the pilgrimage to Abydos of Userhat

The flotilla consists of five boats. The deceased's barque is the smallest of the five and is situated in the middle. It is surmounted by a white catafalque which covers the mummy and its coffin. The four other barques serve to haul the one with coffin. These have wooden cabins on their decks, whose sides have been painted. Close to the prow is a small platform , surrounded by boards, where the pilot and the depth sounder stand . At the stern is a helmsman. Notice that, the stern of the vessels are decorated with the usual papyrus umbel, the prow includes rare representations of the head of a lion.

The barque situated behind the one with the deceased shows the rowers in action, which confirms (as well as the absence of a sail) that the boat is moving down and across the Nile from Thebes. At its prow a small scene takes place, very much full of life, which shows the depth sounder (for whom the artist has forgotten to represent the depth gauge) and the pilot.
 
The pilot is turned towards the rear, and, with his right hand elevated, give his instructions to the helmsman. Obviously about avoiding grounding on one of the innumerable and moving sandbars of the river. Several men are seated on the cabin, located in the middle of the boat, possibly waiting to resume their task within the funeral cortege; unless they are sailors at a loose end?




Did Userhat make this pilgrimage during his lifetime? It is impossible to know. But, no matter! Because having represented it on the wall of his tomb, the activation of the Egyptian image gives it reality, not only once, but renewed during eternity.

a very strange horse, but still magnificent.

porters bring various goods: baskets, chests, fans, stands, canes, vases, chairs, etc. They also bring a chariot,  but this has been disassembled . One of the horses,  presents a very strange image, totally in disproportion, but still magnificent.

The funeral procession in the tomb of userehat

during the celebration of the ritual of the opening of the mouth, performed by a sem-priest dressed of a leopard skin. He has survived the damage and is attended by a lector-priest. In front of them are the necessary implements for the ritual and the chest which contained them, as well as offerings and traditional aromatics. Behind the two priests are the mourners, whose representations have not been finished. Nevertheless, the group of three crouching women, who hold their left hands on their heads (a gesture signifying that they cover themselves with dust), present a certain something which draws attention to them  Several more female mourners stand behind them.

Behind them arrives the long procession. It is necessary to understand that it is on the path leading to the tomb, and that close to it, small light buildings would have been constructed to place the offerings. These are displayed above the procession depicted in the two registers.

The first six men carry on their shoulders a yoke which they support with their right hand. At either end is a white basket. In their left hand they hold a jar . Above the second and third man is represented a pond with lotus flowers.
Behind the six porters, are (four?) oxen, which assist three men to pull a sledge. Two drovers direct the animals. The first drover carries a vessel containing water, perhaps intended to ease the runners of the sledge.


Immediately on top of the sledge is a representation of a sacred barque, on which rests the coffin of Userhat, containing his mummy; this is in a catafalque whose roof has the shape of a primitive sanctuary of the Old Kingdom. A red and white striped canvas is stretched over it. (Note the amazing ability in ancient Egyptian art and representation, for the deceased to be in two places at once. Also we have no knowledge of a representation with this colourful motif in any other tomb.) The catafalque is watched over at the front and at the rear by two goddesses, each holding a papyrus stem; These are of course Isis and Nephthys, who watch over the deceased, the new Osiris, as they did for their brother, husband and lover, Osiris himself.
Six colleagues of Userhat follow the sledge, to which it is necessary to add the five mentioned previously on the adjacent section of the north wall  All are hold their right wrist with their left hand.

Directly below the sledge, in the same area as the stored offerings of the middle register, five men pull a smaller sledge on which is the chest containing the canopic jars. These contain the mummified viscera of the deceased. This is really the continuation of the upper register.
Behind the sledge with the canopic jars are two servants, who belong to the beginning (left) of the register below. On the adjacent north wall (as previously mentioned) are two registers of women who all hold their bent left arm with their right hand . Their identity is unknown and certainly not specified, but in any case, these are ladies of quality, who could be relatives of the deceased or his wife. They certainly belong somewhere in the procession, but where exactly?

The scene of the Polyomyelitis in the tomb of Userhat

No one seems to have noticed that the barber on the left presents an atrophy of the lower part of his left leg, which typically indicates an after-effect of polyomyelitis . This shows well on examining the images carefully: the member is atrophied, and the foot didn't disappear into the small damaged area which has removed the feet of the man seated in front of him, but is vertical, with the very obvious heel. The general attitude of the subject is also evocative, and differers from that of his healthy colleague on the right , and the above stated
To date,
 the earliest known representation of this illness is on a stela of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Museum in Copenhagen, the so-called "polio stela". This dates from the end of the 18th or the 19th Dynasty. A photo montage clearly shows the likeness between the attitudes of the characters. 


