Tombs of the Dignitaries – Rechmire's tomb (TT1OO)
Tombs of the Dignitaries, also known as the Valley of the Mighty, is another necropolis in Western Thebes. Theban nobles and dignitaries located their tombs ostentatiously in view at the foot of the towering hills, over "temples of millions of years", which the pharaohs erected, and the cultivated Nile Valley. Over time, private houses were built here, using the burial rooms for stables or granaries, and even for apartments. Today it is a great problem for the authorities, who want to regain control of the tombs (and their resources). The tombs from the Mighty Valley lie around the village of Kurna. They are divided into four groups, each has a separate ticket, available for purchase at the main ticket office. The first group is the tombs of Rechmire and Sennefer (25 EGP, 10 EGP), another Ramose, Userhat or Chaemhat (25 EGP, 15 EGP), the third is Nakht and Menny (20 EGP) and the fourth, Khonsu, Userhata i Benia (12 EGP, 6 EGP). Photographing and filming in the tombs is prohibited. It's also worth having a flashlight with you.
Rechmire's tomb (TT1OO)
It is located in the south-eastern part of Sheikh Abd al-Kurna. This is one of the most interesting and impressive tombs in the entire Theban necropolis: the beauty of the decorations and the historical content of the decorations shed light on the politics of the states of Thotmes III and Amenhotep II. Rechmire was governor of Thebes and vizier of Thotmes III and Amenhotep II, that is, he performed the duties of today's prime minister. The texts in the tomb describe his career. The tomb has a typical shape, fashionable during the eighteenth dynasty, it differs only in the size and quality of the decorations.
The shaft was not found, so it is possible, that Rechmire was given the privilege of being buried in the Valley of the Kings.
The entrance is decorated with texts of offerings and prayers. In the high vestibule, the damaged paintings show Rechmire, when he collects taxes in Upper and Lower Egypt. It also controls the work of chariot builders and farmers. On the left, a long text tells about the career of the vizier. On the opposite side of the text, on the narrow wall opposite, Rechmire stands in the presence of his ancestors. Near, on the left, there are scenes of trampling grapes and making wine. On a long wall you can see a wilderness hunting, when Rechmire visited the "Way of Horus". The oryx is drawn, wild bull, herds of hyenas and hunting dogs. On the left is the famous scene, when Rechmire as vizier receives tribute from foreign lands (five rows). The vizier in a long white robe accepts gifts characteristic of each nation. At the very top, the people of the Land of Punt bring incense trees, gold, precious stones, Ivory, baboons, monkeys and the skin of exotic animals. Below you can admire the Keftiu tribute (Crete or islands in the Mediterranean Sea): Men wearing colorful aprons carry decorated vases, silver, lapis-lazuli, amphoras and vases with animal heads. The men are dressed in a Mycenaean rather than a Minoan prayer. Nubians or Kushites are in the next row, guiding giraffes, leopards, baboons, monkeys, hunting dogs, as well as carrying ostrich eggs and feathers. People from Syria are carrying gifts below (Rechnium), with thick beards, dressed in long white robes. They lead the horses to the chariot, bear and elephant, they carry weapons and metal vases, copper bars and utensils.
In the next row, the soldiers lead various groups of strangers with women and children (perhaps they are prisoners).
At the end you can see the destroyed scene with Rechmire in front of Thotmes III on the throne.
Long corridor-chapel, whose vault begins at a height 3 m, as it approaches the blind gate, it begins to run uphill, until it reaches 9 m in height, they decorate scenes from everyday life and work. On the left, the images run in six rows: Rechmire oversees the preparation and endowment of the temple (scenes from the workshop of the Temple of Amun in Karnak), and the peasants hide the grain in their storehouses, from where they are distributed as payment to the craftsmen working for the sanctuary. You see the tanners, tailors, carpet weavers, people making metal tools and bricklayers. There are also artisans-artists forging statues of gods and kings from stone. At the end of this wall is Rechmire's funeral and a procession of funerary gifts through the Garden of Osiris, where the gods of the West, together with Anubis and Osiris, welcome the dignitary. Rechmire and his wife Merit sit at the sacrificial table, and their sons – Mcncheperresoneb, Mary and Amenhotep – pay tribute to their parents. The text gives a list of the sacrifices made. The "blind gates" that once closed the niche have been moved to the Louvre.
On the right wall, apart from the purification scenes, you can see Rechmire with a sechem scepter, a sign of the prime minister's power standing next to his wife and sons. Next to it is the opening ceremony of the mouth, one of the most important funeral ceremonies, and then the funeral feast, in which the daughters and sons of the deceased and his wife participate. The guests are entertained by singers and singers, musicians playing flutes, tambourines, harps and rattles. Little maid, shown with the back to the viewer, contrary to the Egyptian canon, stands by his mother Rechmire. It is the only such scene in all Egyptian art. The last scene on this wall shows Rechmire returning by boat with Hetsch (northern Thebes), where he was received by the new king, probably Amenhotep II.
Another tomb (TT55) belonged to Ramose, governor of Thebes and vizier between the reigns of Amenhotep III and Amenhotep IV – Echnatona (XTV w. p.n.e.), witness and participant in the Amarna Revolution. The changes in the country were reflected in the decoration of the tomb on the road in Sheikh Abd al-Kurna, where old and new religious trends are present. Only a large indoor hall is available, while the smaller hypostyle hall and the chapel located deeper are closed to tourists. The tomb is approx. 40 m2, but it was never finished. The owner was probably buried in Akhetaton. The grave has a classic T-shape and is intimidating with its vastness. The vestibule and the hypostyle hall with the chapel are really huge. Some reliefs are made with attention to detail, but stylistically they no longer belong to the epoch of Amenhotep III. The courtyard of the tomb has also been preserved.