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Deir El Medina is the
excavated Village of the Workmen who built the Tombs of
the Pharaohs. The village was in use for over 300 years.
It was a walled village, to protect the workmen and their
families. In the hillside, above the village, the workmen
built their own tombs, exchanging work with others. These
tombs were not decorated in the same convention as the
Pharaohs' tombs, and often show charming scenes of daily
life. These same workmen also built the Tombs of the
Nobles that are located in the hillsides nearby. The Tomb
of Sennedjem is the most popular tomb, but there are
others that are open from time to time. There was a TV
series on the Workmen called Ancient Lives, and the book
by the same name by John Romer is sometimes found in used
book stores or can probably be located on the internet.
You can easily combine the
workmen's village with a visit to one of two tombs of the
Nobles, or perhaps a trip to the Valley of the Queens
which is nearby.
The tomb of
Senenmut is best viewed in conjunction with your tour of
Deir El Bahri (Hatshepsut's Mortuary Temple).
The Penguin
Guide gives a detailed description
of the workmen's village and the workmen's tombs on pages
352 - 357. The Tomb of Senenmut (at Deir El Bahri) is
described on page 337.
The
Lonely Planet Guide covers the
workmen's village and the workmen's tombs on page 295.
The Tomb of Senenmut (at Deir El Bahri) is not covered.
As always the Lonely Planet Guide
gives practical advice about how to get there and how to
buy tickets and plan your stay.
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