The Tombs of the Nobles
‘All ye excellent Nobles, And Ye Gods of the Mistress of Life,Hear ye how praises are rendered to this priest and excellent Nobles lordly soul,Now that he is a god living forever magnified in the West,So they become a remembrance in after days, And for everyone who comes to this tomb’
The many tombs of the Nobles that are to be found burrowed into the hillside of the Sheik Abd Quarna Hill looking down over the Rammessium Mortuary temple and are all varied in their individual styles, colours design and details, each portrays the different personality and position of a nobleman and the work of his artistisans.
When I visit sacred places I do prefer to be alone, and if I can find a place of peace and seclusion I can almost feel the ancients with their messages and magical words seeking the goodwill and assistance of the gods to help them attain their passage to cross the river and reach the western shore overcoming all the trials before them in their quest for eternity. Unfortunately trying to reach this state of seclusion is rare, as the hills are alive with many Egyptians who have no concept of the words ‘I want to be alone’, no matter what language you express yourself in. They will insist on guiding you, helping you, or selling you something, and so regrettably annoyance and frustration are the emotions usually pounding through my veins by the time I am only halfway up the hillside in my
determination to reach one of the highest tombs on the hillside, which is the tomb of Sennefer. Droplets of sweat gather on my forehead as I climb the dusty incline, passing the brightly coloured coffee shop of Sennefer that stands halfway up. Eventually I reached the tomb rather fraught with the hassle and heat of the day and thankfully
I collapsed onto a stone in the shade of the wall leading towards the tomb. I hadn’t realized how unfit I was until I had climbed that hill, as I sat and rested in the shade, my eyes surveyed the steep ridges of the mountain side and my thoughts travelled back to the artisans and tomb builders who had lived in the hidden village of Dier El
Medina across the mountain ridge, they were cut off from civilization to protect the secrets of the tombs, the dusty paths these skilled artisans had walked over the pink mountainside rising over the hillside above the Nobles tombs then dipping deep into Dier El Bahari to the temple of Hatshepsut, then rising again and disappearing over the ridge for the steep descent into the Valley of the Kings. I reflected that it must have been a life of indescribable hardship to walk for miles over the steep mountainside, and then descend into the bowels of the earth, with no ventilation to work long hours in a dusty environment with dim lighting and sweat pouring down their faces blurring
and straining their eyesight, to recreate with colourful imagination the vibrancy and exclusive domain of Osiris in the claustrophobic air of the tombs. With these thoughts in my mind I walked to the doorway of the Tomb of Sennefer who had held the position of Mayor of the Southern City under the reign of Amenophis 11 during the 18th Dynasty. Sennefer held many titles, he was not only the Mayor of the city and controller of Administration and taxes, but he also held the title of Overseer of the Granaries of Amun, Superintendent of the gardens of Amun and High Priest of Amun, he was loyal to the king and efficient in his duties.
Deep cut steps lead me into the door well of the tomb of Sennefer, and as I entered within an arched tunnel enfolds me, the walls are roughly cut, whilst shadows and the warm glow of lights guide me down 44 steep winding cavernous steps, at the bottom the tunnel bends sharply to the right, where I was completely unprepared for the total contrast
and brightness of a small vestibule that I arrived in, it had a low undulating ceiling that seemed to hang low with the weight of the plump succulent grapes all waiting to be plucked painted on its surface. The artist has used the undulation of the ceiling to create this glorious vineyard in a 3 dimensional effect; The Overseer of the Gardens of Amun was fortunate to have such a thriving succulent purple vineyard. The walls are bright white and bursting with beautiful small coloured images of Sennefer receiving offerings from the priests and his daughter. Sennefer is also shown witnessing his funeral procession and the presentation of the funerary equipment to be placed inside his
tomb. Bending my body almost double to pass beneath a deep square entrance that leads into a larger square burial chamber, I was amazed by the vibrancy of bright yellow that bounces off the ceiling in geometric designs and tapers off into more grapevines. This tomb is alive and blazing with colour that lifts your heart with gladness.
Supporting the ceiling are four solid square cut pillars, I felt that these pillars are an expression of love between Sennefer and his wife Meryt The Lady of The House and Chantress of Amun, who is shown on each face of the pillars making offerings to Sennefer, she knees beside him and stands along side him offering him gifts of Myrrh
linen wine linen necklaces and a scarab to protect his heart in the Hall of Judgement. I feel that the pillars are a true expression of their commitment and love, showing Meryt in early stages of pregnancy on one pillar, in the very subtle way that the ancient Egyptians portrayed a woman’s ever-increasing waistline.
The scenes on the walls detail the funeral procession, with Sennefer before Osiris and Hathor, again Meryt is present to support her husband whilst he worships Osiris and they are purified together by a priest in leopard skin, as a chantress of Amun Meryt plays her sistrum for her husband and carries a Menat necklace.In a corner of the chamber painted in small detail Sennefer and Meryt sit beneath a belachin on board a small boat that is painted green, the colour is symbolic and like the papyrus it represents regeneration, their small boat is towed by a larger white one showing the captain, helmsman and rowers. The journey was to take Sennefer and Meryt on a pilgrimage to the Holy city of Abydos, where the tomb of Osiris is said to be located. His wicked brother Seth, who then scattered the pieces of his body all over Egypt, had killed Osiris. Isis the wife of Osiris loved her husband so much that she desperately searched the land of Egypt until she found all the scattered parts, and then with her magical powers she joined his body together again and resurrected him back to life, he was then made the Judge of the dead and Lord of the underworld by Amun. Many Egyptians made this pilgrimage to Abydos because at sunset they believed it looked like a golden staircase leading to the afterlife
I feel that the tomb of Sennefer is a celebration in the most vibrant colours of a mortal life and the journey to the underworld embracing eternity of a successful nobleman who was supported by the deep love of his wife. As I climbed back up the staircase the vibrancy of this tomb had lifted my spirits more than the emergence through the door into the light of the day.
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