The worker's village at Deir el Medina is one of the most thoroughly documented communities in the ancient world. It is located west of modern Luxor on the west bank of the Nile about half a mile beyond the cultivated land bordering the river and between the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens.
The village is in the southern part of the Theban necropolis in a valley behind Gurnet Murai hill. The major path from the village proceeded north from its western foothills along the top of the cliffs, that surround Deir el Bahri, to the place where workmen made a small settlement for themselves before the path descended to the Valley of the Kings.
Workmen and their families left a record of village life that spans almost four hundred years and parallels much of the history of the New Kingdom dynasty. Surviving records shed little light on the major events, rather they talk of everyday life - work, money, people, education, legal and religious matters.
The village is located deep within a valley and is not visible from most key vantage points in the area. The plan of the village evolved over time until its final 'shape' shown here.
A small valley was the area where a community of workmen who constructed the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings had their village. On the north side of the village several temples were built, the largest of which was begun by Amenhotep III and almost completely rebuilt and expanded in later times - long after the village had been deserted.
The temple of the cult of Amenhotep I (1525-1504 bc) stands on the terrace above the Ptolemaic temple at its north corner. The original structure was small and the surrounding walls were added later.
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Hathor chapel of Sety I
On the north side of the complex is the site where Sety I (1294-1279 BC) built a temple for the villagers for Deir el Medina. It was considerably larger than Amenhotep's temple and it consists of a series of enclosures before a tripartite sanctuary. - The image shows the steps leading from each of the enclosures.
Directly
to the north of the village is the small Ptolemaic temple dedicated to
Hathor. It is also dedicated to Maat, Amenhotep son of Hapu and to
Imhotep. During the Coptic period it was converted into a
monastery, which ironically gave it protection when other temples were
defaced or destroyed.
Hathor was clearly popular with the villages of
Deir el Medina. Many of the women had the title "Songstress of
Hathor" and there were a number of chapels dedicated to her in the
village. Sety I built a temple to her, as did his son Ramesses II.
This was replaced by the present Ptolemaic temple long after the
worker's village had been deserted. Excavation in the temple uncovered a
statue of Mertseger, the snake goddess who was another form of Hathor.
Exterior
of the Enclosure Wall
The
base of mud brick wall can be found directly opposite the temple's
entrance. The plan of the temple does show a structure, but this
is approximately 25 feet from the entrance. Dieter Arnolds' "The
Encyclopaedia of Ancient Egyptian Architecture" does show a plan of this
structure and it is referenced as being added during the Ptolemaic
phase.
Interior
of the Enclosure Wall
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