|
Deil el-Medina is an ancient Egyptian village which was home to the artisans who worked on the tombs in the Valley of the Kings during the 18th to 20th Dynasties of the New Kingdom. The ancient name, translated, was called 'The Place of Truth' ("Set Maat". During the Christian era the temple of Hathor was converted into a Church from which the Arabic name - 'Deir el-Medina' ('the monastery of the town' is derived.
The site is located on the west bank of the Nile, across from Luxor.and is within easy walking distance of the Valley of the Kings to the north and the funerary temples to the east and south east and the Valley of the Queens to the west. It is thought that the village was built away from Thebes (Luxor) to preserve the secrecy of the work on the tombs.
The first datable remains of the village belong to the reign of Thutmosis I and at its peak the community contained around 68 houses. Due to the location the village did not provide a pleasant environment to live as the surrounding barren hillsides reflected the desert sun and cut off any breeze. The village was abandoned during the reign of Rameses XI - whose tomb was the last of the royal tombs built in the Valley of the Kings.
|
