to be bears that are protecting the entrance.
I wish I could remember all of the stories that are being told in these amazing panels.
But first we had to do the mandatory fire drill and life preserver practice that every cruise begins with.
The Luxor Temple is right on the banks of the river. It is not nearly as big as the Karnak Temple. Just outside it’s walls the city of Luxor is bustling, including this mosque. It was fun to hear the call to evening prayers being broadcast across the area.
Many statues of Ramses and others show the left foot stepping forward. This symbolizes military strength and power. Think of armies marching “Left, right, left, right.”
This is interesting. Note the lower third has one kind of rock and formation. Later a second temple was built on top of it (the middle third) before a more recent mosque was built on top of that.
This is the south end of the Avenue of the Sphinxes. Remember it runs nearly two miles and is lined with 1,054 small sphinxes (that they know of; there might 1300 or more). Perhaps the people at the left will give you an idea of their size.
At the Luxor Temple.

Egypt, Day 4: Dendera Temple

Opting not to do the hot air balloon ride, which required a 3:00am wake up and cost $$$ extra, we had a wonderful sleep and leisurely morning.

Once that group was safely back on board (reporting that the experience had been wonderful) we began cruising for the first time heading north for an hour or so. The destination was a small town called Qena where buses were ready to drive us to the Dendera Temple.

While the Karnak and Luxor Temples were amazing, I was even more taken with this experience! Dating from a later period, the Greco-Roman era (332BC-364AD), this temple is more intact and the floors and ceilings, also covered with hieroglyphs, are revealed in a more complete and colorful way. This is in part due to the fact that it is an out-of-the-way place so it was not as ransacked or pillaged to use the rocks for other purposes as the other temples had been.

I’m not sure the photos will give the sense of how impressed I was, nor can I repeat all the stories of the gods represented. But it is interesting to know that Cleopatra VII (yes, the Elizabeth Taylor one) is honored here.

Begun under a prior ruler the temple was completed by Ptolemy, one of Cleopatra’s early husbands. It is a shrine to the goddess Hathor who was the wife of Horas. Horus has his own temple at Edfu, but it was believed that every year they would have a “happy reunion” which was the start of the flood season on the Nile.

Anyway, it is where the resurrection of the god Osiris was celebrated and contains a large map of the sky including the Zodiac of Dendera.

Once again I’ve included many captions to help guide the tour.

For scale this gives you an idea of the size of the 18 columns in the entry hall. Note the colors everywhere that would have been quite vibrant originally.
I captured this shot because I liked this border that repeats an image of the ankh (life) and the pterodactyl (abundance).
There is speculation that the odd slits in this wall is where the stone carvers sharpened their blades.
This is Horus again with his pterodactyl staff.
Perhaps you all knew this but somehow I had the idea that each image-a bird, lion, stick, feather, etc—represented a word, so that the series created a sentence. But I learned today that within the cartouche, the oval “nameplate,” each image represents a sound (a letter). On the right the top image is the P sound and the square beneath it is “to,” then the L sound, etc, so that reading it top to bottom it clearly says Ptolemy. On the left is Cleopatra’s name.
I just like this image. Looks like he’s smoking a pipe.
Once at the bottom I turned around and saw a straggler beginning his descent. Even the walls in these passageways for the servants are fully carved with hieroglyphs.
On the rear wall of the temple here is Cleopatra on the left and Ptolemy.
Before restoration began this is what it looked like. This room is yet to receive careful removal of layers of soot and grime.
Once on the roof we had a view of un-excavated parts of the temple grounds.
This is the steeper descending ramp.
After visiting the inner sanctum we were taken up to the roof where the incense and other supplies for liturgical processions were stored. There is one pathway up, gentle ramps leading around a square tower like a ziggurat, and a steeper single ramp for the way down. On our way up the easy ramp I noticed this clever window design that lets light in, but not too much heat, while expanding in size through the wall to better disperse the illumination.
And for you cat worshippers…
This is Horus in a position representing military victory, smiting the enemy.
Stepping off the bus I wasn’t sure what to expect. Oh, and it was 108°. It was like walking through a sauna for 90 minutes.
It’s a little hard to tell but the zodiac is represented across the ceiling. Because I’m a Libra I decided to capture this section. Note the scales over the earth in the center toward the top.
Once inside there were incredible hieroglyphs on all surfaces. Some of the original pigment is still there.
Getting closer to the entrance revealed some promising features.
On the wall above Cleo and Pto these lions adorn water spouts for roof drainage.
Passing through the large entry court with those huge columns one enters some of the inner chapels. Again all of the pictures tell stories that a trained eye can read.
I rotated the angle to make it clearer. This is the sky god protecting the earth. Her fingers touch the ground at one end of the hall and her body runs along the edge over many people, animals, boats and other images. At the far end (not shown) she bends at the waist and her feet touch the ground to complete the protecting arch.

