Overview:

: Deir el-Medina is an ancient village located on the West Bank of the Nile in Luxor, Egypt. The village was inhabited by the Ramesside workers and their families who worked on the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens tombs nearby. The village was inhabited from approximately 1550 BC to 1150 BC, and contains many houses, tombs, and other structures, as well as temples dedicated to the goddess Hathor, god of the dead, Anubis, and other deities. The ruins of the Deir el-Medina are considered to be the best-preserved example of an ancient Egyptian village. It is one of the most beautiful monuments in Egypt
Prominent Features:

1. Valley of the Kings: Deir el-Medina is a small village on the West Bank of the Nile in Luxor, Egypt that was home to the artisans of the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens during the 19th and 20th Dynasties of Egypt. This area was home to a great number of tombs belonging to pharaohs, nobles, and royal family members. 2. Temples: Deir el-Medina is a major archaeological site with many ancient temples including Deir el-Shelwit, the Ramesseum, and Djeser-Djeseru. These temples were associated with the royal dynasties of New Kingdom Egypt and were integral components of the religious life of the people of Deir el-Medina. 3. Paintings: This village has an impressive collection of wall paintings from the 19th and 20th Dynasties of Egypt. These paintins show scenes from everyday life, as well as important gods and goddesses from the time period. 4. Houses: The village also has a unique collection of traditional Egyptian homes, some of which are still inhabited today. These houses are one to two story structures constructed with mud bricks. 5. Tombs: Deir el-Medina also boasts a large collection of tombs. These tombs are the burial grounds of many New Kingdom nobles and pharaohs, and they contain an array of hieroglyphs and decorations that are representative of the time period. You can learn history, culture, and heritage through these magnificent monuments in Egypt.

History:

Deir el-Medina is an ancient settlement located on the west bank of the Nile, just south of Luxor in Egypt. The settlement was established between 1550 and 1070 BCE, during the New Kingdom period, and was home to artisans who were employed to build and decorate the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings. The settlement was known to its inhabitants as "Set Maat" which translates as "The Place of Truth," referring to the town's significance as a sacred center for the worship of the god Amen. The artisans who lived at Deir el-Medina were highly skilled and well-respected within Egyptian society, and the settlement was one of the first places to develop a writing system. The settlement was well-known for its prosperity and its close-knit community. Its inhabitants enjoyed privileged access to goods and services that was not afforded to the general population; they were given higher wages than other workers, provided with grain and other foodstuffs, and able to purchase luxury and imported items from abroad. The town was in close proximity to the royal residence and the tombs of the Pharaohs, and consequently it attracted people from a wide variety of backgrounds, including artisans, bureaucrats, and other citizens. The settlement at Deir el-Medina was organically developed around a temple complex dedicated to the god Amen and his family. Several chariot races and other festivals were held there to honor Amen, and the settlement's inhabitants would congregate in the temple courtyard each evening for communal meals and nightly prayer meetings. During the 18th and 19th Dynasties, the settlement experienced a period of economic growth and prosperity. The town included a substantial number of well-maintained houses, workshops, and public areas. The ruins of Deir el-Medina remain amongst the best-preserved ancient sites in Egypt today, providing a unique insight into the daily life and culture of an ancient Egyptian town. Visit one of the famous monuments of Egypt with your friends and family.

Interesting facts:

1. Deir el-Medina was a small town in the Theban Necropolis in Luxor, Egypt that housed the artisans who built the tombs of the Pharaohs of the 19th and 20th Dynasties. 2. Deir el-Medina was home to approximately 200 people, including craftsmen, painters, cement-makers, and sculptors. 3. It was a self-contained community with its own shops, workshops and temples, and its own doctors, teachers and priests. 4. Deir el-Medina has been called “one of Egypt’s largest and best preserved art centers” and a gateway to the past. 5. The remains of the town were first discovered in 1822 by Jean-François Champollion. 6. Deir el-Medina was surrounded by walls and protected by guards. 7. Archaeologists discovered a large number of ostraca, which are ancient texts written on limestone flakes. These ostraca provide insight into daily life in Deir el-Medina and the Ancient Egyptian religion. 8. The village had its own necropolis, or cemetery, and at least two tombs dedicated to priests of the sun god. 9. The people of Deir el-Medina were well known for their fine work in art and architecture. They created many of the statues and reliefs found in tombs, temples, and monuments throughout Egypt. 10. Deir el-Medina is an important archaeological site of Ancient Egypt and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the historical monuments of Egypt, it tells the story of a bygone era