Bloomsbury Summer School
Fascinated by ancient civilisations?
We offer anyone with any level of knowledge, inspiring short courses on ancient Egypt and other areas of the ancient world.
BSS in Egypt 2017
15th December 2017
In the Realm of the Sun King: Thebes in the reign of Amenhotep III
4 – 11 December 2017
Course Director: Dr Peter Lacovara
A new course taught in Luxor by the Co-Director of excavations at Amenhotep III’s palace-city at Malqata, with daily lectures and exploration of relevant ancient sites, including 5 ‘special openings’ of sites usually closed to visitors.
What made this course special...
- A series of ten lectures on the fascinating reign of Amenhotep III by Dr Peter Lacovara, an expert on this period of ancient Egyptian history.
- A carefully-considered programme of site visits in and around Luxor to complement the varied lecture programme
- Busy, exciting days with time to relax at our wonderfully-located 5* hotel in Luxor
- Plenty of opportunity to socialise with Egyptologist Peter Lacovara and fellow participants
- Course Coordination by BSS Co-Director Lucia Gahlin, who accompanied the group throughout. Tour Coordination in Egypt by Galal Alsenusy who has arranged all our BSS in Egypt courses to date.
At one of Peter Lacovara's ten lectures on Amenhotep III
Crossing to the west bank by boat
Dr Hourig Sourizian talking to our group in front of the Colossi
Hourig Sourizian explains the Kom el Hetan site to us
Exploring deep into the Kom el Hetan
Hourig Sourizian talking to our group on the Kom el Hetan in front of the recently-erected statues
Arriving at the the tomb of Horemheb (TT78), a special opening high up in the Sheikh Abd El-Qurna cliff
Our guide Amr El Sharqawy talking to our group in the Western Valley
Entering the tomb of Amenhotep III, a 'special opening' for our group
One of our delicious group lunches, this one at Nur el-Qurna at the back of the Kom El-Hetan
Dr Peter Lacovara explaining Malqata to us
Our group with Dr Hourig Sourouzian and Dr Peter Lacovara in front of the Colossi of Memnon
Our Farewell Gala Dinner in the 1886 Restaurant in the Old Winter Palace
Peter Lacovara, Amr El Sharqawy and Lucia Gahlin at the Farewell Gala Dinner
Course description
Combining lectures and site visits in and near Luxor, this was a course on one of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs. Amenhotep III is known as Amenhotep the Magnificent for his legacy of art and architecture unrivalled by any other pharaoh. As the ninth king of the Eighteenth Dynasty, he ruled Egypt at the apex of her wealth and influence. He reigned for thirty-eight years in the 14th Century BC and transformed the city of Thebes. He built more temples than any other ruler aside from Ramesses the Great and has the greatest number of statues known for any Egyptian pharaoh. Fortunately, many of his monuments survive in and around Thebes. This course gave us a unique look at his reign, and highlighted many new and exciting discoveries that are adding even more to our understanding of one of history’s most accomplished rulers.
Course Director
Dr Peter Lacovara
Peter Lacovara is Director of The Ancient Egyptian Archaeology and Heritage Fund. He was Senior Curator of Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art at the Michael C. Carlos Museum from 1998 to 2014 and before that served as Assistant Curator in the Department of Ancient Egyptian, Nubian and Near Eastern Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. His archaeological fieldwork has included excavations at the Valley of the Kings, Abydos, Hierakonpolis and at the Giza Plateau. He is currently co-directing the excavation of the palace-city of Amenhotep III at Malqata in Western Thebes with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and is also working at the site of Deir el-Ballas. His PhD (1993) is from The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, and his publications include studies on Daily Life and Urbanism in Ancient Egypt, Egyptian Mortuary Traditions, and the Material Culture of Ancient Egypt and Nubia.
Course programme
Day 1
Fly from Heathrow to Luxor
Check in to 5* Winter Palace Garden Pavilion for the 7 nights
Day 2
Visit Luxor Museum, and Luxor Temple
Group Lunch
Lecture 1: Advent of the Amenhoteps: Thebes in the early New Kingdom
Welcome Dinner
Day 3
Visit Karnak Temples of Amun and Mut
Group Lunch
Lecture 2: The Dawn of the Sun King: Amenhotep III’s early reign
Lecture 3: Amenhotep in Luxor: Karnak and Luxor Temples
Day 4
Visit Amenhotep III’s temple remains at Kom el-Hetan [special opening], and Amenhotep III’s palace-city remains at Malqata [special opening].
Group Lunch
Lecture 4: Family Matters: Amenhotep III’s wives and children
Lecture 5: The King and his Court: the officials of Amenhotep III
Day 6
Visit Tombs of the Nobles dating to the reign of Amenhotep III: Djeserkareseneb (TT38) [special opening], Nakht (TT52), Ramose (TT55), Menna (TT69), Horemheb (TT78) [special opening], Kheruef (TT192), Paroy, also called Djehutimes (TT 295)
Group Lunch
Lecture 6: Amenhotep III beyond Thebes
Lecture 7: Jubilee times Three: Amehotep III’s Sed Festivals
Day 7
Visit the tombs and temples at El Kab, including Amenhotep III’s temple
Packed lunch
Lecture 8: The Kom el-Hettân
Lecture 9: The Death and Burial of Amenhotep III
Day 8
Visit the Tomb of Amenhotep III [special opening] in the Western Valley; the tomb of Amenhotep III’s father Thutmose IV, and the tomb of Amenhotep III’s grandson Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings
Group Lunch
Lecture 10: After Amenhotep: his legacy and legend
Farewell Dinner
Day 9
Fly from Luxor to Heathrow
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