Egypt, Day 5: Valley of the Kings

Well, today was a big day on the itinerary.

I was somewhat surprised to have noticed some hills set back beyond the fertile zones on either side of the river as we sailed yesterday. This morning at 8:00 we loaded onto buses for a 45 minute drive to the west side, down and around to the back of one of these hills. It is fascinating how abruptly the landscape changes once you pass beyond the “green zone.”

Now very arid and starkly pale yellow, with absolutely nothing growing, we drove up and through this moonscape to a parking area tucked back in a seemingly undiscoverable place. But it turns out that from the beginning of the era of digging into the sandstone hillsides to create burial chambers for the pharaohs and their families, the locals knew what was here. The looting of the tombs has gone on from the start. In fact some famines built houses on top of the tomb entrances to protect themselves from other vandals as they dug down in search of riches.

It was another 108° day so we were grateful that the visitor center/entrance was air conditioned as we viewed the clever scale model of the valley which labels the 63 tomb entrances and then shows, on the under side, where, in what direction it was dug, and the size of each tomb complex. These are also to scale.

My bus group went first to the tomb of Ramses III. I was surprised at how broad and high the entry passageway was.

Next stop, a bit further up the canyon was King Tut’s tomb. Because of the millennia of looting this particular tomb is such a big deal because when it was found in 1922, it was still intact. The original colors of the paintings and hieroglyphs are present. Everything about the excavation was well documented by Howard Carter and his team. While most of the contents of the tomb are now in a special room (with low lighting) in the Cairo Museum, King Tut’s actual scull and feet bones are displayed here!

Then we drove down and around to the Valley of the Queens where we visited the grand, reconstructed terraced entrance to Hatshepsut’s tomb. She was one of the most powerful female pharaohs, ruling for 21 years, and claimed her authority by wearing men’s clothing, including the ceremonial beard that was tied by a string to the heads of the pharaohs.

Finally the big climactic moment (as if we hadn’t had many already) was the tomb of Nefartiri (not Nefartiti), the favorite of Ramses II’s 24 wives. The name Nefartiri means “the most beautiful of all time.”

This tomb was discovered in the mid 20th century and it too has incredibly vibrant paintings. In fact when it was realized that the presence of tourists bringing humidity and CO2 into the tomb was affecting the paintings the tomb was closed in 1995. Later, the Getty Foundation came in and used a 3% polymer solution to coat the walls to protect them. Thanks to this work in recent years it has reopened. However the number of visitors is extremely limited. It is a big deal that Viking is the only cruise line to secure tickets for their guests.

If you scroll to the bottom you’ll see how our day ended.

The scale model of the Valley of the Kings. Each entry point is marked.
Underneath it shows the tomb passageways and rooms.
Note the second item on the prohibition list.
Walking up the hill in extreme heat.
Entering the tomb of Ramses III.
The Scarab brings good luck.
The actual location of the sarcophagus with all the servants and protecting gods depicted on the walls.
The bad spirits have been decapitated.
Here we are with King Tut! (Cue Steve Martin!)
The baboons protect the hours.
When found he was inside four sarcophaguses stacked like nesting dolls. They have all been removed but these bones have been left here inside a hermetically sealed case.
Offering incense and “rejuvenating liquids.” My first thought was that it looked like communion.
This is now approaching Hatshepsut’s grand tomb. While the tomb itself is dug into the wall on the third level, this extravagant entrance (now reconstructed) greeted visitors.
All of the archeological sites have a heavy presence of armed guards. This is both comforting and disturbing at the same time.
We are now in Nefartiri’s tomb.
The colors and vibrancy are astounding!
Note the guard in the lower left. He is pointing out that the dog on this side of the passageway is smiling…
…while this one, across from it, is not.
Not sure I remember the story completely but this was presented as a board game that Nefartiri’s soul played, winning points to ensure her safe passage into the afterlife.
After dinner this happened; an Egyptian styled Whirling Dervish dancer accompanied by this ensemble. The electronic keyboard simulated the sounds of what I imagine a HIP (historically informed performance) ensemble would produce aided by the two drummers to further the illusion.
But wait; there’s more!
He finally posed for this close up as part of his routine; the skirt still whirling above his head.