The scene in the tomb of Userhat dates from the reign of Amenhotep II, and would therefore be the oldest (by a little ...) known representation in the world of the aftermath of poliomyelitis, confirming the existence of this illness in these remote times.

Facsimiles of Egyptian Wall Paintings

Ipuy and Wife Receive Offerings from Their Children (substantially restored)
New Kingdom, Ramesside, Dynasty 19, reign of Ramesses II, ca. 1279–1213 B.C.
Norman de Garis Davies (1865–1941, Egyptian Expedition Graphic Section)
Egypt, Upper Egypt; Thebes, Deir el-Medina (Deir el-Medineh)
Rogers Fund, 1930 (30.4.114)

The Tomb of Family Members of Menkheperre, High Priest of Amun (MMA 60)

Egypt's New Kingdom ended in about 1070 B.C. with the death of Ramesses XI, last king of Dynasty 20. This was followed by several centuries of divided rule known as the Third Intermediate Period. At the beginning of this time, in Dynasty 21, power was shared by a family of pharaohs who were centered at Tanis in the eastern Delta, and by the High Priests of the god Amun at Thebes, who also used the title "king."

During the long tenure of the fourth High Priest of Amun, Menkheperre (ca. 1045–992 B.C.), a tomb was carved into the rocky slope just north of the enclosure wall of Hatshepsut's temple at Deir el-Bahri. This tomb was used over a number of generations by Menkheperre's family, but eventually it was entered by ancient robbers. Over the millennia, tons of debris washed into the tomb and when it was discovered in the late winter of 1924, it took many days of digging through compacted sand and crumbling rock before the Museum's excavators found the original burial chamber, which contained six coffins. One was inscribed for Henettawy, daughter of "king" Painedjem I (first of the High Priests of Dynasty 21); one belonged to a princess Henettawy, probably a daughter of the High Priest Menkheperre; a third recorded the name Djedmutesankh, probably Menkheperre's wife or daughter. These three women were also buried with boxes of shabtis—funerary figurines intended as substitute labor for the deceased in the afterlife—and with papyrus scrolls, or Books of the Dead, inscribed with spells to help the spirit negotiate the perilous journey to the afterworld.

A number of other individuals had also been buried in the tomb, but their connections with the High Priests are not known.

The Tomb of Henettawy (MMA 59)

Earlier in the 1923–24 excavation season, the burial place of yet another Henettawy (a popular name in Dynasty 21) had been found in the area north of Hatshepsut's temple. This tomb originally was prepared in the time of Hatshepsut for a man named Minmose, but his burial had been ransacked by thieves sometime before the tomb was reused for Henettawy.
Like the female relatives of the High Priests found in MMA tomb 60, this Henettawy participated in religious ceremonies as a Singer of Amun. As far as we know, however, she was not related to the High Priests. In Dynasty 21, coffins were sometimes the only piece of funerary equipment that assisted a person's spirit into the afterlife, and they were decorated more elaborately than in earlier periods. Although nothing else was found in her tomb, Henettawy's pair of nested coffins and mummy cover are superb examples of the coffin-maker's art and a visual testament to Henettawy's high status.

Lower Asasif, Thebes

In the second half of the Middle Kingdom (about 1900–1800 B.C.), a large tomb with a pillared portico and courtyard was carved into the bedrock at the eastern end of the Asasif valley in western Thebes. Eventually, the original burials were looted and the tomb itself was adapted for reuse as a cemetery that was active for several generations around the beginning of the New Kingdom (ca. 1550 B.C.). This cemetery was covered over early in the joint reign of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III (ca. 1470 B.C.), when the courtyard was filled and a causeway leading to Hatshepsut's temple at Deir el-Bahri was constructed.

In the early twentieth century, Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon discovered and excavated the northern half of the courtyard. A few years later, in the 1915–16 season, Ambrose Lansing, who oversaw the Metropolitan Museum's excavations during World War I, cleared the southern half of the courtyard. Lansing's efforts were rewarded with the discovery of numerous intact burials dating from late Dynasty 17 to early Dynasty 18.

This important transitional period encompasses the time when a family of Theban rulers (Dynasty 17) succeeded in reunifying Egypt under a single king, Ahmose, who ushered in the New Kingdom. Objects from these excavations that came to the Museum in the division of finds may be seen in Egyptian galleries 114 and 117.

In January 1935, while excavating near the eastern end of Hatshepsut's causeway, Museum excavators Ambrose Lansing and William C. Hayes discovered the family tomb of Neferkhawt, a scribe who served Hatshesput when she was a princess during the reign of her father, Thutmose I (ca. 1490 B.C.). The tomb had been used over several generations before it was covered by a causeway built by Hatshesput's nephew, Thutmose III, in about 1435 B.C.

