Thebes in Egypt - by Nigel Strudwick & Helen Strudwick (Paperback)

About the Book

The remains of ancient Thebes constitute one of the largest and most remarkable archaeological sites in all of Egypt and indeed the world. The discoveries made at this site, now the modern town of Luxor, are responsible for much of our knowledge of...

Book Synopsis

The remains of ancient Thebes constitute one of the largest and most remarkable archaeological sites in all of Egypt and indeed the world. The discoveries made at this site, now the modern town of Luxor, are responsible for much of our knowledge of ancient Egyptian civilization. After excavating and researching the city of Thebes for many years, Nigel and Helen Strudwick here offer the first comprehensive introduction to it, one that will be welcomed by both armchair travelers and visitors to that popular tourist destination. Handsomely illustrated, the book features eighty photographs--thirty in color--and twenty maps and plans.After reviewing the topography of the site, the Strudwicks recount the history of Thebes from the city's rise in the late Old Kingdom to the peak of its power in the New Kingdom and to its gradual decline in the Greco-Roman period. They discuss the central role played by the gods in the community's religious life, and take us on a tour of the great temples of Karnak and Luxor on the East Bank of the Nile and of the temples and tombs of kings, queens, princes, and ordinary individuals on the West Bank.Drawing on their intimate acquaintance with ancient Egyptian society, the authors re-create the lives of Thebans during the New Kingdom. They conclude by assessing Greek, Roman, Coptic, and Islamic influences on the area as it exists today and by providing an overview of the archaeological research undertaken there.

Review Quotes

"Nigel and Helen Strudwick have provided the first comprehensive treatment of the most important archaeological site in Egypt. No other location, with the possible exception of Saqqara, has yielded material from all the major epochs of Egyptian history. Clearly written and well organized, the book presents valuable new information about its subject."--James F. Romano, Brooklyn Museum of Art

"The authors bring together their extensive collective knowledge and experience with both ancient Waset (Thebes) and modern Luxor to create in this volume what qualifies as the best comprehensive general study to date of arguably the single most important site in all of Egypt, archeologically speaking. . . This is a work that should not go ignored."--KMT, Winter 1999-2000.

"The authors provide detailed and accurate information about life in the city. This is an excellent, recommended, must-read book for all."--Frankie's Reviews in Egyptology

About the Author

NIGEL STRUDWICK is an Egyptologist at the University of Cambridge. He and HELEN STRUDWICK have been working at Luxor, mainly in the Tombs of the Nobles, for over twelve years. Most recently Nigel Strudwick was a visiting fellow at the Egyptian Institute at the University of Heidelberg. Frequent lecturers, the Strudwicks have both written extensively on the site and topics related to it.