Thebes, ancient Egypt, the city of the scepter “Waset” | Discover the facts and history of the oldest Egyptian cities in the Pharaonic civilization of Egypt as in Geography of ancient Egypt, and what are the most important archaeological monuments in them, such as Egyptian Temples, historical Egyptian Tombs, and more Ancient Egypt History.
Thebes, Egypt, the City of the Scepter, is one of the cities rich in Pharaonic Egyptian Antiquities that are discovered to this day. It was called in the old days “Waste”, which means in Arabic the sceptre. Learn about the features of the ancient city of Thebes before it became the current city of Luxor.
Thebes, ancient Egypt
Battle of the Kings of the North and South in Thebes:
The city of Heracleopolis Magna “Heracleopolis, nn nswt” is located at the entrance to the city of Fayoum in southern Egypt and was the capital Ancient Egypt in that period, the rulers controlled the regions of Egypt in the north, starting with the city Fayoum until Alexandria.
With the end of the Egyptian Pharaohs kings in Sixth Dynasty of Egypt and known The Old Kingdom of Pharaonic Egypt, The influence of the rulers of the southern regions of Egypt increased until ruled The Tenth Dynasty of Egypt Pharaonic, and 3 rulers were able to gain complete monopoly to rule all the regions of Egypt to the south and establish a new series of kings Eleventh Dynasty of Egypt Pharaonic is the beginning The Middle Kingdom in ancient Egypt.
Therefore, the city of Thebes witnessed long wars and battles between the rulers, kings, and regions of the north and south And development in building a foundation Military of ancient Egypt.
It is considered king Intef I,The first kings of the South, a truce and reconciliation were made between king Intef II Then, with the passage of time, the kings of the south were able to control the rule of Upper and Lower Egypt.
The king was nicknamed “King of Upper and Lower Egypt,” while retaining a king from a Pharaonic family ruling the city of Heracleopolis in the north, and a king from another Pharaonic family in the south ruling the city of Thebes until the king’s death king Intef III.
took over King Mentuhotep I The son of King Antef III, he fought many military battles, and the wars continued for long periods of time until he was able King Mentuhotep II “Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II”, one of the rulers of Thebes, achieved victory and won the throne of ancient Egypt, north and south.
Where is the Gourna village?
The reason for naming it is the village of Qurna because of the pyramidal peak or horn that rises above Valley of the Kings tombs and Valley of the Queens tombs for the burial of the Pharaonic queens of Egypt “Female Pharaohs“, Which was chosen by the Pharaohs kings to build royal tombs during the rule of the Golden Throne of Egypt in 1550 BC.
Many buildings were built on Mount Qurna as in Architecture in ancient Egypt by the people of Luxor Many dug under houses to build basements and tunnels to reach Tombs of the Nobles in Luxor in an area Tombs of Sheikh Abdel Gorna Rich in Pharaonic tombs for the nobles and nobles of the ruling class in the ancient Pharaonic civilization of Egypt.
The Egyptian police were able to control the random building on Mount Gourna and arrest people trying to steal the Pharaonic royal tombs or store Mummy of the Pharaohs and artifacts of stone statues,Pharaonic coffin For resale outside Egypt.
One of the disadvantages of building small houses on top of Mount Kurna “Gourna, Gurna, Qurna, Qurnah, Qurneh” is the leakage of sewage into Egyptian tombs, The inscriptions and drawings on the walls were destroyed, as the inscriptions and drawings were destroyed Tomb of Amenhotep Huy – TT40 “Deputy King Tutankhamun In Nubia“ Within Tombs of Gournet Merii because of Water leakage.
The house of the antiquities dealer Piccinini still exists in the area Tombs of Draa Abu Al-Naja, It is considered one of the first houses built in the Gurna region and remains of the Coptic monastery.
One of the most famous houses in the village of Qurna is a house Abdel Rasool Family, Known throughout history for her knowledge of the secrets and locations of the royal tombs that no one else knows, she helped the Egyptian government and Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities Lots to discover The Royal Cache of Deir el-Bahri and many tombs in Luxor.
Who were important people in Thebes?
- James St. John lived in the village of Qurna in 1834 AD.
- Visiting the traveler Father Claude Sicard in the eighteenth century AD and making preaching trips to the Copts of Upper and Southern Egypt.
- Visit of the Monk Richard Pocock to the region in 1737 AD.
- Visit of the Danish artist Ferdik Louis Norden, commissioned by King Christian VI, to learn about the civilization of ancient Egypt in the south and north of the country.
- French Consul Bernardino Drovetti in the nineteenth century AD.
