First published in 2005. This work, while aimed at a general audience, is by no means a dreary introductory textbook. Blackman perceptively answers the reader's most pressing questions about life in ancient Thebes, providing not only an informative text but also an engaging story. Topics covered include life in ancient Luxor, how Thebes became the capital of Egypt, poems, songs and romances, and great kings in time of war.
This book contains the first published results of Schwaller's 12 years of research at the temple of Luxor and its implications for interpreting the symbolic and mathematical processes of the Egyptians through their sacred architecture.
"This publication is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)"--Page v.
Here is a thorough, easy-to-use guide to the vast and stunning collection of art and antiquities found in Egypt's archaeological paradise, the Valley of the Kings. The Tomb of Tutankhamun and its contents are featured prominently, as are the temples of Luxor and Karnak, the dromos, the Luxor Museum, the Chapel of Achoris, the Valley of Asasif, the Ramesseum, the Valley of the Queens, and the Colossi of Memnon. Dendera, Esna, Abydos Edfu, and Korn Ombo-all peripheral locations to the major sites-are included because their state of preservation makes them especially interesting for visitors and scholars. Weeks has spent his career documenting the regions and infuses this guide with a level of clarity and detail not previously achieved in a handbook.
"After reviewing the topography of the site, the Strudwicks recount the history of Thebes from the city's rise in the late Old Kingdom to the peak of its power in the New Kingdom and to its gradual decline in the Graeco-Roman period.
Five distinguished scholars here summarize the state of current knowledge about ancient Egyptian temples and the rituals associated with their use. The first volume in English to survey the major types of Egyptian temples from the Old Kingdom to the Roman period, it offers a unique perspective on ritual and its cultural significance. The authors perceive temples as loci for the creative interplay of sacred space and sacred time. They regard as unacceptable the traditional division of the temples into the categories of "mortuary" and "divine", believing that their functions and symbolic representations were, at once, too varied and too intertwined. Both informative to scholars and accessible to students, the book combines descriptions of specific temples with new insights into their development and purposes.
This book documents research activities and design experimentation carried out within the scope of a project addressing conservation, urban regeneration, responsible use of resources, and sustainable development in a truly exceptional place: the city of Luxor. The project is a collaborative venture between the Politecnico di Milano, the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, and the Luxor Governorate and is one outcome of a program established by the Egyptian government in 2009 with the goal of discovering a buried treasure, the “Avenue of Sphinxes”, which connected the Karnak and Luxor temples in ancient times. Readers will find an account of the excavations themselves, discussion of issues in restoration and conservation, and, above all, archaeological contextualization. Information is provided on integrated solutions to the problems arising from the scale of the excavation, for example in relation to urban morphology, the environment, road systems, infrastructure, housing, tourism, and individual and collective use of spaces. The book will appeal to all with an interest in strategies for enhancement of historical heritage in conjunction with urban regeneration and sustainable development.
Most of the "wonders" of our ancient past have come down to us unencumbered by written information. In particular, this is the case of the Great Pyramid of Giza and of many other ancient Egyptian monuments. However, there is no doubt as to the interest of their builders in the celestial cycles: the "cosmic order" was indeed the true basis of the pharaoh's power. This book takes the reader on a chronological journey through ancient Egypt to explore the relationship between astronomy, landscape, and power during the most flourishing periods of ancient Egyptian civilization. Using the lens of archaeoastronomy, Giulio Magli reexamines the key monuments and turning points of Egyptian architecture and history, such as the solar deification of King Khufu, builder of the Great Pyramid, the Hatshepsut reign, and the Amarna revolution.
The first publication in English to provide an in-depth examination including illustrations of the historical developments of the famous temple site Karnak, from its early shrine to the greatest state temple of Ancient Eygpt's mighty empire.
