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Living in Luxor - News in and around Luxor in January 2014
When you mouse over a picture you will get a description and copyright information. Unless otherwise specified copyright is reserved by Living in Luxor. External links are marked with .
New pages in January 2014:
- 01.01.14 New page: Overview and statistics for the News 2013
- 06.01.14 New offer: Holiday Flat Hatshepsut 7 in Gezira for rent
Weekly Yoga on Luxor's West Bank
(29/01/14)
Marianne Neerbek comes from Denmark and offers a Body Mind Yoga class with meditation on the roof top of the Gezira Garden Hotel. Afterwards you can swim in the pool and have lunch.
Days: Thursday 30 January, 6 February, 13 February, 10 am
Fees: Yoga 30 LE, Pool 15 LE
Registration: Tel. 010 202 959 22 or Email
Silver for Egypt at the Award Ceremony of the 2nd Luxor Egyptian and European Festival, Luxor Eastbank
(25/01/14)
During the Film Festival's closing ceremony at the Karnak Temple the winners of the Best Feature Films and Best Short Films were announced. Egypt had participated in the Festival with a total of four films. “Excuse My French” by Amr Salama competed in the Feature Film category while Ahmed Emad’s “Scarf”, Aya Al-Adl’s “Only One Truth” and Sara Rozik’s “Left Shoe” competed in the Short Film Category. The winners are:
- Feature Film category:
- The Gold Djed Pillar went to Serbian Director Milosh Puzich for his film “Withering”. The award recognizes its brilliant photography and ability to express the inside human conflict of a man searching for his dream.
- For his ability to put together a very compact feature film, in which the fast rhythm and impeccable direction, simply managed to deliver a political, philosophical message about the new economic crisis in Europe, the Silver Djed Pillar, the jury’s special award, went to Greek Director Yorgos Tsemberopoulos for his feature film “The Enemy Within”.
- Director Nana Ekvitimishvili from Georgia won the Bronze Djed Pillar for the best first feature film “In Bloom”, which describes the deep political crisis in Georgia through the story of two teenage girls growing up in Tbilisi in 1992.
- Short Films category:
- The Gold Djed Pillar went to German Director Erik Schmitt for his short film “Rhino Full Throttle”, for his ability to express ideas in a rather daring cinematographic language.
- “The Left Shoe”, Sara Rozik’s (Egypt) first short film, won the Silver Djed Pillar, the Jury’s special award, for its poetic expression and great feeling of rhythm in telling a story of two little children at a train station. Rozik, who is only 20 years old, has graduated from the High Institute of Cinema in Egypt in 2013; and holds a diploma in Music from Cairo Conservatoire.
Opening of the 2nd Luxor Egyptian and European Film Festival 2014, Luxor East Bank
(20/01/14)
Yesterday by early evening, the opening ceremony of the 2nd Luxor Egyptian and European Film Festival 2014 took place. After a couple of the usual words of welcome and thanks, the Egyptian actor and director Nour el-Sherif as well as the Russian acto, director, producer and screenwriter Vladimir Menshov received a prize: the Blue Djed Pillar. Then, Amr Salama, director of the opening film, entered the stage with a few of his crew.
Samama's brand-new film "Excuse my French" (in Arabic: La Moakhza) made its world premiere yesterday. It tells the story of a Christian boy called Hany, played by 13-year-old
actor Ahmed Dash. After the death of his father, who left the mother with a burden of debts, he had to change from private to public school. Because his
new classmates are already mocking him for being from a privileged
background he doesn't correct the misunderstanding that he is a Muslim as all the rest. However, after many implications he learns to be the person, who he really is, and wins the respect of his classmates.
The film was shot in an old school in Cairo about to be
demolished. Although Salama's very personal film has a lot of humorous scenes and is labelled as a comedy - what Hany experiences at school isn't really funny. The script was refused three times by Egypt's censorship board -- because of "damaging the image of education in Egypt". When he submitted the script for the fourth time - after speaking up about the situation on
television and without the
controversial scenes - it was approved.
Countdown for the 2nd Luxor Egyptian and European Film Festival 2014, Luxor East Bank
(17/01/14)
On Sunday, 19 January 2014, the 2nd Luxor Egyptian and European Film Festival will be launched. Until 25 January 2014 it will screen 62 movies from 18 European countries and Egypt. Amr Salama’s Excuse My French will open the Festival with its debut screening. The film is Egypt's contribution for the long feature films’ competition for the Gold DJED Pillar.
The program has key subjects like the New German Cinema (8 films), Independent Egyptian Cinema (8 films), Nour El Sherif Tribute (4 films) and Egyptian Classics (4 films), which will be screened outside the competition.
