Time Revisited

This past week has seen a near total recovery from recent ailments. To celebrate a time returning to normal I once again climbed the Qorna mountain to look out across the expanse of the Nile Valley.

Near the start of the climb there is a view eastward across Deir El Medina with the adjacent ruins of the "Village of the Workmen". The ancient site was a special residence for the craftsmen who worked to build the tombs in the Valley of the Kings - a walking commute of less than 2 Km.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deir_el-Medina

The ancient site of the workmens' village is featured in the historical fiction book by Anita Diamant entitled "The Red Tent". In the book, Dinah, daughter of Jacob lives out the remainder of her life here - at that time near ancient Thebes - after her remarriage to a carpenter who works for the Pharoah in the Valley of the Kings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_Tent

http://www.anitadiamant.com/theredtent.asp

Also, on the journey to the top of the mountain, one can look over another residential village - said to be used by monks who attended the monestary about 1 Km below.

On the way back down the mountain I use a path from the Kings Valley to Deir El Medina. This was the path used for hundreds of years more than 3500 years ago for the workmen to travel from their village in the valley next door to their daily work of building tombs for the kings.

Since the dewatering system was started on the west bank of Luxor a few months ago, the temple of Amenhotep III adjacent to the Colossi of Memnon has become a hive of activity as excavations are now reaching up to 2 metres deep and the surface steadily dries. Excavations have just recently uncovered the original floor of the ancient temple – comprised of great blocks of sandstone.

Fragments of once great sculptures are being found – such as this hand resting on the knee as part of a colossis sitting king.

Around the base of the previously uncovered giant stele – metal containers swell with recently discovered fragments.

A evening trip on the National Ferry across the Nile to downtown Luxor on the east bank provides an opportunity to take in the views along the nile.

The boats along the Nile appear exactly as they did one year ago when life drifted into this eddy of time in an ancient land.

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The vista of a setting sun from atop the Susannah Hotel in Luxor evokes a wonder about all the thousands of years of civilization which have passed these shores.