Egypt, Day 6: Esna

During dinner last evening the boat left Luxor and began heading south (upstream) eventually going through a lock and then docking on the west bank at Esna.

Our shore excursion today was stepping off the boat directly onto the street at 8:00am (while the temperature was still in the mid-90s) and walking inland for one long block to the Temple of Esna. It is much smaller but has some similarities to the grand temple at Dendera.

By 9:00 our guided tour was complete so I had an hour to roam the streets before the boat departed, exactly at 10:00am, heading further south to Aswan. Sailing the rest of the day, after lunch activities included a falafel cooking demonstration, a presentation on medicine in Ancient Egypt, and a class on hieroglyphics.

Egypt, Day 7; Aswan (1 of 2): Spice Market

Egypt, Day 7 (2 of 2): Aswan outings

You’ve seen my first post from today detailing all the colors of the spice market. On our way there we first drove across the old Aswan Dam on our way to see the new one; the Aswan High Dam. It includes a memorial celebrating the cooperation of the USSR and Egypt in building the dam.

Next was the spice market after which we rode in a felucca—the local, single mast sailboat—back to our cruise ship.

In the evening we went to the sound-and-light show at the Philae Temple. This show was disappointing (I’ve been to some really good ones so jumped at the chance to sign up for this optional excursion) but I’ve included some pics for the color. More on this temple tomorrow as everyone will be given a guided tour during the day.

Stepping onto the felucca. It’s sail is still furled.
Fortunately we were not in the bright sun for this 30 minute ride north from the spice market to where our boat was moored.
Along the way I saw these boys paddling up on surf boards using pieces of plywood (?) about 8” square as paddles.
They were on their way to greet us…
…perhaps to see if there were any easy pickings.
Note the cartouches carved into the giant rock at the lower right.
Another felucca sails by.
We finally approached our boat, the Viking Osiris. It’s a river boat, not an ocean cruiser. Maximum capacity is 82 guests. There are 72 on this, it’s maiden voyage. Last week they did a shake down trip with Viking owner Torstein Hagen whom you’ve all seen on PBS.
Not counting the roof deck our room is on the third level from the top, third balcony from the right.
The crew waits to welcome us back.
Break time on the boat docked next to ours.
Across the river from where we are docked is a small temple on the top of a hill and shrines carved into the sandstone hillside.
At Philae Temple which, like Abu Simbel and other ancient sites has been moved to higher ground as part of creating the High Dam.
Oops, I should have begun with these shots. Atop the High Dam looking north (downstream).

The dam generates most of the power needs for all of Egypt.
The memorial to its completion in 1971.
A look south across Lake Nassar, the giant reservoir that is partly in Sudan as well as Egypt.

Egypt, Day 8: (Part 1 of 2) Morning Excursion

The day began with an excursion to see three very different sites unique to Aswan.

We first boarded motor boats for a ride that seemed very reminiscent of the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland on our way to visit a Nubian Village.

Busses met us there to deliver us to the Philae Temple for a more detailed tour than we had gotten during the Sound-and-Light show last night.

From there we visited the Papyrus Institute for a demonstration and shopping opportunity before retiring to the ship for a rest as we cruised to yet another temple ruins.

