Deir Al Medinah (Workers’ Village)

Deir Al Medinah (Workers’ Village). The discovery of the Village began when the Cemetery of Sanjem who was one of the Workers was found in 1886. Throughout the years he found the foundations of 68 Workers homes and a few Tombs, the more important being the Cemetery of Ga the Chief of the Work, also this is one of the last Cemeteries found in 1906, and today the Names of at least 68 Workers are known. The Village lies on the West Bank of the River Nile Luxor and is of great importance, the reason being it contains Tombs of the Workers. Called Monastery of the City , which Monastery in Arabic means Deir and City meaning Medina, due to the presence of a Monastery which dates back to the Christian Era the people who lived in the Village were not rich and dug their own Graves literally with their own hands. The Village was most suitable for the Ancient Egyptian Families to dwell. The Tombs found here were for the Man and his Wife,there was also a dry well which was discovered and was used to throw Pottery pieces with letters of Love, and Prayer written upon it. There were 5,000 pieces of Pottery that were found in the Well which was next to the Temple of Hathor which held various messages written on it, with added inscriptions and drawings which depicted the daily lives of the Families. The Egyptian Kings and Queens did not live here as it was the Homes of the skilled persons who served them, there were approx.. 70 Families who inhabited the Site and were employed to decorate the Royal Tombs. The Tombs which are small and exquistley decorated, have descriptions inside which reveal Simple scenes from how the lives of the families were lived out.