Luxor4u

But this is a brilliant set of photographs...
http://flashbak.com/visions-of-early-20 ... ern-42235/

Thankyou Who. Made me wish I was born earlier to see that - -

The change in the pharaonic sites is amazing.

Although not shown in this set of photos, Deir el Bahari was virtually non-existent in the late 19 century. I wonder how many visitors today realise it's 90%+ reconstruction!

Deir el Bahari was virtually non-existent in the late 19 century. I wonder how many visitors today realise it's 90%+ reconstruction!

Deir el Bahari Circa 1900

Slightly earlier - Deir el Bahari 1893-4, Edouard Naville's preliminary report.

A good friend, who is a tourist guide - a university qualified, interested and interesting tourist guide, a rare being in my experience!!! - always calls it the biggest fake in Egypt! I still love it, even though he laughs at me!

Think that's why I don't like it Yildez.

Very interesting photos Who2/

carrie wrote:Think that's why I don't like it Yildez.

I find it much less interesting than many of the other monuments.

Along with VoK and Karnak it's on the standard 'must see ' list for visitors to Luxor and a whole industry has been built around it and the (largely speculative ) story of Hatshepsut. Unless you're there very early in the morning, or late afternoon, the famous wall scenes are virtually invisible .

Having said that, for the first time visitor it is a pretty dramatic building even if it's totally atypical. I think the spiel the guides trot out helps with its reputation , although some of the stories they tell set your teeth on edge, if you have a reasonable knowledge of the verifiable history!

I will probably pay it a visit when I'm next in Luxor, if only to see what the Polish expedition has been up to in the main temple. Some of the chapels look interesting although I don't know how accessible they are at the present time.

First time I saw it Newcastle I thought it looked like a monstrous concrete block, not much of it was open then but I enjoyed looking at the paintings of all the different animals and goods brought back from Qush.
Having read Hephzibah's post about fruit lately I may go and have another look, when Yildez comes to visit again.

The photographs have been colored but I assume everyone knows that and is not upset by some computer choosing what colour objects will be.

The most surprising photo is of Abu Simbel. The conventional view is that the Germans in the 1960's recreated its traditional setting, including the hill, and that following the reconstruction it looks the same as it did before the dam. The 1900's photo, however, shows that the temple was a relatively small part of a major hill which towered over it and this is nothing like its current 'presentation'. I believed the PR but the truth is quite different.

Thank you for the link Who2.