Thebes is an ancient city located in Upper Egypt, near modern Luxor. In ancient times, the Egyptians called their capital "Uast", which means "ruling" ("ruling city"), but the Greeks called it "Thebes" or "Thebes" (do not confuse with Thebes in Greece). Homer mentions the "Thebes of Thebes". Palaces (al-Uksur) called him the Arabs. The ancient Thebans themselves in their texts often referred to their homeland as "Niut", which simply means "city".
First mention
When did the city of Thebes (Egypt) arise? Its history goes back centuries. In texts related to the III millennium BC. e., preserved the first mention of the city. The first of them belong to the reign of the pharaoh Mikerin (Menkaur), who lived around the XXVI century BC. e. But the heyday of this city was preceded by a long history.
Amon Culture Center
In the XXI century BC e. Thebes unites the whole country and becomes the capital of Egypt, however, for a short time. This happened during the reign of the XI dynasty of the Middle Kingdom. In this era, the city began the active construction of monumental sanctuaries to the dead kings and gods. Amon, the local god, acquired the status of a state. Thebes became the religious and political center of the whole power. The state included a significant territory of modern Sudan. Borders reached Libya in the west. At that time, most of the pharaohs for the construction in this city directed a significant part of the resources of ancient Egypt and its many external possessions. The center of Amon's culture was Thebes of Egypt. The largest temples were built here in honor of this ancient god.
Center of theocratic state and monastic movement
After the revival of the city of Memphis, which became the capital of Egypt in the XIV century. BC e., the ancient Thebes (Egypt) retained the role of the largest religious and cultural center of the country even after centuries, up to the time of the Romans. At the beginning of the 1st millennium BC it is the center of a theocratic state that was created in the south of Egypt by the priests of Amun after the collapse of the New Kingdom. It occurred after two uprisings (first - in 205-199 years, then - in 199-186 BC) against the Ptolemies, the Hellenistic dynasty. With the spread of Christianity in the first centuries BC. e. Thebes district has become one of the largest centers of the monastic movement.
A city on the two banks of the Nile
The Romans destroyed, demolished and plundered many of Thebes' buildings. Only scientists and archaeologists from the retinue of Napoleon were able to wake the city from sleep again. Thebes in antiquity was located on two banks of the Nile: eastern and western. First, let’s talk about the eastern.
The old capital of Egypt on the eastern bank of this river was divided into two parts by a canal: the city of Luxor grew in the south and the village of Karnak in the north. On this bank of the river stood two magnificent temples - Luxor (in the photo below) and Karnak, which were connected by alleys of the Sphinxes.
Majestic temple complexes coexisted with luxurious noble houses, palaces, artificial lakes and gardens of rare trees. Gilded needles of obelisks, colossal statues of kings, the tops of temple pylon towers pierced the lapis lazuli sky. Window openings of prosperous houses, lined with green and turquoise faience tiles, peered through the lush green of date palms, sycamore and tamarisks. Leather, vessels with wine, lapis lazuli, so beloved by the Egyptians, works of art brought here the conquered peoples of Syria. From Africa came caravans with ebony, ivory, gold and incense.
On the west bank of the Nile was the residence of the king, as well as a huge necropolis, which is located in the amphitheater of the rocks. Above it towered the Western peak (Dehenet), which is now called "el-Qurn." Meritseger - the snake goddess ("loving silence"), the ruler of this mountain - guarded the peace of the dead. She guarded, according to legend, not only the burials located in the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Kings, but also the tombs of ordinary citizens and nobles. If you are planning to go on an excursion here, it is better to bring a hat, comfortable shoes and a camera with you. Using the camcorder when visiting the Valley of the Pharaohs is prohibited.
Valley of the Pharaohs (Valley of the Kings)
The Valley of the Kings is famous for Thebes (Egypt). The photo is not able to convey all its splendor, preserved today only partially. The patroness of the Valley of the Kings, as we have already said, was the goddess Meritseger. This place was chosen by Pharaoh Thutmose I (from the XXVI dynasty) for his future burial. He, along with Ineni, the court architect, hoped that the tomb in the rocks is better than the pyramids open to all eyes, protected from the thieves. In order to mislead hunters for profit, temples of the dead were laid away from the tombs. There are 42 tombs in the Valley of the Pharaohs. Of these, almost all belong to the pharaohs. Unlike the rulers of the Old Kingdom, whose capital was in Memphis, the Pharaohs from Thebes from the time of the New Kingdom did not build pyramids. Tombs were cut down in the rocks. They sought to hide from prying eyes as carefully as possible. The entrances to the tombs were covered with large stones, and they were bricked up. However, these tricks could not protect them from ruin.