- Italian Belzoni discoverer Tomb of King Ramesses III | KV11.
- Egyptologist Sir John Gardner Wilkinson, who was interested in writing ancient Egyptian history and studying Pharaonic inscriptions and drawings on walls Mortuary Temples and the royal tombs from 1824 to 1827 AD.
- Antiquities dealer Robert Hay, who was famous for his theft Egyptian Antiquities and smuggling it abroad with the help of the people of Qurna, especially stealing antiquities from Tomb of King Ramesses IV | KV2 and Tomb of King Ramses V + King Ramses VI | KV9.
- Egyptology Edward William Lane, who came to Egypt in 1826 AD.
- Mustafa Agha thief and smuggler of Egyptian antiquities, especially mummy King Ramesses I from Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt To the Niagarafall Museum in Canada, he was able to smuggle thousands of artifacts out of Egypt
What was ancient Thebes known for?
Thebes, Egypt, or as it was called in the past, the city of the sceptre, is the capital of ancient Egypt. Learn more about it as follows:
- The city of Thebes is located 800 km south of the Mediterranean on the east of the Nile River.
- So it was the most suitable place for Agriculture in Ancient Egypt and thus became the capital of ancient Egypt.
- The city of Thebes was the capital of ancient Egypt during the Middle and New Kingdom of Egypt.
- it was a center for the worship of the God Amun–God Ra “The Egyptian Gods“.
- Because the ancient Egyptians believed that the temples were immortal as in Industry in ancient Egypt, they were built of strong stones, unlike their houses, which were of bricks as in Ancient Egyptian religion, because they would not be immortal, and therefore they did not have an impact like the temples.
What is special about Thebes Egypt?
Before 3200 BC, Thebes did not contain much of a population, because it was a small trading center while Memphis was the headquarters of all the kings, here is the following:
- A statue of King Nyuserre Ini, one of the kings of the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt, was found in Karnak Temple.
- King Senusret I is one of the kings whose likeness was found in the city of Thebes. He is a member of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt.
- The Eleventh Egyptian Dynasty took Thebes as its headquarters.
- The city of Thebes was chosen as one of the most important World Heritage Sites in Egypt in the UNESCO list in 1979.
- The city includes many royal tombs, temples and the homes of some soldiers, workers and craftsmen as in Sculpture in Ancient Egypt.
What is the Archaeology of Thebes?
Considering a city of the largest cities in the world that contains antiquities, there is certainly a large group of antiquities in it. Learn about the monuments of that city as follows:
Karnak Temple
- There are temples in the east of the city such as Karnak and Luxor Temple.
- Karnak Temple includes a group of buildings and columns, as well as other temples.
- It was built from the Pharaonic era until the Greek-Roman era.
- Karnak Temple contains ten edifices that are formed with each other to form the temple.
- The first edifice, which is the main entrance to the temple, was built to the west.
- The second edifice bears the name of King Ramses II, and was built on the master of King Horemheb and King Ramesses I.
- The third edifice was built by King Amenhotep III, but it is not currently in existence.
- The fourth edifice was built by King Thutmose I, as was the fifth edifice.
- The Sixth Pylon was built by King Thutmose III in the direction of the west. It is an inscribed granite column with a The Pharaonic Lotus Flower on its top.
What temple is in Thebes?
- Temple of Al-Toud
- Mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II
- Karnak Temple
- Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
- Deir El Bahari
- The Funerary Temple Of King Thutmose III
- Palace of Malkata
- Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III
- Luxor Temple
- The Colossi of Memnon
- Temple of Seti I
- The Temple of Ramesseum
- Funerary temple of Merenptah
- Medinet Habu
- El-Tarif Tombs
- The Temple of Esna
- Temple of Al-Shalweit
Other Cemeteries in Thebes
The city of Thebes contains a group of tombs, such as the cemetery of Deir el-Madina, which contains the holy shrine of Meret Sejr and Btaa, in addition to the tombs of the nobles. Here are other tombs in Thebes:
Valley of the Kings
- An Egyptian valley located on the west bank of the Nile River.
- The valley is divided into an eastern valley and a western valley.
- The number of cemeteries found in the valley until the present time is 63 cemeteries.
- The tombs contain more than 120 burial chambers.
List Valley of the Kings Tombs
Tomb of King Ramses VII | KV1
Tomb of King Ramesses IV | KV2
Tomb of King Ramesses XI | KV4
Tomb of King Ramesses IX | KV6
Tomb of King Ramesses II | KV7
The Tomb of Merenptah | KV8
Tomb of King Ramses V + King Ramesses VI | KV9
Tomb of King Amenmesse | KV10
Tomb of King Ramesses III | KV11
Tomb of Bay | KV13 “Tomb of Amenherkhepshef, son of Ramesses IX, an, son of Ramesses VI”.