The opening ceremony will probably start on Sunday at 6.30 pm in the Conference Center at the Nile Corniche close to Karnak.
The complete program is on the film festival's website and here on our page as the organisor's excel file for printing (subject to change).
Start on Construction Work of Tutankhamun's Facsimile Tomb, Luxor Westbank
(16/01/14)
The good news go on and on: Meanwhile the excavation work for Tutankhamun's facsimile tomb close to Carter's House in Qurna has begun. In charge are architects of the Tarek Waly Center - Architecture and Heritage, which was already involved in other Egyptological projects, for example in Esna and Abydos. The pictures originate with the center.
Within 3 years Factum Arte had created the exact replica, at the end of November 2013 it was packed in Cairo. Finally, on 9 December 2013 it arrived at Luxor's west bank. According to schedule the tomb will be open to public in April 2014.
Two New Pharaonic Tombs Discovered in Abydos
(15/01/14)
The year is still young but already brought many discoveries. On 6 January 2014 archaeologists of the Penn Museum (University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Philadelphia) announced that they now know the king's name, whose tomb they had found in Southern Abydos nearly one year ago. The newly found fragments of a funerary stela bore the name of Sobekhotep I, the first king of the 13th Dynasty who reigned ca. 1780 BC. Now it was also clear that the 60-ton red quartzite sarcophagus, which they had found in another tomb last year, belonged to Sobekhotep I and was reused later. After restoration the tomb should be opened for public.
Today, on 15 January 2014, just a few days after, the discovery of another tomb was announced by the same team of Penn Museum archaeologists. The tomb is located close to the tomb of Sobekhotep I and also dates back to the Second Intermediate Period. This time, it was evident from the beginning, to whom the tomb belonged, because the walls of the burial chamber bear inscriptions of the deceased king and identify him as the "King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Woser-ib-re, the son of Re, Senebkay". (The German Egyptologist Wolfram Grajetzki believes that King Senebkay is identical to King Sebkay, whos name is known from a magical wand, also found at Abydos, and may be written wrongly, with the 'n' missing).
The archaeologists also recovered the remains of Senebkay - not his mummy. Obviously, the tomb was opened and the mummy damaged by robbers. Preliminary study on the skeleton revealed that Senebkay died in his mid to late 40s and was ca. 1.75 m tall.
The tomb consists of four chambers with a limestone burial chamber decorated with well preserved images of the goddesses Nut, Nephthys, Selket, and Isis. However, the facts, that the tomb is very small for a king and the limestone blocks were reused, indicate the economic difficulties of this period between the Middle and the New Kingdom. Sobekhotep I and Senebkay belonged to the kings of the so-called Abydos Dynasty, whose names are just known from finds at Abydos. According to Egyptologist Kim Ryholt the Abydos Dnyasty existed contemporarily with the 15th (Hyksos) and 16th (Theban) Dynasties.
Additional Information on Our German Website
(14.01.14)
Maybe you've already noticed that our German website is much more comprehensive than the English one here due to my nationality. In the last two weeks I published three new pages there that could be interesting for you, too, because they are rich of photos - and photos are international, so I hope you will enjoy it.
1. Photoguide of the State Museum of Egyptian Art in Munich
with 275 photos on 7 pages. I added the subject of the rooms in English.
- Introduction, History, Architecture; Hall "Art and Form":
http://www.leben-in-luxor.de/luxor_lexikon_museen_smaek1.html
- Hall "Art and Time", Art in Architecture:
http://www.leben-in-luxor.de/luxor_lexikon_museen_smaek2.html
- Halls "Obelisk", "Pharaoh", Five "Millennia":
http://www.leben-in-luxor.de/luxor_lexikon_museen_smaek3.html
- Hall "Afterlife":
http://www.leben-in-luxor.de/luxor_lexikon_museen_smaek4.html
- Halls "Religion", "Egypt in Rome":
http://www.leben-in-luxor.de/luxor_lexikon_museen_smaek5.html
- Halls "After the Pharaohs", "Script and Writing", "Artisan Crafts", "Grasping Egypt":
http://www.leben-in-luxor.de/luxor_lexikon_museen_smaek6.html
- Halls "Nubiia and Sudan", "Ancient Orient"; Appendix: Facts and Sources:
http://www.leben-in-luxor.de/luxor_lexikon_museen_smaek7.html
2. Visit of the Luxor Man-Made Forests
http://www.leben-in-luxor.de/luxor_essays_wald.html
3. Horse Race in Honour of the Prophet's Birthday
http://www.leben-in-luxor.de/luxor_essays_pferderennen.html
Opening of New Tourist Attractions in Luxor
(12/01/13)
Actually, it was said that the opening would be public, however, then there was no talk of it. Also the list of the sites that should be opened changed from source to source. As it stands today, these sites were opened:
- the Temple of Mut in Karnak, East Bank
- the Temple of Isis in Deir el-Shelwit, West Bank
- Qasr el-Aguz, the Temple of Thot in Habu, West Bank and
- the Tomb of Amenemopet, called Ipy, (TT41) in el-Khokha, West Bank
Cleaning Day in Ramla and Gezira, Luxor West Bank
(11/01/14)
The charity "Small Pyramid" organises again a waste collection day - not exactly on the 3rd anniversary of the January Revolution 2011 but on occasion of it.