The occupants included Neferkhawt and his wife, Rennefer, both elderly when they died; their daughter Ruyu and son Amenemhat, who also lived long lives; and a man named Bakamun, perhaps Ruyu's husband. An adult woman and four children, presumably also Neferkhawt's relatives, had been placed in the tomb some years later.

Neferkhawt's tomb was cut into crumbling bedrock at the edge of the desert near cultivated land. Over the centuries, groundwater and insects had largely destroyed the coffins and other wooden tomb furnishings, but careful recording and removal of the remains allowed excavators to reconstruct, at least on paper, almost all the contents of this otherwise intact tomb.
 
These objects reflect a gradual change in the style of funerary furnishings, personal ornaments, and possessions over a period of about half a century in the early New Kingdom.
 

the hunting of the oxen

Tom Hanks arrives in Egypt to film at Red Sea resort of Hurghada

Popular and renowned American actor Tom Hanks has arrived in Egypt to shoot scenes in Hurghada.

The scenes, which will be shot for ‘A Hologram for the King,’ are expected to feature Hurghada’s beautiful Red Sea corals and more.

‘A Hologram for the King,’ a film by German Director Tom Tykwer and starring Tom Hanks, is based on a 2012 novel by Dave Eggers which tells the story of a failed American salesman who travels to Saudi Arabia in an attempt to recoup his losses and sell an idea of his to a wealthy monarch.

The announcement of Tom Hanks filming in Egypt was made by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism on Wednesday.

 

Egypt has faced a decline in the number of tourists visiting the country since the January 25 revolution in 2011. Tourists visiting Egypt in June declined 20.5 percent compared to the same period last year, reported the Ministry of Tourism.

 

The first half of 2014 saw just 4.4 million tourists visiting Egypt. The tourism industry in Egypt employs millions of Egyptians and is an integral source of income for Egypt’s economy.

Totally Looks Like

Medinet Habu Scene

The Egyptians, supported by the Pereset and the Peoples of the Sea, assault the Libyans. Observe the headgear, the small shields of the Peoples of the Sea. This reflects the changes in military hardware introduced by the Greek general Iphicrates. The story of this war is written up in the `History by Diodorus', and `Pereset' are identified in the Canopus Decree.
Das Bild zeigt das die Ägypter, von den Pereseten und den Seeleuten unterstützt gegen die Lybier kämpften. Seht euch ihre Helme und die kleinen Schilder der Seevölker Soldaten an. Dies weist darauf hin wie der Griechische General Iphicrates neue Bewaffnung einführte wie es in der Geschichte des Diodorus' erklärt wird





The Egyptians fight, with the assistance of the Peoples of the Sea, against the soldiers of the Pereset. This reflects the situation as it existed when the Greek admiral Chabrias was in Egyptian mercenary service and the Persians were ejected from Egypt as described by the Greek historian Diodorus. Closer inspection shows Egyptian soldiers holding shields in front of themselves with a stick like weapon attacking retreating `Prst' soldiers holding spears. The Egyptian weapons in this case could be some sort of narrow bladed cutting weapon. Since they are not shown with a ball at the end they probably were not mazes. A comparison with other sections on these reliefs shows the main weapons of the Egyptians were archery, spears and a sort of club in one case. Overall it appears that these reliefs seem to suggest that Ramses is bragging about his victory obtained not so much because of the weapons used but by divine providence perhaps and his own efforts. While the Papyrus Harris contains long lists of perishable items it contains nothing on military hardware.
From the walls of the temple of Ramses III at Medinet Habu. .

King Sahure and a nome god

This is the only preserved three-dimensional representation that has been identified as Sahure, the second ruler of Dynasty 5. Seated on a throne, the king is accompanied by a smaller male figure personifying the local god of the Coptite nome, the fifth nome (province) of Upper Egypt. This deity offers the king an ankh (hieroglyph meaning "life") with his left hand. The nome standard, with its double-falcon emblem, is carved above the god's head. Sahure wears the nemes headcloth and straight false beard of a living pharaoh. The flaring hood of the uraeus, the cobra goddess who protected Egyptian kings, is visible on his brow. The nome god wears the archaic wig and curling beard of a deity.
The statue may have been intended to decorate the king's pyramid complex at Abusir, about fifteen miles south of Giza. At the end of the previous dynasty, multiple statues of this type were placed in the temple of Menkaure (Mycerinus) to symbolize the gathering of nome gods from Upper and Lower Egypt around the king. However, since no other statues of this type are preserved from Sahure's reign, it is possible that this statue was a royal dedication in one of the temples in Coptos (modern Qift).

