Luxor again and again

Thebes was the capital when Ancient Egyptian civilisation reached its zenith, where grand temples were built in the name of the gods and extravagant tombs glorified the Pharaohs even in the afterlife. These monuments are one reason why one trip to Luxor is never enough; they are abundant and discoveries are ongoing.
Luxor is one of the most congested places on earth, but I'm not talking about unruly traffic; it's the number of monuments. The wealth of historical sites to visit leaves you worn out by the end of the day, especially if you are on a short visit. There is, of course, a relaxing way to enjoy the city . to read more

A painted burial chamber of the 25th Dynasty priest Karakhamun was discovered on Luxor's west bank,

"Karakhamun's tomb is one of the most beautiful tombs of the 25th Dynasty because of the preservation of the colour and the unique quality of the scenes," Pischikova said. "Now," she continued, "the team is consolidating every fragment of the decoration found in the debris. The rest of the tomb must then be cleared of debris, the decorations consolidated and cleaned while the pillared are reinforced. Our final goal is to reconstruct the tomb in situ after restoring and placing all its fragments back to its original place."

According to the ACP website, Karakhamus is described as the most enigmatic figure in the Assassif necropolis. Nothing is known of his family and even he himself did not seem to have any important administrative positions. His priestly title does not signify any particular importance. His Nubian name is one of the reasons why studies that mention Karakhamun date his presence in Thebes to the 25th Dynasty. The tomb's architectural features as far as they are known also confirm this date.

Karakhamun's serpentine ushabti is of Nubian style with facial features that suggest a pre-Taharqo date, probably Shabaqo. "It is possible to suggest that it is the largest tomb in the necropolis with two pillared halls and multiple burial chambers," the website wrote, adding that it was built for a person of no important position who must have had close connections to the royal court or the royal family itself. Further exploration of the tomb could shed more light on its date and the identity of Karakhamun himself.

The Gold Mask of Tutankhamun and Its Significance

British archaeologist Howard Carter uncovered the Gold Mask of Tutankhamun (ca. 1332-1323 B.C.) in 1925. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Harry Burton recorded the spectacular find in crisp black-and-white photographs, each carefully taken inside the Burial Chamber of the adolescent king's four-room tomb. Developed from fragile glass negatives, Burton's pictures have since etched an indelible impression of ancient Egyptian royalty into the popular imagination. He masterfully captured the mask centuries after Tutankhamun's funeral, a ceremony that occurred more than 10 years following the religiously turbulent Amarna Period of Akhenaten (r. 1353-1336 B.C.), the frail young ruler's iconoclastic father. to read more

Desert Roads Lead to Discovery in Egypt

In the practice of what they call desert-road archaeology, the Darnells found pottery and ruins where soldiers, merchants and other travelers camped in the time of the pharaohs. On a limestone cliff at a crossroads, they came upon a tableau of scenes and symbols, some of the earliest documentation of Egyptian history. Elsewhere, they discovered inscriptions considered to be one of the first examples of alphabetic writing.

The explorations of the Theban Desert Road Survey, a Yale University project co-directed by the Darnells, called attention to the previously underappreciated significance of caravan routes and oasis settlements in Egyptian antiquity. And two weeks ago, the Egyptian government announced what may be the survey’s most spectacular find.

New statue of Amenhotep III uncovered!

The upper part of a granite double statue of king Amenhotep III (1410-1372 BC) was unearthed at Kom El-Hittan in the west bank of Luxor. Kom el-Hittan is the site of the temple of Amenhotep III, which was once the largest temple on Luxor’s west bank. The temple originally had two entrances: one on the eastern side where the Colossi of Memnon reside, and one at the northern side, where the double statue was located. The statue was found during a routine excavation carried out by an Egyptian team of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA).

Statue of ancient Egyptian god Thoth Discovered at Amenhotep III's Mortuary Temple

Archaeologists have discovered a colossal statue of the ancient Egyptian god Thoth at the north-western side of King Amenhotep III's funerary temple at Luxor.
The red granite statue depicting Thoth, the ancient Egyptian deity of wisdom, is 3,5 metres tall and 140 cm wide. In a statement, Dr Zahi Hawass said that evidence found at the excavation suggests more colossi could be found here still. The first traces of these large statues were uncovered during works aiming at controlling the subterranean water level on Luxor's west bank.