2011-04-08 

        底比斯“權杖之城”，橫跨尼羅河中游兩岸，是繼孟斐斯之後古埃及中王國與新王國時期最重要的都城，距今已有4,000餘年。據載，當時城池百座，人口稠密，建築壯麗，繁榮興旺，被荷馬“盲人”盛讚為“百門之都”。尼羅河東岸為“生者之城”，神廟宮殿連綿不絕，是宗教與政治的中心；西岸為“死者之城”，陵墓連亙，是法老貴族的安息之地。公元27年，一場大地震徹底摧毀了這座古都，如今只剩下殘垣斷壁，散落在盧克索地區，1979年列入《世界遺產名錄》。

        底比斯地域不大，集中坐落在形如金字塔的梅雷特塞格爾山腳下。帝王谷、哈特謝普蘇特神廟、拉美西斯二世神廟、工匠村、門農巨像、王后谷、哈布城神廟、王親貴族墓，由北向南縱向排列。如此眾多的古蹟，若想一一遍覽，非得花上幾天不可。權衡再三，我們決定乘坐熱氣球空游底比斯——既可居高臨下飽覽尼羅河西岸的神奇遺址，又能成全我們不睹不快的迫切願望。

        凌晨五點，天還未亮，我們便搭上頭班輪渡從東岸急駛西岸。接應專車旋即轉往熱氣球現場，必須趕在八點太陽升空前發射升空。四月初的陽光已漸顯潑辣，若不趕趟，便可能遭受烈焰焙烤的雙重夾擊——真把人烤成肉餅不成！

        帝王谷是公元前1550年至前1080年間新王國法老為防止盜墓而開鑿的秘密陵墓，目前已發掘60座。每位法老從登基之日起，便開始為自己修築來世的居所。1922年，圖坦卡蒙陵墓的發現，成為帝王谷中唯一未曾遭受破壞的陵墓，其木乃伊與黃金面具震驚世界。大部分陵墓早已被盜一空，現存珍寶多陳列於開羅博物館。我們根據導遊建議，參觀了三座有代表性的陵墓：阿蒙霍特普四世墓的《亡靈書》壁畫、拉美西斯六世墓的拱形天文星相穴頂、拉美西斯九世墓的努特天空之神裝飾。墓穴結構大同小異：入口通道、幾個矮廳、一個石棺室。

        哈特謝普蘇特是古埃及著名女王，她的陵廟巧妙地修築在懸崖峭壁上，分三層，外觀酷似現代建築。

        拉美西斯二世神廟是他花了20年建造的祭祀中心，面朝東南，背對西北，兩個大門、內外兩廳、48根石柱圍成的祭堂，氣勢恢宏。

        工匠村墓曾是3,500百年前建造法老墓穴的藝術家與工匠們的墓地，從高空望去，破爛的房舍如滑石畫出的“跳房”方陣。

        門農巨像是兩尊高20米的花崗岩坐像，面部已風化模糊。古時每逢颳風，北側那尊便會發出“豎琴弦斷”的聲響，據說源於裂縫的熱脹冷縮。羅馬皇帝塞維魯於公元199年下令整修，此後便再也聽不到那奇妙的“歌聲”了。

        王后谷已有70餘座陵墓。最著名的奈菲爾塔利陵因濕度超標謝絕參觀，我們瀏覽了西特雷與蒂耶的墓穴。

        哈布城神廟是拉美西斯三世的皇室居所兼陵廟，外牆浮雕被視為舉世無雙的傑作。雖未能目睹荷露斯神殿，卻有充裕時間細細品味這座古埃及最後一座歌舞昇平的遺蹟。

        王親貴族墓則巧妙地鑲嵌在帝王谷與王后谷之間。

        在空中飄遊了約40分鐘，我們凱旋而歸。熱氣球駕駛員鄭重頒發了“古城底比斯飛行”證書——三種文字書寫的名字，阿拉伯語從右到左，漢語拼音與英文從左至右，我們高興得心花怒放。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2011: 埃及哈布城神殿祭廟(Medinet Habu—Mortuary Temple, Egypt)

2011: 埃及尼羅河遊輪(Cruising on the Nile, Egypt)

Meet the Pilot for a Hot Balloon Ride over Thebes

(熱氣球空游底比斯·與飛行員在一起 04-08-2011)

Hot-Air Balloon before Take-Off

(熱氣球起飛前 04-08-2011)

