Tomb of Ramses III Plan -:Valley of the Kings, Egypt- Part VI

Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt:

This tomb is second in size, after the Tomb of Seti I and has become known as the Tomb of the Harp-Player. Its construction differs from the regular tomb in that five small chambers lead off either side of the first and second corridors, making ten in all. Each is devoted to aspects of the Pharaoh's life. It is also interesting that the first part of the tomb - up to the third room - was built by Setnakht (or Setnakhte), father of Ramses III, and in places where the paint has fallen off his cartouches are revealed . This is the tomb, it will be remembered, where the third corridor was diverted to the right after its builders had broken into an adjacent tomb by mistake.

Although the wall decorations may not be considered of the best artistic quality, their variety and richness are certainly unsurpassed. The entrance door is at the foot of a flight of steps on each side of which are small pillars with bulls' heads. Over the door is a representation of Isis and Nephthys worshiping the sun-disc. Along the first corridor are figures of Maat, goddess of integrity and truth, kneeling and sheltering with her wings the deceased Pharaoh as his body enters the tomb. On the walls are Praises of Ra. The Pharaoh

himself can be seen on the left-hand wall before Harmaches (one of the forms of the Sun God) followed by the familiar sacred serpent, crocodile and two gazelles' heads.
We now turn to the five small chambers leading off the left-hand side of the corridor . The first chamber (a) contains various scenes of cooking, slaughtering and baking. The second chamber (b) has, on the entrance wall to the left , the kneeling god of the Nile bestowing his gifts to seven gods of fertility which have ears of corn on their heads. On the wall to the right the Nile god is seen before the serpent-headed goddess Napret, five apron-clad royal snakes and two gods of fertility. The third chamber (c) is largely-decorated with male and female local deities with offerings. In the bottom row are kneeling Nile gods. The fourth chamber (d) has representations of the guardian spirit of the deceased on either side of the entrance, each bearing a staff ending in a royal held. The other walls show double rows of rowers, sacred serpents and sacred cattle. The fifth chamber (e) contains the representations that gave the tomb its name: on the left wall are two harpists, one before Anhor and the hawk-headed Harmaches, and the other before Shu and Atum. The text on either side of the doorway is the song they sing asking that the blessed Pharaoh might be received.
As already stated, there are five chambers on the right-hand side of the corridor. The first (f) contains a double row of sailing ships: those In the upper row ready to set sail and those in the lower with sails furled. The second chamber (g) is the Pharaoh's armory. The walls have representations of all the royal weapons and standards. At the top of the left-hand wall are standards with heads of sacred animals. At the top of the right-hand wall are standards with gods' heads. On the rear wall are a multitude of bows, arrows and quivers.
The third chamber (h) is particularly interesting if were member that this was a very wealthy Pharaoh, for it contains his treasury. On the walls are representations of furniture and ornaments, utensils and jewelery, elaborate head-rests, cushioned benches and comfortable couches that are attained by steps. The fourth
chamber (i) has rural scenes. The Pharaoh sails along a canal watching ploughing, sowing and reaping. In the fields are sacred animals . The last chamber on the right-hand side (j) is notable for its twelve different forms of Osiris, the god of the underworld.
The fourth corridor is decorated with scenes from the Book of the Dead, and leads to an ante-chamber (5) with representations of the Pharaoh In the presence of the gods of the underworld. The sloping passage (6) that follows has side galleries supported by four pillars, and a doorway on the right leading to a small chamber (7) ; here are some fine representations: on the right-hand wall (k) the Pharaoh is guided by the deities Thoth and Har-Khentkheti. On the left-hand wall (I) he presents the image of truth to Osiris, god of the underworld. On the rear wall (m) the Pharaoh stands in the presence of Osiris.
The following corridor (8) is badly damaged, as are the ante-chambers that precede the tomb chamber itself (10). This is a long oblong room with four pillars on each side and an extra chamber at each of the four corners. The actual sarcophagus is now in the French museum “Louvre”, its lid is in Cambridge, and the Pharaoh' s mummy, amongst those taken from the shaft at Deir el Bahri (Hatshepsut Temple), is now in the Cairo Museum.

Tomb of Ramses VI Plan - Valley of the Kings - Part V - Luxor, Egypt

Valley of the kings, Luxor, Egypt.

This tomb was started by Ramses V and was usurped by his successor. It has three entrance halls, two chambers, a further two corridors, an ante-chamber and the tomb chamber. The wall representations are carried out in low painted relief. The standard of craftsmanship is not high but the tomb chamber itself has one of the most important ceilings in the Valley of the Kings. In fact names and mottoes in Coptic and Greek show that this Golden Hall was an attraction from the first century A.D.

The first three corridors carry texts and representations from the Praises of Ra .On both sides of the first corridor, at (a) and (b), the deceased Pharaoh stands before the deities Harachte (Horus) and Osiris. On the right-hand side of the second corridor (c) is the barge of the Sun God with the twelve hours of night. Towards the end of the left-hand wall (d) is the figure of Osiris before whom is the boat of the Sun God. A pig (representing evil) is being driven away from it by sacred dog-headed apes. We now pass into the third corridor.

On the roof there is a painting of the goddess Nut which extends from the beginning of the corridor (3) , through the ante-chamber (4) when: her body curves to the right of the roof, and ends in the chamber (5). On the right-hand wall of the third corridor is a superb representation of Osiris under a canopy (e).

The chamber (5) has four columns and a sloping passage at the rear which is guarded by sacred winged snakes. The columns show the Pharaoh making offerings to the deities. The roof is rich in color. On the rear walls (f) and (g) are representations of the enthroned Osiris before whom the deceased burns incense. 

Though the color is well-preserved, the reliefs are inferior when compared to those in the tomb of Seti I. The following corridor (6) takes us further along the road to the underworld. On the left -hand side (h) is the journey in the fourth hour with the sacred cow (center row) and the crocodile in a boat (second row).

The sloping corridor (7) has sacred and protective emblems and religious formulas from the book of "That which is in the Underworld" , and leads to an ante-chamber (8). On the right-hand wall (i) is the deceased Pharaoh with Maat. The left-hand wall (j) has texts from the Book of the Dead.

Dark blue and gold predominate in the tomb chamber (9). Across the vaulted ceiling 'the goddess Nut is twice represented along its entire length, in a graceful semi-circle with backs touching. This represents the morning and evening skies. Her elongated body curves to touch the earth with finger and toe, head to the west, loins to the east.

The entire chamber is a complex of appropriate texts from the Book of the Dead. For example, on the right-hand wall (k) is a small representation (second row) of the boat of the Sun God, who is represented in the shape of a beetle with a ram's head. The boat is being worshiped by two human-headed birds and the souls of Khepri and Atum (forms of the Sun God). Below this scene (to left and right) are the beheaded condemned and above is a representation of the goddess Nut with upstrctched arms.

In the niche at the rear of the tomb chamber (l) is the barge of the Sun God held aloft in upstretched arms.

The smashed sarcophagus of the Pharaoh and his molested mummy were left onsite by the grave-robbers who violated the tomb.

Egypt: The Ramesseum (Ramses II's Mortuary Temple) Plan

Luxor, Egypt: