With the inauguration of the Avenue of the Sphinxes linking the Luxor and Karnak Temples, we have not been able to go to work today. Add to that the fact that Friday is our day off, we have a two-day weekend ahead of us, and what better way to make the most of it than a trip to Aswan?
Most of the team rented a small van and travelled south, touring the villages along the Nile. Our first stop was Esna, where we visited the recently restored temple dedicated to the god Khnum. The whole team was amazed to see the colours of the columns and walls that the conservators have managed to restore.
The second stop was Edfu. There we spent several hours enjoying the temple, which is dedicated to the god Horus. Mohamed explained the decoration of the Mammisi to the team members, where the birth of the god Horus is narrated and commemorated. Then the whole team visited all the chapels and rooms of the temple, inspecting every nook and cranny. That’s the thing about travelling with Egyptologists.
After grabbing a quick bite to eat, the van went straight to Aswan. We arrived around four o’clock and went straight to the Nubian Museum. Just a few hours before, the exhibition “A decade of excavations in Qubbet el-Hawa, the results of the University of Jaén” had been inaugurated, so we were lucky enough to visit it. Congratulations to all our colleagues and friends of the Qubbet el-Hawa Project because the exhibition is amazing and we encourage you all to visit it if you have the opportunity.
We stayed in the museum until closing time and then went for a drink in a restaurant on a boat on the bank of the Nile. However, we did not stay long as our hosts were waiting for us.
That night we stayed in a typical Nubian House. The owners had prepared a hearty dinner for us consisting of chicken, fish, rice and potato stew. We all had a great time, chatted with the couple about their life story and drank a delicious cinnamon tea as night fell.
Tomorrow also promises a lot of activities, we will see if we are able to fulfil all our plans.
