Section 02 of 05
Ancient Sites
Temples and tombs, and how to read them. Everything filed here, in river order where the river applies — with what each place is and how it reads on the ground.
-
01
Reading a Temple, Front to Back
Pylon, court, hypostyle hall, sanctuary. Every temple is the same sentence in a different hand.
Edfu, Dendera, Kom Ombo, Karnak, Medinet Habu, Philae
-
02
Karnak, and the Problem of Scale
Not one temple but a construction site that ran for two thousand years.
Karnak, Precinct of Amun-Re, Precinct of Mut, Luxor
-
03
The Valley of the Kings
Why the tombs moved underground, and what is actually painted on the walls.
Valley of the Kings, el-Qurn, Deir el-Bahari, Luxor west bank
-
04
Giza, Beyond the Photograph
Three pyramids, a causeway, a quarry and a plateau that makes sense once you see the plan.
Giza, Khufu’s pyramid, the Sphinx, valley temple, Tura
-
05
Saqqara and the First Pyramid
The step pyramid, and the moment stone architecture was invented.
Saqqara, Memphis, Dahshur, Serapeum
-
06
Abydos and the King List
A temple carrying a carved roll-call of pharaohs, and why it matters.
Abydos, Umm el-Qaab, Osireion
-
07
Abu Simbel, Moved
A colossal facade cut from a cliff, then cut out of it again and rebuilt uphill.
Abu Simbel, Lake Nasser, Aswan
-
08
What the Cartouches Actually Say
Enough hieroglyphs to read a royal name off a wall.
Karnak, Abydos, Abu Simbel