Luxor and the Valley of the Kings

The Treasures of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings is a guidebook written by the American archaeologist Kent R. Weeks, who has lived and worked in Egypt for many years. Currently he is Professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo and Director of the Theban Mapping Project.

This volume has been published by the American University in Cairo Press with a slightly different title: The Illustrated Guide to Luxor: Tombs, Temples, and Museums.



The book begins with an introduction which presents the geography and the history of ancient Thebes (modern Luxor). There is also a brief section about Egyptian religion and religious festivals. The main text is divided into six chapters. Here is a brief overview:

** Chapter 1 – Monuments of the East Bank

** Chapter 2 – Memorial Temples

** Chapter 3 – The Valley of the Kings

** Chapter 4 – The Valley of the Queens

** Chapter 5 – The Tombs of the Nobles

** Chapter 6 – Temples outside Thebes

The book concludes with a glossary, a bibliography and an index. The book is fully illustrated with beautiful colour photos and useful maps which show the layout of the tombs and the temples.

If you go to Egypt, you are not allowed to use your camera inside the tombs and the museums. In the book there are photos from these “forbidden” places. These photos are taken by a professional photographer who had a special permit to use his camera in these places.

The author knows his topic very well. His presentations and explanations are much more extensive than the ones you find in a traditional guidebook which covers all of Egypt. Let me give you a few examples:

** The Temples at Karnak: Lonely Planet’s guidebook about Egypt has six pages about this place; while Weeks has 46.

** The Luxor Temple: Lonely Planet has five pages; while Weeks has 20.

** The Memorial Temple for Hatshepsut. Lonely Planet has two pages; while Weeks has 16.

** The tombs of Nefertari and Rameses VI. In each case Lonely Planet has less than one page; while Weeks has 16 about the former and 30 about the latter.

This book is great and not too expensive. I like it, but I have to mention a few minor flaws which bother me:

(1) On page 122 (in the section about the temple of Luxor) Weeks mentions the ancient obelisk that was moved to France, and then he says:

"It arrived in Paris in October, 1833, and its re-erection was witnessed by the king and queen and 200,000 onlookers."

This is not correct: the Egyptian obelisk arrived in Paris in December 1833 (not October); and it was re-erected in the Place de la Concorde almost three years later, on 25 October 1836.

For more information about obelisks please turn to Obelisk: A History (2009).

(2) On pp. 166-169 Weeks describes the Memorial Temple of Amenhotep III and the Colossi of Memnon.  On page 168 he says:

 

“Both colossi are covered with hundreds of Greek and Latin graffiti left by grateful visitors.”

It is good that he mentions the ancient graffiti. But it is a shame that he does not elaborate. There is a lot more to say about this topic. Let me explain:

Two French scholars – André and Etienne Bernand - made a careful study of the two statues more than 50 years ago. They discovered and recorded 107 texts – some very short, some a bit longer, some in Greek, some in Latin. The results of their study can be found in a book published in 1960: Les inscriptions grecques et latines du colosse de Memnon.

Today, these 107 texts can be found on the internet: PHI Greek Inscriptions - Colosse de Memnon. In 2001 André Bernand wrote a brief summary of his old book which was posted on the internet: Les statues chantantes d'Aménophis III.

In some cases we know who wrote the ancient graffiti. Perhaps the most famous author is Julia Balbilla, who was a companion of Vibia Sabina, wife of Hadrian, who was emperor 117-138. Together they visited the monument in November 130. The visit took place just a few weeks after Hadrian's "friend" - the young man Antinous - had drowned in the Nile during mysterious circumstances. Julia wrote four poems which were carved on the right (i.e. the northern) statue. They are published and translated into English in Women Writers of Ancient Greece and Rome edited by Ian Michael Plant (2004) (pp. 151-154).

[Read about Julia Balbilla in Emily Ann Hemelrijk, Matrona Docta: Educated Women in the Roman Elite, pp. 164-170. Read about Hadrian and his visit to the ancient monument in Elisabeth Speller, Following Hadrian: A Second-Century Journey through the Roman Empire, pp. 131-150. Read about Antinous in Royston Lambert, Beloved and God: The Story of Hadrian and Antinous.]

(3) On page 260 (in the section about the tomb of Horemheb) Weeks mentions that the decorations in the tomb are not completed. Some scholars think a new technique slowed down the work. But Weeks does not accept this explanation. Instead he offers the following reason:

"More likely, work on the tomb had started late in the king's twelve-year reign and was not yet finished at the time of his death."

How long did this pharaoh rule? According to the chronology on page 53, Horemheb ruled from 1319 to 1292 BC, i.e. ca. 27 years. So when Weeks talks about Horemheb's twelve-year reign, he is completely off the mark: Horemheb ruled for almost thirty years!

(4) On pp. 540-547 Weeks describes the Temple of Edfu. On page 540 he says: 
 

“For tourists it is the sense of mystery and drama the temple offers that are the big rewards… it is not uncommon that visitors cut short their tour of Edfu because they find its dark and silent interior so evocative of ancient rites that they become unnerved.”

This is nonsense. The temple of Edfu is impressive, but there is absolutely no reason to be scared or “unnerved” when you visit this place. I do not understand why a scholar like Weeks would write something as silly as this.

Apart from these minor flaws, the book is highly recommended.

PS. The author hopes his readers will visit all the sites mentioned here. But he realises that this is wishful thinking. Most readers do not have the time, the money or indeed the desire to visit all the temples and all the tombs presented here. Use this excellent book to plan your visit to Luxor and - once you are in Egypt - to make the most of your visit.

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Kent R. Weeks,

The Treasures of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings,

White Star Books, 2010, 592 pages

 

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Kent R. Weeks is the editor of
Valley of the Kings,
White Star Books, hardcover, 2001, reprinted 2011, 326 pages

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