The high cliffs opposite Aswan, just north of Kitchener’s Island, are honeycombed with the tombs of the governors, The Tombs of the Nobles or as they were titled the Keepers of the Southern Gate. If you have time you must book a tour to Aswan tombs of the Nobles.
To reach the Tombs of the Nobles, you will have to cross to the west of the River Nile, A set of stairs cutting diagonally across the hill takes you up to the tombs.
The British archeologist, the Lord Greenville discovered the Tombs of the Nobles in the period between 1885 and 1886 to be the first scientist to explore this important historical site.
The Tombs of the Nobles located in Aswan are usually called the tombs of Qubat El Hawa, date back to the Old and Middle Kingdoms (2500 BC and 2000 BC) and most follow a simple plan, with an entrance hall, a pillared room and a corridor leading to the burial chamber.
The wall paintings inside the Tombs of the Nobles are wonderfully alive and they display the daily life activities of the ancient Egyptians in a magnificent masterpiece of art.
1-Tomb of Sarenput:
Sarenput was the local governor and overseer of the priesthood of Satet and Khnum under 12th-dynasty Pharaoh Amenemhat II (1922–1878 BC). The tomb of Sarenput II (number 31) is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved tombs, its colours still vivid. A six-pillared entrance chamber leads into a corridor with six niches holding statues of Sarenput. The burial chamber has four columns and a niche with wall paintings showing Sarenput with his wife (on the right) and his mother (on the left), as well as hunting and fishing scenes
2-The Tomb of Sabni and Mekho:
The Tomb of Meko and Sabni (his son), is actually a tomb leads to another. The Tomb of Sabni has a wonderful entrance which is now surrounded by a wall and the entrance inside the tomb is done through the tomb of his father, Mekho. The entrance of the Tomb of Sabni is actually divided into two sections that lead to the hall containing 14 square shaped columns with the common fishing and haunting scenes all over the place.
The columns of Sabni’s tomb show the story of how Sabni was able to rescue the dead body of his father in one of the campaigns they went through as mummifying the dead body was an important ritual in ancient Egypt, and how he was able to hold the dead body of his father and travel for a long distance until he reached the tomb of his father in Aswan is among the most important historical records that tell us about the mentality of the Egyptians at that period of time and how they perceived life, death, and immortality.
