Deir el-Madina facts

 Introduction

      In ancient Egypt, there was a village called Deir el-Medina. The people from the village worked in the Valley of the Kings. There were 68 houses. The walls of the houses were made of bricks and the doors were made of wood. The people painted their houses white, with red doors, The houses had a kitchen and living room, but there weren't any bedrooms. People usually slept on the roof because it was very hot at night. There was usually an oven for bread in the kitchen, but there weren't any taps. People got their water from the Nile valley about two kilometres away.

location

 Jabal al-Gurna, north of the Valley of the Kings in Luxor is the place where Deir el Madina is located in southern Egypt, Deir Al-Madina is part of the cemetery of the funerary city of Thebes

Construction

Deir el-Medina is located on the The Necropolis of Thebes, West Bank of the Nile in Luxor, Egypt. Handicrafts including sculpture and writing were stayed between sons and fathers among the workers of the Deir Al-Madina area.The work is divided into two periods when the construction and decoration of the royal tombs begins, the first division consists of 60 workers, two honorable people and an administrative editor to support them daily and register them and submit them to the minister and the second division on the left side of the royal cemetery.

 Main points:

1. How many houses were there in the village? There were 68 houses.
2. What were the doors made of? The doors were made of wood.
3. What colour did they paint their houses? They painted their house with white colours.
4. What colour did they paint their door? They painted them with red colours.
5. Why did they sleep on the roof of their houses? Because it was very hot at night.
6. Where did people get their water from? They got their water from the River Nile.
7. Where do you think people slept in winter? Because of the cold weather at night , Ancient Egyptians certainly had blankets to protect them from cold weather during the night.

Why was the city of Deir el-Medina built?  

Sculptors, writers, servants, and supervisors in the land of truth who worked their need to stay in the region of work so Deir el-Madina was constructed for these families.

The workers went to the Valley of the Kings to dig tombs. The others decorate the royal tomb as well as sculptors to carve statues of the Pharaonic king.

 The ancient Egyptians thought that after death, the king lived among the deities in heaven and then returned to earth on his own celebrations and occasion.

What are the most important tombs in Deir el-Medina?

 The tomb of Sen-Nedjem “No. TT1” is the most important tomb of the workers. (the great French Egyptologist who cleared nearly all of the monuments of Deir el-Medina) said of it : "Tomb N°1 is not only one of the most beautiful and better preserved tomb of Thebes; but it is, besides, a perfect example, complete and typical of a tomb for a great family, with the four regular components, a courtyard and chapel accessible to the living, a well shaft and a chamber reserved for the dead".It contains distinctive inscriptions and  drawings on the walls telling us about the life of the ancient Egyptian. 

The tomb of Khaa “No. TT8″,  The pyramid-chapel of Kha and Merit was already well known for many years which is special for the director and supervisor of the workers of the region of  Deir  Al-Madina,it was discovered in the 19th century.

Securing Valley of the Workers in Ancient Egypt:

 In ancient Egypt, a part of the army was responsible for securing the entire area of Deir el-Medina.
To protect them from attacks and ensure that none of the labourers returned to the Valley of the Kings to plunder any of the tombs.