Travel bucket list idea:
Luxor, Upper Egypt, Egypt
While the Tombs in the Valley of the Kings are decorated with the cryptic texts of the Book of the Dead, the Tombs of the Nobles reflect on the daily life led by their ancient inhabitants in the hope that it would continue in the afterlife.
This is a real find – the tombs here are superbly decorated and, in many ways, more evocative and insightful than those of the pharaohs. It’s thankfully unspoilt compared to the Valley of the Kings, as it rarely features on tour group itineraries.
One of the most beautiful tombs belonged to Sennofer. Its ceiling is covered with paintings of vines, while the walls show Sennofer close to his wife overseeing his estate.
Rahmose, governor under two pharaohs during the 14th century BC, never lived to finish his tomb, but the beautiful paintings show him with the pharaoh, Akhnaten, and his funeral procession.
Too small for groups, the tombs of Menna and Nakht have well-preserved and beautifully detailed paintings of farming, fishing and daily life. Nakht’s tomb also has a small museum area.
Stop by Deir al Medina, the nearby base for the people who worked in the Valley of the Kings. In their spare time they built and decorated their own tombs.
On the way to the tombs, look out for locals selling small statues. Ignore their claims of antiquity – they are new – but some are surprisingly well crafted, making good souvenirs.
Many group tours ignore the Nobles’ tombs – there’s too much to see in Luxor. All the better for the independent traveller, arriving by bike, or taxi (you could, of course, arrange a car and guide for a half-day or day and see several sights).
Tickets for these tombs should be bought at the Antiquities Inspectorate office at the crossroads past the Colossi of Memnon. Tickets are sold for groups of two or three tombs.
It’s a climb up the hill to the highest tombs, and down into narrow tomb corridors – not for the claustrophobic.
The site is open all year round, seven days a week.
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