This form of burial for 500 years remained unchanged and improved only slightly. All tombs were erected in a similar way. An inclined corridor, the length of which was 200 meters, was made in the limestone mountain. He went steeply down to a depth of 100 meters. At the end of the corridor were 3 or 4 rooms. The ceilings and walls of rooms and corridors are covered with color drawings, which to this day have not lost their brightness. They talk about the deeds and life of the deceased. Secret falling doors led to the burial chamber. Earthen embankments and hills masked the main entrance.
Of the 64 tombs discovered to date, the most notable are the tombs of Amenhotep II, Thutmose III, Horemheb, Tutankhamun, Seti I, Racees I, Merenptah and others. Almost all of them still in ancient times were plundered. Only the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922 was discovered intact by Howard Carter, an English archaeologist. Tutankhamun died at the age of 19 and was not a historically significant pharaoh, nevertheless, the tomb was filled with jewelry, gold and various treasures.
Valley of the Queen
Thebes (Egypt) is not only the Valley of the Kings. Many other burials can be found on the territory of this city. For example, here is the Valley of the Queens. It should be said that not only the queens were buried in this valley. Here peace was found, except for the mothers and wives of the pharaohs, and the Egyptian princes who died early. Archaeologists in this necropolis managed to find more than 70 tombs. They resemble the tombs of the Valley of the Pharaohs with their appearance, but their size is somewhat smaller.
The capital of ancient Egypt, Thebes, is a place where you can see the painted tomb of Nefertari, the wife of Ramses II. This tomb is very curious. Her wall paintings, from wall to ceiling, illustrate the Book of the Dead. The arch, made in the form of a starry sky, overshadows the funeral chamber. After restoration (in 1995), this tomb was reopened for visiting. However, access is limited: in groups of 10 people let visitors in and only for 10 minutes. Only 150 people have time to examine her per day.
Murals also adorn the walls of the tombs of the sons of Ramses III, Haemuas and Amenherkhepechef, who died early. The colors of wall paintings glow so intensely, as if these paintings were only painted today.
Valley of the nobility (Valley of the nobles)
Many ancient monuments can be found in a country like Egypt. Thebes is no exception. They were the burial place of not only numerous pharaohs and their wives. Also, many courtiers, dignitaries and priests who wanted to stay next to their rulers after death were buried here. Their tombs form the Valley of the nobility - a huge necropolis located along the eastern slope of the mountains. It actually consists of 5 cemeteries, which are grouped around the rock masses of el-Tarif, el-Hoh, Kurnet Murey, Asasif, Dra Abu al-Naga and Sheikh Abd al-Qurna.
Most of these tombs of the city of Thebes (Egypt) date back to the reign of the pharaohs belonging to the XVIII and XIX dynasties. Even the Ancient Kingdom belonged to the first burial places of the Valley. Here they buried in the Middle Kingdom the Theban norms, that is, the governors of the pharaoh who ruled Mr. Wasset. The pharaohs of the XVII dynasty in the second transition period chose Dra Abu al-Naga as the place for their burials. The rulers of the New Kingdom transferred their necropolis to the Valley of the Kings, leaving the eastern part of the highlands to close dignitaries.
The tombs of the nobles, of course, were not as huge as the tombs of the pharaohs, which Egypt (Thebes) is famous for. They consisted, as a rule, of several parts - bounded by the walls of an open courtyard, a sanctuary and a burial chamber that goes underground. Entrance to the courtyard, starting from the XIX dynasty, was made in the form of a pylon, that is, a giant gate, which was an integral part of the architecture of the temples that adorned both the city of Thebes (Egypt) and other cities of this ancient state. Memorial steles were set in the courtyard. In the sanctuaries were statues of the owner of the tomb. The funeral cult of the deceased was sent here - various sacred texts were read, sacrifices were made of his life energy, which was believed to be one of the components of human nature. Tomb cones revetted the upper part of the facade. These were clay “cloves” cylinders walled up in the thickness of the walls along the “caps”. Special seals on their outer side marked the name of the owner of the tomb, as well as his posthumous and earthly titles.
