Deir El-Medina

Deir El-Medina

During the 18th to 20th Dynasties of the New Kingdom of Egypt (ca. 1550–1080 BCE), Deir el-Medina, or Daiyr el-Madinah, was an ancient Egyptian workmen’s hamlet that was home to the artisans who worked on the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. “Set maat,” which means “The Place of Truth,” was the settlement’s original name. The workers who lived there were known as “Servants in the Place of Truth.” During the Christian era, people turned the Temple of Hathor into a church. This gave it the Egyptian Arabic name Deir el-Medina, or “town monastery.”

The world focused on Howard Carter’s discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922. At the same time, a team led by Bernard Bruyère started excavating the site. This research gave us one of the most comprehensive descriptions of communal life in the ancient world. It spans over 400 years. No other site allows such in-depth study of a community’s organization. We can examine their social relationships, working conditions, and living circumstances.

Tomb of Senedjem

senedjem_deir-elmedina

On the Nile’s west bank, across from modern-day Luxor, you’ll find the site. The town sits in a tiny natural amphitheater. The Valley of the Kings is to the north, funerary temples are to the east and southeast, and the Valley of the Queens is to the west. You can easily walk to all of these. The settlement may have been built away from the community to maintain the secrecy of the delicate work done in the tombs.

The tombs’ wall murals, which differ in style from those that cover the kings’ tombs and are a colorful picture of ordinary Egyptian life, are definitely worth a visit.

Sennedjem’s Funerary Furniture

The Tomb of Sennedjem, a 19th-dynasty artist, is a must-see. It features a domed burial chamber with religious reliefs and paintings, including a beautiful depiction of a funeral supper. We found the tomb’s contents in 1886; they are now on exhibit in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. After visiting the tombs, go up the cliff. Deir el-Medina’s temple is behind them. It sits on top of the workmen’s village ruins. This small temple is a newer addition. The Ptolemaic dynasty built it. It honors the deity Hathor.

FUN
FUN
FUN
FUN
FUN
Experience amazing 10 days Egypt classic and romantic honeymoon package and enjoy the ideal honeymoon surrounded by the beauty of the land pharaohs...
Let's have a fantastic journey to Cairo to view the most famous historical locations from the era of the Pharaohs. Also, we shall discover modern...
FUN

Outstanding layover tour

I had the opportunity to do a layover tour with Egypt Fun Tours this Friday, and it was amazing. I had a 10-hour layover tour in Cairo, and I was met by Mohamed on time at the airport. He picked me up in a clean, new, safe, and comfortable van.

More »
9-day tour package - Egypt Fun Tours

You’re in “GREAT HANDS” with Egypt Fun Tours!

We first went to Egypt in July 2010. We were to pass through Cairo on our way to Africa, and we had arranged to be picked up from the Cairo airport and shown around the city during our 6-hour layover. This was arranged through emails with Hamada, of Egypt Fun

More »
4 Days Egypt Experience for Solo Woman Egypt Fun Tours min 1

Amazing experience

My husband and I had a ten-hour layover in Cairo and luckily found Egypt Fun Tours while researching tour companies online. The owner, Hamada, picked us up from the airport and brought us around Cairo. He took us to see the pyramids, which was a memory I will never forget.

More »

Alexandria! Wow!

Muhammad is the best! He showed me a world I never thought possible! The tombs in Alexandria, by far, were my favorite! I never knew there was a place on earth that contained both Greek and Egyptian carvings in the same tombs! The history and culture of Egypt is so

More »
Isis with wings

Top-rated Tour Packages

Isis with wings