A Valley of Death (Luxor)

They put so much effort into preparing for death. I hope they put equally as much effort into living. Seems a bit silly to spend so much money, time, and energy for something the benefactor won't even notice. What would Marcus Aurelius have thought if he saw the how entire lives were devoted to decorating the tomb walls for a dead body, king or otherwise?

The ancient Egyptians believed in preparing the body with everything it needed for the next life. Is that the eternal hope - that the next life will be better than this one, which is essentially a treadmill of procrastination until time runs out?

The east bank of Luxor was meant to resemble life. The west bank was where they buried the dead. The Valleys of the Kings and Queens are nothing to look at on the outside - a lot of sandy hills, with little doors into the tombs.

But the inside is something else entirely.

Of the numerous tombs, two (Sety and Nefertari) look like they were built just yesterday, though in fact it was over 3000 years ago. Every wall and ceiling adorned in hieroglyphics and reliefs. Painstaking details on every inch of wall, painted in vibrant colors. Light is used masterfully as shading to create an eternal depth.

The tombs are spectacular - and entirely devoid of living things, even spiders. It feels eerie, almost unwelcome, to be in a place meant for the dead. The mummies aren't here anymore either, ironically probably sitting at the British Museum of Art in London. I read about these in the history books, seen the pictures in art classes, so to see it with my own eyes was remarkable.

Here are the tombs I visited, in order of least to most favorite. If you enjoy a build up, look through in order. If you only like finales, then skip ahead to the Sety and Nefertari sections.

The tombs of the nobles and artists were the simplest. Low ceilings, painted walls, few carvings. Clearly, they didn't have as much money to prepare for death. Or maybe they had their priorities in order.

An average tomb for an average Pharaoh. Most notable was the color still present on the walls and the sarcophagus.

Pastel colored reliefs in the medium sized tomb for Queen Tyti. I dare you not to laugh if you say her name out loud.

The well known boy King Tut. Since he died unexpectedly, the tomb was very hastily built. His is the one mummy on display in the valley.

Get ready, there's a couple Ramesses. This one is Ramesses III.

Another mostly mediocre king. but even a mediocre king fails upwards and gets a magnificent tomb.

Apparently reusing a tomb was not a faux paux. And so Ramesses VI re-used the tomb of his nephew. Ick.

Here's a short video of the burial chamber. Excuse the tourists who are trying to raise the dead.

Saving the best for (almost) last. With a stroke of luck I found myself all alone in the Seti I tomb. Or at least alone in this dimension, I think. Painstaking detail of engraving adorned every wall, all in vibrant color. Three levels of rooms. This was the life's work and masterpiece of multiple artists, some of whom would have spent 20 years on this tomb. The tomb commands a certain respect, a reluctance to make any sound that disturbs the dead silence. Words aren't needed.

Here are a few videos of the inside.

At last, the most spectacular tomb of all, Queen Nefertari. Looks like it was just finished yesterday.

And the final video walkthrough.

Time to go back up to the land of the living.