The murals and reliefs of the tombs of the nobles are rightfully considered masterpieces of Egyptian art. Most often, the walls of the tombs of the nobles were decorated with scenes from their lives. The main idea of such paintings was a reflection of the main events in the life of a dignitary, as well as the well-being that he managed to achieve. This was not done for boasting. The Egyptians believed that everything that was captured on the walls of the tomb would surround the deceased in the afterlife and give him joy. The most interesting tombs are located in the necropolis of Sheikh Abd al-Qurn. On the walls of some tombs there are drawings of funeral celebrations with dancers and musicians, court scenes, peasants at work. In most cases, the deceased’s life path is depicted on the left wall, and the burial ceremony is on the others. The valley of the nobility over time has become the burial place of many people. To date, officially opened more than 500 tombs.
Colossi of Memnon
Each tourist on the border of lifeless desert sands and wheat fields is greeted by the Colossi of Memnon in the city of Thebes (Egypt). Excursions here are also very popular. These are giant statues of the local pharaoh Amenhotep III. Once two seated figures, whose height was 18 meters, guarded the entrance to the posthumous temple of this pharaoh, which has not been preserved today. Greco-Roman graffiti was discovered on them, dating back to the reign of Emperor Hadrian. These colossi were once known for the fact that one of them at the dawn uttered a plaintive moan. It was believed that the Ethiopian Memnon, who died at the hands of Achilles during the Trojan War, Eos, the goddess of the morning dawn, who was his mother, welcomed this. After the restoration carried out in 199 AD e. the sounds ceased.
Ramesseum
This does not end with local attractions. Thebes (Egypt) is a city that has a lot to offer tourists. Among other things - a giant memorial temple dedicated to the god Amon, who ordered the construction of Ramses II. Today this temple is called Ramesseum. It has survived to this day in a very ruined state. This temple was erected on the western coast of the city of Thebes (Egypt) by the architect Penra and in antiquity surpassed similar monuments that were built by the pharaohs of the XVIII dynasty in monumentality of design and scale.
The entrance to the ensemble is currently a giant pylon made of sandstone. Its surface was covered with painted reliefs. The scenes of wars with the Hittites of Ramses II were depicted in bas-reliefs. The first yard is located behind the pylon. Its southern wall is also the facade of the palace located here. A staircase led to the second courtyard, located above the first. A giant statue of Ramses, with a height of 20 meters and a weight of about 1 thousand tons, stood on each side of this staircase.
The reception hall with 16 columns occupied the central part of the palace. From here one could get into the throne room and the king’s private chambers. Behind the palace was a women's house. The second courtyard of Ramesseum served as an approach to the memorial church. The courtyard was decorated with porticoes. The column hall had 48 columns. The coloring of their capitals is perfectly preserved. She imitated thickets of papyrus, which was considered the reed of eternal youth. The pantries and the main sanctuary, the cult part of the temple, were located behind the columned hall. The famous library was located in Ramesseum. Diodorus called her the hospital of the soul. In addition, there was a large school of scribes. Archaeologists under the floors of the temple discovered a mine with the burial of a priest from the Middle Kingdom. Magical wands, several papyri, and masks were found in the tomb's burial chamber.
Medinet abu
The capital of Egypt - Thebes - as you have already noticed, this is the burial place of many noble persons of antiquity. We describe another such place. Medinet Abu was once only a quarry intended for the construction of temples and tombs. Ramesses III, taking Ramesseum as a model, decided to build his posthumous temple in the Medinet Abu area. At the entrance to the pylons depicted episodes of victories over the enemies of this pharaoh. To the right of the entrance gate, within the garrison walls, you can see the temple dedicated to the deities of antiquity. To the left are the tombs of the wives of the god Amun.
All these attractions are certainly worth seeing if you are traveling on a trip to Egypt (Thebes). It is one thing to read their description, it is quite another to see with your own eyes. Definitely worth a visit to Egypt. Thebes will especially appeal to lovers of antiquity and the mysteries of history.