Product Description

This massive book guides you through the discovery of the extraordinary historical treasures which have been found in Egypt's most famous heritage site. These are treasures and antiquities which span over 3000 years from the First Dynasty of 3100 BC to the Roman period, AD 300. With the aid of superb photographs and reconstruction drawings, it has been possible to reconstruct the events, the Royal temples and the enormous temples from the five centuries of the most important "New Kingdom" (from 1570-1070 BC) based on the archaeological evidence: - Thebes: a Model for Every City - The Exploration of Thebes - The Temples of Millions of Years - - Tomb by Tomb - The Valley of the Kings - The Valley of the Queens - The Tombs of the Nobles - The text has been compiled by fourteen leading Egyptologists under the editorship of the Professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #876104 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 434 pages

From Library Journal

Not since Kamal el-Mallakh's The Gold of Tutankhamen (1978) has such a lavish book on Ancient Egypt been offered that will appeal to both general readers and scholars. Weeks (Egyptology, American Univ., Cairo), who discovered the tomb of the sons of Rameses II, as described in his The Lost Tomb (LJ 10/1/98), has assembled an international team of experts to interpret for the nonspecialist the wonders of the Theban necropolis on the west bank of the Nile opposite modern Luxor. Unlike John Romer's recently reprinted popular classic Valley of the Kings, the title in this case is somewhat misleading since, in addition to the most significant tombs in the Valley of the Kings, the survey similarly covers the Valley of the Queens, the royal valley mortuary temples, and the tombs of the nobles, all dating to the New Kingdom (ca. 1570-1070 B.C.E.). The large trim size gives best advantage to the more than 800 incomparable color illustrations, some on fold-out pages. Plans and cutaway reconstructions help orient the reader for an exciting virtual tour. The bibliography is scholarly but also contains popular titles. A spectacular achievement; highly recommended for all public and academic libraries. Edward K. Werner, St. Lucie Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Pierce, FL

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Thebes is one of the largest and best-known archaeological sites in the world, located about 560 miles south of Cairo on the banks of the Nile River. On the east bank, beneath the modern city of Luxor, lie the remains of an ancient town that from 1500 to 1000 B.C. was one of the most spectacular in Egypt, with a population of perhaps 50,000. Within it the Egyptians built the huge temple complexes of Karnak and Luxor, two of the largest religious structures ever constructed. On the west bank lies the Theban necropolis, in which archaeologists have found thousands of tombs, scores of temples, and a multitude of houses, villages, shrines, monasteries, and work stations. This profusely illustrated, oversize book contains more than 800 pictures of this prodigious site. The illustrations include archeological reconstruction drawings and six gatefolds. The text, by 14 leading Egyptologists, offers a concise history of the site. For readers interested in this remarkable civilization, this book is the next best thing to being there. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Buried
This is the best book on the Valley of the Kings. I own John Romer's and Nicholas Reeves books,which I highly recommend,but this one I like best. This is a must own book if you love the tombs. It won't let you down. Well worth the money. Buy it before it goes out of print.

Took my breath away!
Having read Kent Week's book "The Lost Tomb" I was impressed with his accessable writing style. So, seeing this book was like waving a red flag at a bull. I have been to many of the sights featured in this book and could not afford to visit all. To my joy, on opening this volume and seeing the quality of the photographs I realised now that I could! It is the next best thing to actually BEING tere and in some cases .. better! I know that sounds odd ... but in reality a lot of the KV paintings are covered with glass to prevent damage ... or you are not allowed to take a camera in ... even if you can, you may not use flash. So your own pictures always fall short. THIS is professionally lit, photographed and documented ... with great care taken to render the Theabian west bank in all it's glory. Bravo!

Weeks does more damage than good
Weeks' excavation techniques are totally atrocious. He has caused a great deal of damage to be done in the Valley of the Kings by allowing expanded limestone, painted walls to contract too rapidly, thus making the walls and roofs collapse and crack. It is hard to believe that for someone so interested in this area that he would totally ignore conservation aspects. Please don't buy this book and know that you are saving a treasure! Look for "THE COMPLETE VALLEY OF THE KINGS" by Reeves and Wilkinson for a better read anyway.