My Travelogue - Qubbanet El-Qirud Wadis. 19 Sep’2014 23c – 33c Dear Friends, Three Princess & Neferura Cliff Tomb A wonderful day exploring Qubbanet El-Qirud and looking for the tombs of the Three Princesses and Neferura. Wadi. Last year I made several attempts to find this wadi but never really identified it. Today, I realize that I had gone most of the way up it without realizing. I set off at sunrise 6:30-am at 23c. With newly acquired maps, GPS coordinates and Google Maps, I was ready for another attempt. I had located the true tracks that will lead me to the wadi and checked my coordinates regularly on rout. I could see I was where I needed to be. After realizing I had been part the way before, I pushed on with excitement and anticipation of what I would find. I just wanted to see these places myself. The walk through this wadi was amazing, the colours of the rocks, the mountain scenery, the high cliffs and of course, the total quietness and tranquility was an amazing experience. I made my way to towards the Three Princesses Tombs that lay at the end of the wadi. On rout I passed to the right, the entrances to, Sekket Taqet Zaid Wadi - Hatshepsut’s Cliff Tomb, the entrance to another wadi with Cliff Graffiti and possible cliff tombs and Neferura Cliff Tomb. I finally arrived at the Three Princesses Cliff Tomb to study, photograph and take coordinates. I visited the other cliff tombs in reverse order on the way back. The Three Princesses Cliff Tomb. When I stood in front of this tomb, it was hard to imagine the history of the place and the amount of gold and silver treasure that was found inside that belonged to the three wives. It was thought to be a great find of its time and one of the best from a cliff tomb. I found the locations of the many Pit Tombs and one that was right at the base of the cliff tomb itself. Thutmose III (18th Dynasty) three foreign wives were Princess Menhet, Merti and Menwi. It is stated that all three concubines appear to have been completely equipped all alike – from gold sandals on their feet up to gold crowns on their heads with inlaid rosettes on the crowns and gazelle heads on their foreheads. Each had in addition to her jewelry a mirror, two silver vases, a gold cup and gold mounted alabaster kohl pot. All had their fingers and toes encased in gold sheath. Howard Carter for the Metropolitan Museum in New York purchased all these items from several antiques dealers of the time. The tomb was discovered in 1916 by illicit diggings by local Egyptians. The tomb was undisturbed since their internment. Carter had local news that the tomb was being robbed and went to investigate. When he got there he could hear the robbers at work inside. He cut their rope line and offered them the only way out by using his rope, they left and Carter continued to research the tomb. Neferura Cliff Tomb. Not as impressive as the Three Princesses Tomb but nonetheless, great to see it in person. Neferura, Princess of the 18th Dynasty. She was the daughter of Hatshepsut and Thutmose II. She served in high offices in the government and the religious administration of Ancient Egypt. Neferura was first raised by the courtier Ahmose Pennekhbet and later by the Steward Senenmut. It seems that her care was then given over to Senimen, a former tutor of Hatshepsut herself. Neferura was the only child of Thutmose II and his great royal wife Hatshepsut. She was born in 1473 BC and died either in 1462 or 1457 BC. She was the granddaughter of Thutmose I. Neferura was the half sister of Thutmose III. It has been said that Neferura married her half-brother, but there is no evidence of such a marriage. A king’s son named Amenemhat was installed as Overseer of the Cattle in year 24 of the reign of Thutmose III, and this prince may have been a son of Neferura. In many ways Thutmose III had lost his throne to Hatshepsuts ambitions. Neferura was displayed as a princess without the diadem and side lock of an apparent heir. It seems though, that she was prepared to become a pharaoh too and she was destined to marry with Thutmose III; which happened in the end. But she passed away before her husband became a pharaoh; this is why she was not recorded as Thutmose III’s Great Royal Wife. There is no exact information about the year of the Neferura` s death, but it seems that she died very young. Several block statues exist showing Senenmut with the princess on his lap. Another rock-cut statue of Senenmut with Neferura appears above his tomb TT71 at Sheik Abd El Qurna and sits in the open. Wadi B. Coptic Graffiti - Possibly no tomb This was a difficult one to get to owing to the fallen rocks in the area. I had to do some climbing to get to the end. There were other openings on the cliffs that could possibly have been other cliff tombs The last wadi on my return was Sikket Taqet Zaid where Hatshepsut’s cliff tomb is. This time I found the original entrance to this wadi where last year I climbed over the mountain to get to it. (See my article Hatshepsut Cliff Tomb). I walked just a little up this wadi to take a look but realized it was now too hot to continue, 33c and I was weary. Although it would have been nice to see it again, it will have to wait for a cooler period. Four and a half hours in the wadis and it was now time to visit the Marsam Hotel for refreshments. A great adventure, and for me, a great opportunity to explore and see what there is off route and behind the normal tourist attractions of the West bank, Luxor. See full article and many more photos on my Website Photos: 1- Wadi Map. 2-3-The Three Princesses Cliff Tomb. 4-5- Neferura Cliff Tomb. 6-7-8-9-Neferura Statues at Sheik Abd El Qurna. 10-11-Wadi B. 12- Entrance to Sikket Taqet Zaid Wadi.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 21:44:47 +0000
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