SIWA /
Gebel al-Mawta
The Gebel al-Mawta looks great from a distance, but it is even more impressive up close. The name means simply Mountain of the Dead, and it is the place where Siwans for over 2000 years buried their loved ones.
Every inch of the lower platform of the mountain has been used for family graves.
Entrance to one of the richest graves.
The mountain is truly perforated, it must be centuries since there was no more room for new graves. The lower part of the mountain has countless mounds, with small passageways to the tombs. Most of the tombs belonged to families, and arranged according to the same patterns as graves all around Egypt. The larger ones had ceremonial chambers, while the smaller ones had ceremonies performed outside the grave. The mountain holds a couple of truly great graves, full of wall-paintings equally beautiful to the noble tombs of Luxor or Aswan. Unfortunately, there are strict rules on photographing here, so the finest of the lot was out of reach of me and my camera.
This is the tomb with the second nicest wall-paintings. It has one more "attraction", two mummies in the original place.