Tomb of Tausert + King Setnakhte | KV14
Tomb of King Seti II | KV15
Tomb of King Ramesses I | KV16
Tomb of King Sethi I | KV17
Tomb of King Ramesses X | KV18
Tomb of Prince Mentuharepshef and King Ramesses VIII | KV19
Tomb of King Thutmose I + Queen Hatshepsut | KV20
The Tomb of Amenhotep III | KV22 / WV22
The Tomb of King Ayi | KV23 / WV23
Tomb of the family of King Tuthmosis III | KV31
Queen Tia’a tomb | KV32
Tomb of King Thutmose III | KV34
Tomb of King Amenhotep II | KV35
Tomb of Maiherpri | KV36
Tomb of Amenhotep I | KV39
Tomb of Queen Merytre-Hatshepsut Ra | KV42
Tomb of Thutmose IV + Prince Amenemhat son of Thutmose III, and Princess Tentamun | KV43
Tomb of Userhet | KV45
Tomb of Yuya and Thuya | KV46
Tomb of Siptah | KV47
Tomb of Amenemipet “Pairy” | KV48
Tomb of Horemheb | KV57
Tomb of Queen Hatshepsut | KV60
Tomb of Tutankhamun | KV62
Valley of the Queens
- A place dedicated to the burial of queens, and it was called in the past, Tasetneferu.
- The valley contains the queens of the eighteenth and nineteenth families, in addition to the twenty.
- Among the queens who buried them in the valley are Sat Ra, Ta Nejmet, Merit Ra, and she is a princess and not a queen.
List Valley of the Queens Tombs
Tombs of The Nobles in Thebes | The Pharaonic Tombs from Thebes
Tombs of Sheikh Abdel Gorna Thebes
Tomb of Khonsu “To, Ta” – TT31
Tomb of Djeserkareseneb “Djeserkaraseneb, Djeserka” – TT38
Tomb of Ipy “Amenemopet” – TT41
Tomb of Thiut “Tutemheb, Djehuty, Djehutyemheb” – TT45
Tomb of Userhat “Neferhabef” – TT51
Tomb of Nakht and Tawy “wife” – TT52
Tomb of Ramosa TT55
Tomb of Senet “Antefoqer” – TT60
Tomb of Menna – TT69
Tomb of Ptahemhet and Roy – TT77
Tomb of Horemheb – TT78
Tomb of Amenemhat – TT82
Tomb of Amethu “Aametju, Ahmosis, Ahmose” – TT83
Tomb of Sennefer – TT96
Tomb of Rekhmire – TT100
Tomb of Senemiah and Piay, Pairy – TT127
Tomb of Nakhtamon – TT341
Tomb of Paheqamen “Pahekamen, Benia” – TT343
Tomb of Amenhotep Huy – TT40
Tomb of Amenemonet “Ameneminet” – TT277
Tomb of Shuroy – TT13
Tomb of Amenemope “Amenemopet’ – TT148
Tomb of Roy – TT255
Thebes
Tomb of Puimre TT39
Tomb of Kenro “Neferrenpet” – TT178
Tomb of Ipuky and Nebamon – TT181
Tomb of Paroy “Djehutimes, Tuhmosis” – TT295
Tomb of Nefersekheru – TT296
Tomb of Nefermenu – TT365
Thebes
Tomb of Kheruef “Senaa, Sesh” – TT192
Tomb of Samut “Kyky, Kiki” – TT409
Thebes
Tomb of Sennedjem – TT1
Tomb of Pashedu – TT3
Tomb of Neferhotep I and Nebnefer – TT6
Tomb of Ramose – TT 7, TT 212, TT 250
Tomb of Neferhotep II – TT216
Tomb of Pabasa – TT279
Tomb of Inerkhau – TT359 and TT299
Tomb of Nakhtamon “Nakhtamun” – TT335
Tomb of Amenemhat – TT340
Tomb Queen Neferu II – TT319 “The Theban Tomb” in Deir el-Bahari.
Hurghada Lovers best Tour Operator to provide daily tours to visit the Tourist attractions of Luxor Thebes by Hurghada to Luxor Day Trips and Cairo by Hurghada to Pyramids Day Trips to discover the secrets Tell el-Amarna. Book online when you come to Hurghada, El Gouna, Sahl Hashish, Makadi Bay, Soma Bay.