Aswan has lots of birds. It is a major stop on the migration pathway.
We passed by the mausoleum of the Aga Khan, the leader of one of the Shiite sects, who died in 1957. The family built the home in front as well as a place to stay when visiting for the anniversary of his passing.
As we approached the Nubian Village the traditional style of building was pointed out. Domed huts such as these are common (although these are new, fancier ones being built for a retreat center). Something about the domed shape helps keep the interior cool(er).
Keep your pistol ready in case the elephant suddenly raises its trunk!
Just kidding, but our driver did pull over so we could see this baby water buffalo.
An egret in front of bulrushes. Our guide, a Coptic Christian, was eager to point out that these are the plants amongst which Moses was hidden when the Pharaoh ordered all first born male children to be killed.
Camels ready to take tourists on a trek.
Even the Egyptians enjoy a vacation.
Once at the village we were invited into a home where traditional Nubian hospitality was offered; sun-baked bread dipped in molasses as well as tea.
Food is stored in bowls hung from the ceiling.
Thatched roofs over vibrantly colored walls make up the touristy front rooms of the house.
The triangular pyramid motif appears often.
Crocodiles are a thing in the Nile, although they only exist now in Lake Nassar on the south side of the High Dam. But the Nubians keep them for our pleasure. These are the baby ones.
And here is the mama
Thankfully his mouth has been tied shut.
Scaly on top, of course, but the underbelly is soft and supple.
This little bird has a nest in the eaves.
From the hospitality house we walked down to the school through the market.
A loom set up for weaving.
It turns out that the blue powder is not a spice. It’s laundry detergent with “blueing” added for “whiter whites.”
At the international school we were greeted with a welcome song.
This summer school includes kid from age 4-12.
Some of the moms wait for class to end for the day.
From there we drove over the old dam to Philae Temple.
Getting to the island where the temple has been relocated involved another motorboat ride. The three mile gap between the two dams is its own lake.

Our guide pointing out where the mostly submerged temple had been (at the pylons in the lake) before UNESCO came in during the 1970s. Over a four year period they reconfigured the landscape on this area of higher ground to resemble, somewhat, the original site of the temple. Then they moved 42,000 blocks of stone and recreated the buildings.
Note the Coptic crosses carved into the stone on either side of the doorway. Around the 3rd century AD, the area was converted to Christianity and the temple was used as a church.
The three tall figures at the right are Osiris, Isis, and Horus. I probably have this wrong but Osiris (air) and his wife Isis (water) gave birth to Horas (earth). They are often represented together; a holy trinity.
In several spots around the site the images of the Egyptian gods have been defaced as they were considered blasphemous.
Then there are many instances of graffiti from various periods. This one dates from 1823.

Isis nursing the baby Horus as Osiris offers gifts?
I think the capital looks like mushrooms. Do you see the veins from the underside of an oyster mushroom?
Feral cats live here.
Our guide paid for the staff to bring out cat food.
Finally we made it to the Papyrus Institute.
Ancient Egypt channels Andy Warhol!
— with Mark Scott Johnson.

Egypt, Day 8 (2 of 2): Pon Ombo Temple

After returning to the ship at 1:30 we had time to rest while we cruised north to Pon Ombo. In this case we docked directly in front of the temple site. We stepped off the boat, climbed a few stairs, and immediately began our tour. Good thing we were close to the ship as it was 109°. In fact one of our elderly shipmates nearly fainted and had to be helped back to the boat by the guards that always follow us.

Everyone is getting templed-out. I began posting silly memes because when I get tired the filters go away.

But I’m glad I went because the tour ended with the museum of mummified crocodiles, perhaps the highlight of the day.

Some of the original colors remain.
Cartouche of Cleopatra.
Cocktail anyone?
This is a site where people would come to consult an oracle. Note the ears of listening.
Every site has a dog.
As we approached you could see the temple and where we would dock in front.
The story of this temple involves two different gods who compromised by creating side-by-side entryways.
One of the main gods represented as a crocodile. Because crocodiles infested the waters of the Nile it was felt that if they were worshipped the gods would be appeased and the people would be kept safe from being eaten by them.

Egypt, Day 9: Temple of Edfu

It was our final day aboard the Viking Osiris. Tomorrow we fly back to Cairo where there will be a visit to the Natl. Museum of Egyptian Civilization before our final dinner with the group. I’ll probably post once more, but today is the end of the cruise.

We had sailed from Pon Ombo to Edfu last evening. Our day began with a new form of transportation; horse and buggy rides from the boat about 1.5 miles through the city on unpaved streets to the temple site.

Down the riverfront about 1/3 mile then a left turn into city streets.
I wasn’t sure if the streets were really dirt roads or if they were in the process of being repaved.