Meeting point on Friday, 24 January 2014, 10 am at the West Bank's Nile Corniche. Bring a broom, a dustpan and big strong plastic bags with you! After all a truck will carry away all the collected rubbish. Please play your part in cleaning, every hand matters!
Preparations for the Prophet's Birthday, Luxor East Bank
(05/01/14)
This year, the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed, Mulid el-Nabi, will be celebrated on 13 January - in Egypt an official holiday. Already weeks before the street vendors put up their pitches full of colourful sweets along the mainroads of Luxor. Here some sweet impressions:
New Tomb Discovered in El-Khokha, Luxor West Bank
(03/01/14)
Good news: Today, it was announced that the Japanese mission of the Waseda University's Institute of Egyptology discovered a tomb during cleaning work at the front court of Userhat's tomb (TT47) in el-Khokha. The new tomb belongs to Khonsuemheb, his wife Mutemheb and their daughter Isetkha. Khonsuemheb was “the chief of the workshop for Mut" and “the chief brewer of the temple of Mut" during the
Ramesside period. His wife and daughter served as singers to the same goddess. The well preserved, T-shaped tomb is fully painted in vivid colours and shows Khonsuemheb with his family in everyday and religious scenes. After restoration it will be opened for the public in order to boost tourism.
Egyptian Marathon on 17 January 2014, Luxor West Bank
(01/01/14)
On 17th of January, 2014 the 21st Egyptian Marathon will take place in Luxor. The race (also for inline skaters and wheelchair users) will start beneath Hatshepsut Temple on the West Bank of Luxor at 7:00 am over 4 distances: Marathon (42,195 km), Luxor Run (22,289 km), Ramses Run & Walk (12,336 km) or Kid's Run (5 km). The race will end at 1:00 pm and prices will be awarded at 7 pm. Luxor residents, who register with one of the sporting clubs in Luxor, will be able to take part in the Marathon for free.
Official website
Egyptian Holidays in 2014 - Overview
(01/01/14)
In Egypt, 3 different calendars are in use:
- the Gregorian calendar for public holidays celebrated by the entire population,
- the Islamic calendar for important Islamic holidays and
- the Coptic calendar for Coptic feasts
While the most holiday dates of the Gregorian and Coptic calendars don't change the dates of the Islamic calendar are movable (marked with *). Here the (anticipated) dates for 2014:
- Coptic Christmas: January 7, 2014 (legal holiday)
- Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (Mulid el-Nabi): January 13, 2014*
- Egyptian Revolution Day: January 25, 2014 (Day of the beginning of the Egyptian revolution 2011)
- Sinai Liberation Day: April 25, 2014 (final withdrawal of all Israeli military forces from the Sinai Peninsula in 1982)
- Labour Day: May 1, 2014
- Coptic Easter: April 20, 2014*
- Sham el-Nessim: April 21, 2014 (Spring festival)*
- Evacuation Day (Eid el-Galaa): June, 18, 2014 final withdrawal of all British forces from Egypt on this date in 1956)
- Abu el-Haggag Festival: June 12, 2014*
- Month of Fasting (Ramadan): June 29 - July 27, 2014*
- Revolution Day: July 23, 2014 (Egyptian Revolution of 1952)
- Breaking of the Fast of Ramadan (Eid el-Fitr) : July 28 - 30, 2014*
- Coptic New Year: September 11, 2014
- Armed Forces Day: October 6, 2014 (crossing of the Suez Canal by Egyptian forces during the October War 1973)
- End of the Hajj and Commemoration of the Sacrifice of Abraham (Eid el-Adha): October 4 - 7, 2014*
- Islamic New Year (1435 n.H.): October 25, 2014*
- Day of Ashura: November 3, 2014 (day when Moses and his followers were saved from Pharaoh by Allah by creating a path in the Red Sea
- Victory Day: December 23, 2014 (ending of the Tripartite Aggression in 1956)