View showing the high cliffs towering over the Hatshepsut mortuary temple in Egypt

The Hatshepsut mortuary temple was built somewhat differently from other mortuary temples. The main reason was the placement of the temple with respect to the high cliffs over it. In this photo, you can see how the high limestone cliffs tower over the temple and, were it not for the magnificence of the temple, the cliffs would seem incredibly beautiful by themselves.

View of the ramps that lead to different levels of the mortuary temple of queen Hatshesput in Egypt, near Luxor

The mortuary temple of the queen Hatshepsut, near the city of Luxor, is a magnificent structure, a reminder of the huge structures built by the ancient pharaohs. The temple is built over 3 levels, and there are huge ramps that are meant to take you from one level to another. Here, you get a view of the size of the ramp. In contrast to the current situation, at the time when the temple was built, there were a number of gardens in the whole area.

View of tourists thronging the Hatsheput temple complex, on the main path leading to the temple

In this photo, you can get a good view of tourists thronging the Hatshepsut mortuary complex, and you can see how there was a sizable crowd on the sloping incline that actually leads to the structure. In the foreground, you can see the back of a tourist taking a photo of the entire complex. The temple looks huge in this photo.

Tourists getting off from the battery operated buses that take them near the Hatshepsut mortuary temple

A view of tourists getting off from the battery operated buses that take them from the entry gate of the complex, much closer to the actual entry to the entry of the mortuary temple. In this photo, you can see tourists who have just got off from these buses.

The view of the blue colored London Eye at night, as seen from a distance

In this photo, you can see a depiction of the blue colored London Eye at night (the phone is from a few years previously). At night, the outline of the giant ferris wheel is outlined with lights and looks fairly beautiful. This photo was taken from near the street.

Caves and other structures to the side of the Hatshepsut mortuary temple, made in the limestone cliffs

Most visitors to famous sites such as the Hatshepsut mortuary temple have a set agenda, they come to the place, admire the beauty and the history, and then continue with the rest of their tour. It is the professionals who do the digging and excavation to unearth more history, such as these caves and gate right next to the Hatshepsut mortuary temple, dug in the limestone hills that surround the temple.
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The battery powered multi bus vehicle that carried tourists from the parking to the Hatshepsut temple site

When tourists arrive at the Hatshepsut temple, the buses are parked at some distance away. From the parking site to the actual start of the temple, there are these environmentally friendly battery powered bases that carry tourists. In the heat, it could get uncomfortable for tourists (especially the elderly ones) to walk the distance.
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Huge crowds at the Hatshepsut mortuary temple complex close to Luxor

In the previous set of photos, I have shown several photos of the Hatshepsut mortuary temple at the location of Deir el Bahari, near to Luxor, and to the Valley of the Kings. I also mentioned how popular it is; in this photo, you can actually see the large crowds that come to see the temple (and keep in mind that this was the temple where 68 tourists were massacred by militants in the year 1997 - and which led to a much increased security focus on ensuring safety of tourists).
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Large open space in front of the Hatshepsut mortuary temple at Deir el Bahari

The magnificent mortuary temple build by the female Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari is a spectacular site, also because it seems to be in fairly good condition. It is also made to be tourist friendly, with buses being parked at a distance, from where tourists get onto battery operated vehicles that in turn lead to a large open space in front of the start of the steps leading to the temple.
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Structures around the Hatshepsut mortuary temple near Luxor

Like many other places in Egypt, there is a lot of history behind ruins. For example, near the s Hatshepsut mortuary temple near Luxor, there are a lot of small structures near the complex; in the previous photo, I showed caves near the site. In this photo, one can see the remains of some small buildings.
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Caves all around the Hatshepsut mortuary temple complex, in the limestone cliffs

The Hatshepsut mortuary temple is surrounded by limestone cliffs that tower over the temple. When I looked at these more closely, it was clear that there were many small cave like gaps in the hills, which could be the tombs of more workers or officials. These hills were made of a material that allowed easy digging.
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The road leading to the Hatshepsut mortuary temple outside Luxor

The Hatshepsut mortuary temple is a famous tourist destination, since it is a pretty well maintained structure, not very far from the Valley of the Kings. The tourist infrastructure is pretty good, such as this well maintained road that leads to the entry point of the complex.
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The Hatshepsut mortuary temple, as viewed from a distance, set at the base of towering cliffs

The Hatshepsut mortuary temple, is one of the most important monuments located in the Luxor region, the temple dedicated to one of the few female pharaohs in Egyptian history. It is also the site of a horrific massacre, which happened in the year 1997, when a group of terrorists, disguised as police trapped tourists inside the temple and killed 58 of the tourists, resulting in a huge drop in tourism.
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Some of the limestone based hills as we moved from the Valley of the Kings to the Hatshepsut temple

There are a large number of limestone cliffs in the area around the Valley of the Kings. As we moved away from the Valley of the Kings, we headed for another important monument in the area, the mortuary temple of the Queen Hatshepsut. The temple is located at the base of the cliffs at the location of Deir el Bahari on the west bank of the Nile outside of Luxor.
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Parking of buses at the Valley of the Kings outside of Luxor

