The Luxor Museum

Themuseumwas openedin 1975and containsamodestcollectionofthehighestquality artworks datingfromthe PredynasticPeriodrightthroughtotheIslamicera.Themodernbuildingisextremelyspaciouswithplentyofroomtomovearoundandviewbeautifully displayed objectsandsculptureinpeaceful low-lit surroundings.
Themuseumisbuiltontwo levelswitharampleadingfromthegroundfloortotheupperfloorand contains artifactsfromaroundthe Thebanarea.Manyofthefree-standinggranitestatuesdepict kings, queens,and high-status officialswholefttheirimagesinthe Thebantemples. Tutankhamenofcourseis well-representedbysomeofthe objectsfromhistombintheValleyoftheKingswhicharenotcurrentlyondisplayintheCairo Museum. Includedamongtheseisthefamousmajesticheadofacowgoddess,ofresinandgildedwood,whichisoneofthefirstitemsthevisitorwillseewhen enteringthemuseum.Thereare exhibitsof funerary stelae,offeringtables, papyri,tombfurniture,a cartonage mummy-caseandmanysmallstatuettesand shabtis.Inglasscasesinthecentreoftheupperflooraresmaller objectssuchasjewellery, funeraryandritualitemsand artifactsfromdailylife.

Oneofthemain featuresontheupperfloorisa reconstructedwallfromatempleof AmenhotepIV (Akhenaton).Thesmall decoratedsandstoneblocks (talatat)were discoveredwhentheninthpylonat KarnakTemplewas dismantledforreconstructionwork,wheretheyhadbeenusedas infillintheoriginalbuildingofthepylon.Individual talatatblocksonwhichthefamousreliefswere carvedcanbeseeninmany museums,butherethe 'TalatatWall' representstheonlysuccessfulattemptat reconstructingawholewalloftheblocks.Over 40,000 decoratedblocksfrom AmenhotepIV'searly Karnakbuildingworkshavebeenfound,butonlythosefromtheninthpylonare well-preservedenoughtoallowtheiraccuratereconstruction.Nexttothe talatat, mountedonthewall,isasandstoneheadfromacolossal Osiridstatueof AmenhotepIVfrom Karnak.

Themostrecentpartof LuxorMuseumisthenewextensionwhich housesacollectionofstatuesfoundinthe 'LuxorCachette'.Thesebeautifulsculptureswere unearthedwhenacolonnadeat LuxorTemplewas dismantledforreconstructionin 1989.Theyhadbeen buried(for reasonsunknown)inthefloorofthecourtyardwheretheylayforgottenforover 2000years.Manyofthesestatuestodaylookas thoughtheyhavejustcomeoutofasculptor'sworkshop.Finally,therearesomelarger objectsondisplayinthegardenofthemuseum.Atpresentthemuseumisbeingextendedtohousealargercollectionandothernewfacilities.Anewannexeofthe LuxorMuseumisduetobe inauguratedon 4November 2003aspartofthe LuxorNationalDay celebrations.OneoftheexhibitionsitwillhousewillberelatedtotheemergenceoftheancientEgyptianmilitaryempire,with 120 objectscollectedfromother museumsandsitesinEgyptwhichwillillustratethemilitaryprowessof Thebes.

The Luxor

Museumof MummificationThe LuxorMuseumofMummificationwhich openedinMay 1997isthefirstintheworlddedicatedtothissubject.
ThepurposeofmummificationinancientEgyptwastopreservethebodyofthedeceasedsothattheycoulddwellintheafterlife,intherealmofthegods.Theprocessbegannaturallywhentheancientpeople discoveredthat bodies buriedinthehotdrysandofEgyptwouldbepreservedalmostintact.Techniqueswere enhancedfromveryearlytimes, using natrontodryoutthebody, removingcertain organsandwrappingtheremainstightlyinbandagesoflinen,oftencoveredwithathickresin.Thepeakoftheartwas reachedbytheendoftheNewKingdom Period.
Acollectionof well-preserved mummy-cases,mostlyfromthedryerclimateofUpperEgypt,is displayedintheentrancetothemuseumalongwithastatueof Anubis,the jackal-headedgodwho leadsthedeadintotheunderworld.
Inglasscasesinsidethemuseum,many artifactsassociatedwiththeprocessare displayedwith detaileddescriptionsoftheiruse,includingmodel funerary boats, amulets,woodenstatuettesandafinesetof canopicjars.Therearealsoanimal mummiesincludingacrocodile,acatandaramof Khnumwithitsgildedcasefrom Elephantine.
Themoderntownof Luxor occupiestheEasternpartoftheancient Wasetor Thebes.Local ferriesregularlycrosstotheWesternbankoftheNilewheretheMortuary Temple'softheNewKingdom Pharaohsformpartofahuge necropolisthat includestheValleyofthe Kings.In 1989aspectacularfindofperfectlypreservedstatuesatthe LuxorTempleledtothedesigningofanewgalleryspeciallytohousethem.

Old Kingdom Pharaoh

From Tut Tomb

Old Kingdom Pharaoh

Old Kingdom Pharaoh

   

Akhenaton

Anotherviewofthestatueof Amenhotep IIIshowingthefull figurewhichstandsona sledge

A canopicboxandjarsfromthethetombofapriestof Monthucalled Pady-imenet Fromthe 22ndDynasty. (J 75)

Canopic jar head of Queen Tuyi. From the time of Seti I. (J 191)

Another view of the statue of Amenhotep III and Sobek showing the crocodile god. (J 155)

A statue of Horemheb and Atum.

Close up of the figure of Horemheb from the double statue of Horemheb and Atum.

Part of a wall from theTemple of Akhenaten at Karnak. Removed from the interior of the Ninth Pylon where the blocks or 'talatat' had been used as rubble core. (J 223)

Two small sandstone fragments removed from the interior of the ninth pylon at Karnak. The left hand piece shows Queen Nefretiti with Akhenaten on the right. (J 158 - J 157)

A painted cartonnagecoffinthat belongedtothe"MistressoftheHouse, Shepenkhonsu;Dynasties 21-23.Foundin 1957

Taken From:

http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/pollock/263/egypt/luxor.html
http://www.akhet.co.uk/luxmuse.htm
http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~ancient/luxmus.htm
http://www.akhet.co.uk/luxcache.htm
http://www.touregypt.net/luxor/luxormuseum.htm
http://www.egyptsites.co.uk/upper/luxoreast/museums/museums.html
http://www.egyptarchive.co.uk/html/luxor_museum/luxor_museum_frame.html