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Most stores open late because the general
population has stayed up late when it cools down a bit and the sun has gone down. But like bakers everywhere these folks have been at it since the wee hours preparing the “daily bread.” Even on the sabbath (today is Friday).
As we neared the temple a race ensued to see which horse could get to the shade first.
And here is the Edfu edifice. It is remarkable how similar in design all of the temples we’ve seen have been. This one has an outer wall, but they all seem to have a broad court facing two high and wide facades connected by a grand entry door. Since they are covered in carvings of the gods and other hieroglyphs telling stories perhaps they are like a movie marquis promoting what is inside.
This temple is dedicated to Horus, often (but not always) depicted as the Falcon god. His headdress shows he is king of all Egypt. The god of the south has a crown that looks like a large ladle with a thick handle and a thin feather with curly cue on the opposite side. The god of the south wears a crown that looks like a bowling pin. Here the two are united.
I’ve seen this at other temples but haven’t reported yet about building additions. Often we have seen inner walls that clearly show the slanted wall, with cornice, of the original building’s exterior. Then later expansions begin set back a foot or so from the original face of the wall before wrapping around to enclose that façade into a new interior court.
I enjoy the detail of the feathers on these pterodactyl’s heads.
This is one panel from a series of similar tableaux, with details changed from panel to panel as the narrative progresses —Scott referred to it as an ancient form of a flip book—that tell a story of Horas being conveyed via boat from the north to meet his wife, Hathor, in a similar boat, coming from the south.
One later Egyptologist decided to create a scale model of what these ships might have looked like in three dimensions based on the wall carvings.
As the tour progressed our guide noted that there are rooms around the edge that were for storing necessary items such as linens, lamp oil and wicks. These rooms are fully “wallpapered” as well.
Part of the story of this temple is that Horus had a brother, Seth, who was jealous of his rank and powers. Seth killed Horas and tore his body into many pieces, disposing of them far and wide. This was so that Horas would not be able to enter into the afterlife. But Hathor was able to find all the pieces so that he could be given a proper burial and attain eternal life.

There are several panels that depict Seth as a hippo being captured and conquered to depict Horas’ victory.
This panel shows Seth, presented at the hippo, on his back, his legs bound in the air, and a spear about to pierce his neck.
These maidens are playing drums in celebration of Horus’ victory.
On the way back to the boat we were again passed by an anxious cab driver.
Later in the day, while relaxing in the lounge, I looked up to members of the piloting crew gather for their midday prayers. I’m not sure they were facing Mecca but they seemed to be performing a ritual act. Charming!
Back in our stateroom we suddenly heard lots of shouting from outside the window. This band of aquatic salesmen had somehow tied their small boats to our ship and were actively trying sell their wares to people on the roof deck.
This wild scene continued even as we entered the old, now out-of-service, lock.
We were continually moving through the lock and somehow they kept from being swamped.
Finally we arrived at the new functioning lock. This one can hold two ships in it’s contained area, and in fact there is a duplicate channel to the right so that it is possible to have fours ships going up it down inside the lock simultaneously. Amazingly, the water transfer is achieved in only 8 minutes.
This is how close we got to the ship ahead of us in the lock. I realized that the boat is designed with a snub nose, not pointed as that of an ocean-going vessel, to facilitate travel through the lock.
Now docked back in Luxor we enjoyed our final sunset on the Nile.

Egypt, Day 10: Cairo Museum

Our final day with the group began with a flight from Luxor back to Cairo followed by lunch at our hotel, this time near the airport.

We truly got our mummies worth in a visit to the new National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC). The large complex opened two years ago and is not fully occupied yet. We were told that only three of seven galleries are in use at this point. The main gallery offered many riches, however, starting from prehistoric times and included contemporary art as well archeological finds.

But the big draw is the exhibition of 20 mummified bodies including that of Ramses II. Like the room displaying all of King Tut’s belongings at the Cairo Museum of Antiquities, this exhibit was darkened and photos were not allowed. So you’ll have to trust my reporting that it was fascinating to see that these people were not as short as I had expected and many had good teeth. Surprisingly many had hair still attached to the skull, in some cases dyed with henna or with hair extensions. The mummy display is a subterranean series of passageways reminiscent of entering the tombs in the Valley of the Kings.