Tina & Rob’s excellent adventure

First, the Valley of the Kings–An area on the West Bank of the Nile where the tombs of Egyptian Kings have been unearthed. The Ancient Egyptians believed that the dead should be buried where the sun sets. Their homes were built on the East where the sun rises… symbolizing life and death. Pyramid tombs had been robbed during previous dynasties so in later dynasties they built their tombs in the mountains of the desert. King Ramses and King Tut’s tombs are in the Valley of the Kings. When you see the interior of these tombs it is unbelievable the work that went into them. The hieroglyphics and colored pictures telling the story of the journey into the after-life carved into stone. Also separate chambers were built for food and possessions to take with them into the after-life. The Egyptians were more concerned with the after life then the present, so their homes were made of common materials. Their tombs and Temples elaborate works of art.

You can see some sights of life in everyday Luxor. The people live simply. We are also here during Ramadan a holy month of prayer (5x a day), fasting and celebration. It has been really interesting to witness the people participating in their most important holiday. During Ramadan the Muslim people fast from sunrise to sunset. In the evening after the final call to prayer, the people gather to break the fast inviting friends and family for meals.

Some mosques provide meals for the not so fortunate, and it is a time for giving gifts to family and friends and for gifts of charity. The people enjoy the festivities late into the evening. Mosques and homes are decorated with colored lights and lanterns.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 5th, 2008 at 7:40 am and is filed under Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.