Merneptah tomb Luxor KV 8 Egypt tours, prices, booking, reviews
Merneptah tomb Luxor Egypt (KV 8) located in a small, lateral valley. It is on the right side of the main wadi in Luxor. In fact, Merneptah was a son of Ramses II and Queen Isis-Nofret. Merneptah tomb Luxor discovered by Howard Carter in 1903. Howard Carter was not as famous then. As he would not make his well known discovery of Tutankhamun tomb until 1922. Moreover, the tomb is near his father’s huge tomb (KV 7). When discovered, the tomb was full of debris and stood open since antiquity.
We believe that the tomb was at least accessible to at least the first pillared hall. It is from the Greek and Latin graffiti. Merneptah tomb Luxor indeed is interesting. It is because it marks a distinct transition between the tombs of the 19th and 20th Dynasty kings. There is a material decrease in the number of lateral rooms. There is also a dramatic increase in the height of the corridors and rooms. The entrance of the tomb made wider than earlier tombs. It gives the feeling of a more imposing facade. In fact, the tomb is much more traditional in its decorative themes.
Further details about Merneptah tomb Luxor Egypt:
The plan of Merneptah tomb is straightforward. There are three initial corridors that first lead to the ritual shaft. The second of these has a stairway. In the first corridor we find the first decorations. It shows the king in the presence of Re-Harakhty. There are also passages from the “Litanies of Re”. The second and third corridors have texts and images related to the “Book of Amduat”. After the ritual shaft is a pillared hall with a two-pillar annex. This decorated room dedicated to his father, Ramses II. The cover of the king’s sarcophagus located in this annex. In the pillared hall, the decorations are from the “Book of Gates”. After the pillared hall is a fourth corridor. It leads to a vestibule and finally a fifth corridor before the burial chamber. The vestibule decorated with scenes from the “Book of the Dead”.
The burial chamber of Merneptah tomb Luxor has four annexes. Two are on the left and two are on the right and a complex of annexes at the back. The astronomical vaulted ceiling of the burial chamber itself supported by eight pillars. They arranged in two rows. Here, the main decorative theme returns to the “Book of Gates”. Though on the right hand wall there are solar oriented scenes from the “Book of Caverns”. The burial chamber is a part of the king’s ornamental cartouche-shaped sarcophagus of pink granite. It is in the center of the burial chamber. There were four stone sarcophagi. They consisted of three outer containers of pink (or red) Aswan granite. The fourth innermost sarcophagus is of creamy white calcite. The outermost sarcophagus was huge, at 4.1 meters (about 13 1/2 feet) long.
More details about Merneptah tomb Luxor Egypt:
It is indeed interesting how Merneptah tomb reflects history itself. In fact, Ramses II lived to an old age. That is why Merneptah did not mount the thrown until late in his own life. Moreover, Merneptah was around 70 when he became ruler of Egypt. He ordered the construction of his tomb and “Millions of Years” temple. He only ruled for about ten years. Furthermore, he faced with attacks by attacks were by Libyans and an uprising in Nubia. That distracted him from his personal monuments.
In fact, we see all this reflected in Merneptah tomb Luxor. Moreover, the tomb is of higher quality and more impressive. It echoes that of his fathers tomb, near the entrance and into the first half of the structure. The deeper one travels within the tomb, the simpler and less sophisticated it becomes. For example, towards the entrance of the tomb the decorations are excellent bas-reliefs. While further into the tomb the decorations are cruder. Thought the techniques used are much faster. Merneptah felt he was running out of time, which we know today to be true.
Entrance to the tomb:
Ticket for the Valley of Kings cost 80 Egyptian pound for three tombs. It includes Merneptah tomb and can bought at the gate. Photography inside the tombs forbidden and can incur heavy fines. There is a little train – Taftaf – that runs from the coach park to the entrance to the monument area. It costs 5 Egyptian pound.
