Petrie, who also
found in the neighbourhood the remains of a number of small royal
funerary temples of the XVIIIth Dynasty, all looking in the direction of
the hill, beyond which lay the tombs of the kings.
[Illustration: 372.jpg THE VALLEY OF THE TOMBS OF THE QUEENS AT THEBES.]
In which Prof. Schiaparelli discovered the tomb of Ramses
II's wife (1904).
We may now turn to Luxor, where immediately above the landing-place of
the steamers and dahabiyas rise the stately coloured colonnades of the
Temple of Luxor. Unfortunately, modern excavations have not been
allowed to pursue their course to completion here, as in the first great
colonnaded court, which was added by Ramses II to the original building
of Amenhetep III, Tutankhamen, and Horemheb, there still remains
the Mohammedan Mosque of Abu-'l-Haggag, which may not be removed.
Abu-'l-Haggag, "the Father of Pilgrims" (so called on account of the
number of pilgrims to his shrine), was a very holy shekh, and his memory
is held in the greatest reverence by the Luksuris. It is unlucky that
this mosque was built within the court of the Great Temple, and it
cannot be removed till Moslem religious prejudices become at least
partially ameliorated, and then the work of completely excavating the
Temple of Luxor may be carried out.
Between Luxor and Karnak lay the temple of the goddess Mut, consort of
Amen and protectress of Thebes.
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