On his second trip, Eric and his cousin Cleetis, couldn't wait to see the sights of the west bank..
One of their first stops was this beautiful temple built for
the Pharaoh Hatshepsut who was unusual as he was actually a she. Queen Hatshepsut was one of the few women to rule Egypt.
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Between the time Eric visited the temple and Sven's trip a lot of work has been done there. Sven was not at all keen on the way that steps had been cut up the middle of the temples ramps to make access easier and he thinks there is a real risk that the temple could be over restored, and lose a little of it's magic.
Sven noticed a lot of bits and pieces which looked quite interesting. One intriguing discovery the tomb entrance shown on the left. This is tucked away close into the wall of the temple.
And once again Sven found a statue of Horus which he just HAD to get his photo taken beside.
There is still a lot of work to be carried out at the site. Here Sven is sitting in front of hundreds of inscribed stone blocks which originally formed part of the temple. All makes for a huge jigsaw puzzle for the restorers.
Another area where work has been carried out is the much older temple of Menuhotep. This has been cleaned and a lot of the stone blocks which have been found have been put back in position.
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