The Valley of the Kings is a very popular tourist destination inside Egypt, with it being on the tour circuit for anybody who is visiting Luxor. The Valley of the Kings contains the tombs of a number of pharaohs including the most famous one, Tutunkhamen, and in his case, his mummy is kept at the site (which is not open to visitors as I could determine). Further, carrying a camera is not permitted beyond the entry gate, so no photos after this.
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The excavation site near the Valley of the Kings protected by a chain link fence

In many previous photos, I displayed photos that showed workers at an excavation site near the Valley of the Kings. It seemed a very open place; but given that is very rich in terms of history, there is some protection for the site. You can see a chain link fence that is the protection to ensure that unauthorized people cannot access the site.
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Tents and animals, part of the support system of the excavation team

For any excavation work, there is a need for a number of support items, such as machinery to carry away debris as well as being able to dig; and in many countries, beasts of burden are used for such tasks. In this photo, you can see animals carrying some equipment, as well as tents used for housing the members of the excavation team.
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A number of Egyptian workers at a site near the Valley of Kings, working on further excavations

As part of further work on the tombs of workers, high officials, and nobles near the Valley of the Kings, there is ongoing excavation work on the limestone based hills; in this photo, you can see a number of workers on the actual excavation site.
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The entire Limestone hillside marked out as part of further excavation

In this photo, you can see how the Limestone cliffs near the Valley of the Kings (outside Luxor) is marked with ropes, guide points, and so on' it seems like the entire hill has been marked for excavation. Excavating the tombs of even the workers can provide a lot of information about the living standard of that time.
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A CFL lamp in the middle of a number of Jade statues in an exhibit in the Valley of the Kings

In a small building near the Valley of the Kings, there are a number of curios for sale, such as vases made from Alabaster and many other materials, and there are a number of small statues made from Jade. In this photo, part of the properties of Jade is visible, where a CFL lamp shows the translucent nature of the material of Jade.
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Different types of curios for sale, all representing different famous symbols of ancient Egypt

In many previous photos, I was showing this small place near the Valley of the Kings, which sells a large number of curios representing the different symbols of ancient Egypt, such as the pyramids, the various famous pharaohs, the colorful Gods, and so on. You can also see a number of items made from Jade (something that would normally associate with Chinese curios).
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Closer look at the interaction between the Gods and the Pharaohs, as depicted on a tablet

We asked the workers at the exhibit to hold up the hard tablet to see the painting / etching in more detail for the photo. They had by that time realized that we were not likely to buy anything, but maybe they still had a forlorn hope that we could change our decision. When you take a closer look, you can see that the quality is not so good, but if you put this in a glass case, then it looks good from a distance.
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Paintings or etchings on a hard surface at a small exhibit near the Valley of the Kings

In the previous photos, I was showing some photos of some vases made from Alabaster, as well as some curios. In this photo, you can see something that also represented some more famous images from Egypt, the interaction between the Gods and the Pharaohs, in the form of colored etchings on hard tablets. These looked real beautiful, but when you can only carry 20kg on your flight, you have to be careful of whatever you buy.
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Stacks of curios lined up for sale on shelfs, in a small shop and exhibition place near the Valley of the Kings

Soon after emerging from the region of the Valley of the Kings outside Luxor, there was this small exhibition place which was selling many curios, the symbols that Egypt is know for in the tourist trade. These were images of king Tut, Cleopatra, Nefertiti, statues of the various Gods, and so on. Part of this was stuff made from Jade and from Alabaster, and they looked very nice.

Showing how a vase is semi-transparent, with light coming through partially

This is a beautiful vase, seemingly made from Alabaster, and is not fully opaque, one of the main selling points of the vase. You hold it against a light, and you can see some light coming through. The vase is supposed to be made of Alabaster, a material which allows it to become semi-transparent.

Mask hung on a wall, along with many vases made of Alabaster and other stuff

A photo taken inside the small exhibit near the Valley of the Kings. This is more of a shop that makes stuff such as curios and vases made from Alabaster.

Different kinds of curios, vases, all for sale, close to the Valley of the Kings near Luxor

A worker lifting one of the vases, since a customer has showed interest in this vase (that does not look beautiful, since the material seems to be very rough); but when you got close to the vase, it did have a charm of its own. And happily for the seller, after some bargaining, the sale was made with both of them happy.
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Painting on a wall of a man hoeing the ground, part of farming, just outside Luxor in Egypt

A painting on a wall that depicts a man farming. I liked this painting, and it was on a small building close to the Valley of the Kings, all the walls were covered by these neat paintings; including on the wall of the restroom that was just outside the building.

Sculptures and some beautiful vases made from Alabaster, in a small building near the Valley of the Kings

In a building near the Valley of the Kings, there was a display of a number of tourist curios, all related to the history and symbols of ancient Egypt. In addition, there were a number of articles made from Alabaster, and it was fun to see this semi-transparent material through which light would shine through.
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Painting of a man and a woman, on the wall of a small building near Luxor, in Egypt

This is a perfectly normal situation, but I really liked the setting. When on the way back from the Valley of the Kings outside Luxor, we came across this small museum that was showcasing a number of Alabaster items. Just outside this museum, there was this beautiful painting of a man and a woman.
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Habitation, close to the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor, in Egypt

Close to the Valley of the Kings near Luxor, this is a photo of the closest habitation. It's not a very big piece of habitation, and there is a small exhibition of tourist curios (including sculptures made from alabaster).
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