Abydos and Dendera
This morning we wave a plaintive farewell to the Sun Boat IV and climb in a minivan for a long but exciting day visiting two temples further downriver. These two sites are a bit off the beaten track, but very lovely and intriguing. In order to make the journey, we set off a bit before 8a to ensure we're on time for the caravan departure.
Caravan, I hear you ask? Banish the romantic image of camels and swaying litters, this is something more like rush hour on 93. One other face of the Tourism and Antiquities police is on display here, that of motorcade guard. Tourists, whether in large groups or in a hired private car, are only allowed to visit some sites if they drive in an official caravan protected by armed policemen. Your schedule is slave to the police; miss the caravan, you miss the site. There is a checkpoint at the state boundary where we switch guards, a process that seems to take an inordinate amount of time. You cannot go on alone, though. There are no stops on the way, and no straying from the pack. As we start with a three-hour drive right after breakfast, the lack of stops is a bit distressing. The restroom at Abydos is one of the most popular parts of the temple.
After a stop for refreshment, we discover what I find to be my favorite of all the temples of Egypt, Abydos . It is best known for the beautiful chapels and surviving paintings, one of the better preserved interiors in Egypt. It was largely built during the reign of Seti I, a period of extraordinary artistry. Surprisingly, Ramses II's publicity staff managed to avoid carving his cartouche on every surface. On the contrary, one of the most valuable finds at Abydos is the table of the Kings, a listing of all the rulers of Egypt before Seti I.
There are numerous chapels along the back wall, seven in all. The middle one is dedicated to Osiris, and the chamber leads to further passages. In the side chapels, the scenes depict typical worship of the gods. The room is opened, offerings brought forward, the priests perform a brief ceremony, then they back out of the room, closing the doors behind them. Each day the bread, wine and honey the god did not consume is shared out among the priests. Outside each chapel are scenes of the gods teaching man to record history, to perform tasks, and other daily activities.
Behind the main temple of Osiris is a curious stone-lined pool called the Osirion. This ancient pool clearly has spiritual significance, given the stones carefully arranged to create sheltered areas and a deep channel. A channel from the Osirion leads off to the North toward another temple. The vaulted channel is lined in offering statements. A series of visitors climb down to the surface to test the holy waters; seeing the peculiar green shade, we choose instead to admire them from a distance.
The next stop on the caravan tour is Dendera , a temple to Hathor some kilometers back upriver toward Luxor. It's roughly a two-hour drive, but fortunately this time we are prepared. The endpoint of the journey is an interesting multi-level temple highlighted by the many faces of Hathor on the pediments of the columns. She looks serenely down on passing cars and tourists, undisturbed by time or encroaching sand. The interior of the temple is much like Esna, a similarly dark and formulaic entry. The most unique part of Dendera is painted on the ceiling, and on every surface of a room on the second floor -- astronomical signs. The ceiling of the hypostyle hall is decorated in signs of the Egyptian zodiac, some the same familiar ones used by the Greeks, Romans, and now daily newspapers. On the second floor one small room has an entire cosmology on its ceiling, complete with signs for hours of the day, days of the week, etc. A full calendar with the stars to back it up. Mysterious carvings on the wall are probably readings or dates of some kind, but do not conform to previously known forms and therefore are illegible to us today.
Particularly in the Ptolemaic period, as the ancient gods were being pushed aside, the priests became ever more cryptic in their language. New, odd signs cropped up in short texts. Unlike Old Kingdom inscriptions, which even a neophyte can begin to piece together, some of these texts remain undeciphered. Usual forms leave only gibberish; signs are used in seemingly inconsistent ways.
On the other end of the scale are the crypts of Dendera. Perhaps in an attempt to preserve their secrets, or their treasures, the priests of Dendera created several crypts. This is an unusual form in Egyptian architecture, in which generally digging into the earth below a room is discouraged. The crypts are nicely illustrated in a rather spare but elegant style. Unfortunately, the combination of the lights and many enthusiastic tourists leaves the air hot and muggy, not to mention aromatic. Only about half-a-dozen people can fit at a time, and the ladder does present a problem when those going up and down speak many different languages. Gestures and some general shouts work until an Englishwoman with a rather large amount of camera equipment and a small amount of balance starts down. Suffice it to say that the tripod was probably overkill, and certainly a bit dangerous.
On our way back to Luxor, we drive through the neighboring town of Qena. The mayor here is a rather reforming sort. He has created a municipal street-cleaning service, painted the road medians and canals in bright colors, and generally is on a town beautification program. This is very unusual. Most canels are used as communal garbage dumps (and worse), and the road medians are usually unkempt dirt. We are also told that he has implemented a variety of social laws as well; women-only hours at swimming pools and cinemas, outlawing shisha sales prior to 5pm, and others. He is popular and apparently other towns want to steal him away. The contrast when you drive over the border to Luxor is stark, and Luxor is a nice, tourist-oriented town.
We finally leave behind our caravan, quite literally in the dust, and head for the Winter Palace. This elegant old hotel is on the water not far from the Luxor temple. The rooms are large, but the furnishings show their age. It is a lovely location with excellent service and food, but still a bit disappointing in the wake of the Sun Boat. What wouldn't be? Our room has a small balcony overlooking the gardens, softly lit at night and carrying the scent of jasmine. In the morning, the pools and caged birds are visible, but tonight we can only hear them close by. It's very restful in the post-shower siesta period.