Two Vases in the Shape of a Mother Monkey with Her Young

These cosmetic vessels were intended to hold some sort of perfumed oil. The form, depicting a mother monkey holding her baby against her chest, is related to the contents of the jars. Monkeys came to Egypt through trade with countries to the south along the Red Sea coast and in what are now Sudan and Ethiopia. These areas also provided spices and other ingredients that the Egyptians mixed with cosmetic oils and ointments. The maternal image was a symbol of rebirth and renewal, recurring concepts in the Egyptian belief system.
The vases were undoubtedly made in the royal workshops of Dynasty 6, toward the end of the Old Kingdom. The larger vase is inscribed with the name of Merenre I. The smaller one had the name of his father, Pepi I, who seems to have presented it to a female official as a gift commemorating his thirty-year festival.
Although they were made by sculptors working within a decade of one another, using the same medium and interpreting the same theme, these vases show remarkable variation. In the larger jar, the mother monkey sits stiffly upright, her arms and legs rendered in a very abstract, linear fashion. The smaller example is livelier, with a more naturalistic treatment of the mother animal bending over her infant. In spite of the difference in style, both vessels indicate the keen interest and observation with which ancient Egyptian artists represented the natural world around them.

Relief of Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II

Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II, a member of the ruling family of Thebes, reunited Egypt at the end of the First Intermediate Period, becoming the founder of the Middle Kingdom. During his reign (ca. 2051–2030 B.C.), he constructed an innovative mortuary complex that included a terraced temple with porticoes set against the desert cliffs of western Thebes. The temple was decorated with scenes executed in superbly carved relief painted in brilliant colors. In this detail of a well-preserved fragment, the king is shown wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt, a broad collar of blue and green beads, and a false beard attached by the strap visible along his jawline. This is not the straight beard of the living king but the curving divine beard indicating that he has joined the ranks of the gods. The name Mentuhotep ("Montu [a local Theban god] is satisfied") is enclosed in the oval-shaped cartouche in front of his face, and his Horus name, Sematawy ("Uniter of the Two Lands [Upper and Lower Egypt]"), is seen at the top of the rectangular device—known as a serekh—next to the cartouche.
Mentuhotep II was regarded by later generations of Egyptians as one of their greatest kings and we know that his mortuary temple was still in use during Dynasty 19, more than seven centuries after the king's death, when some of the reliefs were restored. The temple was eventually destroyed in an earthquake and was partially buried by debris from the cliffs above.

Sa sign

 
Sa sign, Dynasty 11, reign of Mentuhotep II, ca. 2051–2000 b.c.
Egyptian; Thebes, Mentuhotep Temple, North Triangular Court, Pit 23
Electrum, silver

This hieroglyph, depicting a shepherd's rolled-up shelter, means protection. It was used regularly as an amulet and carried by certain deities, especially the Bes image and Taweret.

Stela of King Intef II Wahankh

Horus Wah-ankh Intef II was the third king of Dynasty 11, a period when Egypt was not unified under one ruler. Intef II engaged in numerous battles with the rival rulers of Heracleopolis (the capital of the northern part of the country) and eventually secured control over southern Egypt, from Abydos to Aswan. This laid the foundation for the reunification of the country under King Mentuhotep II

This stele was probably one of a number of small stela set up in the courtyard of his tomb at Thebes. The king presents a bowl of beer and a jug of milk to the god Re and the goddess Hathor. He is wearing a minutely pleated kilt, heavy broad collar and elaborately curled wig. The figure is well carved in very high raised relief. The text of the stele includes a request to Re for protection during the night and a hymn of praise to Hathor as well as a prayer for mortuary offerings.

Sail up the Nile in authentic Victorian style-3 nights Dahabiah

This is a private tour designed primarily for the visitor who wants a truly unique experience. It is offered as a 3, 4 or 5 night trip, sailing from Luxor (Esna) to Aswan on board the historic dahabeyah .

Day 1
You will be picked up at your hotel in Luxor at 10:00 am and be driven to Esna where you will visit the Temple of Khnum and then board the Dahabiah. You will have lunch on board and begin to sail South.
D - on board
Overnight - The Dahabiah between Esna and Edfu
Day 2
Your day will begin by sailing to Edfu where horse drawn carriages will take you from the boat to the Temple of Horus, one of the best preserved in Egypt. After visiting the Temple you will return to the boat for lunch and continue sailing south.
B,L,D - on board
Overnight - Dahabiah between Gebel Silsila and Kom Ombo .
Day 3
We will then continue sailing until you reach Kom Ombo.  Here you will disembark and visit the twin Temples of Horus and Sobek. Your van will take you to Aswan.
B,L - on board. 

This tour can be scheduled to begin on any day of the year. It is for private parties (family or friends) who enjoy close times together. This is our most exclusive tour but it is still reasonably priced .

to book a trip :please contact :sales@egyptnilecruises.net
or visit our website :www.egyptnilecruises.net