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Al-Ahram Weekly 7 - 13 October 1999 Issue No. 450 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 7 - 13 October 1999 Issue No. 450
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Interview Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters New tombs in Luxor
By Nevine El-Aref
Restoration works are in full swings in the Valley of the kings in Luxor photos:Al-Ahram
In line with the policy of opening up more tombs on the west bank at Luxor, two more tombs are now undergoing extensive restoration in order that they can be officially opened to the public in November. Work on the tomb of Merenptah, the beloved son of Ramses II, and the tomb of Senmut, the architect of Hatshepsut's terraced mortuary temple at Al-Deir Al-Bahari, will bring the total number of tombs that can be visited at the necropolis to 21 royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens and 36 noblemen's tombs.
Mohamed El-Saghir, head of the Pharaonic department of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), said that the restoration of the tombs started nearly a year ago. "The bulk of the work is already complete," he said. "Our aim has been to counteract the deterioration which resulted from natural causes or the misuse of the tombs by visitors. The tomb walls have now been reinforced, the reliefs and colours consolidated and new wooden stairways, flooring, lighting and special ventilation systems installed."
Glass barriers for both tombs are now being made. "These are to protect the decorations of the inner walls. In addition, wooden sun-shades for the comfort of visitors will be erected beside each tomb," El-Saghir said.
The tombs of Merenptah and Senmut date back to the New Kingdom. The former is one of the most impressive royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings. "It is very large -- more than 120 metres in length -- and it contains the remains of the biggest granite sarcophagus ever found in the valley," El-Saghir said, adding that "despite the fact that the rule of King Merenptah lasted for a mere nine years, he is a very important king. He protected Egypt's borders from what are known as invasions of 'the people of the sea' as well as Libyans and he is the only Pharaoh whose name is mentioned in association with Israel. This is on a famous stele [engraved stone grave marker] found near his funerary temple which is now in Cairo Museum. The text says: 'Israel has been destroyed and their women no longer conceive'."
El-Saghir described Merenptah's tomb as a virtual museum. "It has beautiful reliefs, some coloured and some uncoloured, of the king performing different ceremonies. The ceiling is painted with golden stars on a blue background and the columns of the burial chamber are decorated with fine religious scenes."
The tomb of Senmut, an important official, the famed architect of the terraced mortuary temple of Hatshepsut at Al-Deir Al-Bahari and, reputedly, her lover, "is a wide tomb located beneath the front yard of the temple itself and is 140 metres long," said El-Saghir. "This is the first time that we are opening this beautiful tomb, one of two built by Senmut. His first was constructed at Sheikh Abdel-Qurna, but he then desired to be buried near his queen and built this one which is decorated with a representation of himself. The ceiling includes the signs of the zodiac."