Surprisingly Cool Desert Morning, Even Dropping to Near Freezing 

(抱團取暖·沙漠早晨氣溫出奇涼爽，甚至降至臨近冰點 04-07-2011)

Hot Air Balloon Floating over the Theban Hills, the Historic West Bank of Luxor  

(熱氣球漂浮在歷史悠久的盧克索“宮殿”西岸底比斯山脈上空)

Domed House of British Archaeologist Howard Carter's House on the West Bank of the Nile 

(尼羅“溪谷”河西岸英國考古學家霍華德·卡特“高貴守護者·旅居者”圓頂故居)

Theban Necropolis on the West Bank of the Nile

(底比斯墓地·位於尼羅河西岸)

Al-Qurn, a Prominent, Pyramid-shaped Meretseger Mtn Dominating the Theban Hills

(古爾恩“號角”山·雄踞梅雷特塞格爾“亡靈女神”山醒目的金字塔形山峰)

Valley of the Kings, the Primary Royal Burial Site for Pharaohs & Powerful Nobles during Ancient Egypt's New Kingdom (1539–1075 BCE)

(帝王谷·公元前1539年—公元前1075年間古埃及新王國時期法老和權貴的主要皇家陵墓地)

King Tut in the Centre @ Tomb of Tutankhamun, Valley of the Kings

(帝王谷圖坦卡蒙“太陽神的活像”陵墓·圖坦卡蒙國王位居中心)

Exquisite Reliefs & Paintings Adorning the Tomb of Tutankhamun, a Pharaoh of the 18^th Dynasty, @ Valley of the Kings

(帝王谷第18王朝法老圖坦卡蒙的陵墓·飾有精美的浮雕繪畫)

Relief of Pharaoh Ramses I Making an offering of Incense to the Gods  @ Tomb of Ramses, Valley of the Kings

(帝王谷拉美西斯“太陽神拉之子”墓·法老拉美西斯一世向眾神獻香浮雕)

Relief of the God Horus @ Tomb of Ramses III, Valley of the Kings

(帝王谷拉美西斯三世陵墓·荷魯斯神浮雕)

 Relief of the Pharaoh @ Tomb of Ramses III, Valley of the Kings

(帝王谷拉美西斯三世墓·法老浮雕)

Murals @ Tomb of Ramses IV, Valley of the Kings

(帝王谷拉美西斯四世陵墓·壁畫)

 The Book of Gates Describing the Journey of a Deceased Soul through the Underworld @ the Tomb of Seti I, Valley of the Kings

(塞提“暴力之神”一世陵墓《塔門之書》·描述亡靈穿越冥界的旅程)

Exquisite Reliefs & Paintings Adorn Pharaoh Sety I's Tomb

(法老塞提一世陵墓·飾有精美的浮雕與壁畫)

Valley of the Queens, the Royal Necropolis of the Wives, Children, & High-ranking Nobility of the pharaohs Buried during the New Kingdom Period (circa 1550–1070 BCE)

(王后谷“美麗之地”·約公元前1550—1070年間新王國時期法老的妻兒及高階貴族安葬的皇家陵寢)

Bas Relief @ Tomb of Prince Amenherkhepshef or Amenkopshef, Valley of the Queens

(皇后谷·阿蒙科普謝夫“太陽神用他強有力的手臂”王子墓的淺浮雕)

North Wall w/ a Continuation of the Book of the Dead, Chapter 17 @ the Antechamber of Tomb of Nefertari, the Beloved Wife of Pharaoh Ramesses II, Valley of the Queens

(王后谷法老拉美西斯二世的愛妻奈菲爾塔利“仙女”墓前廳·北牆附有《亡靈書》第十七章的續篇)

Ra, Shu, & the 4 Sons of Horus @ Tomb of Nefertari

(納菲爾塔利的陵墓·太陽神拉、風之神舒和荷魯斯“鷹頭神”的四個兒子)

Tomb of Nefertari, Sistine Chapel of Ancient Egypt

(奈菲爾塔利陵墓·古埃及的西斯廷“第六”教堂)

Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, Showing the Height of the Cliffs beyond 

(哈特謝普蘇特“貴婦王后”陵墓·對比背後懸崖的高度)

Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, Featuring Multiple Levels of Colonnaded Porches Set against Massive Limestone Cliffs in Deir el-Bahari

(哈特謝普蘇特陵墓·多層柱廊門廊依偎在代爾巴哈里“至聖所”巨大的石灰岩懸崖上)

Colonnaded Terrace @ Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

(哈特謝普蘇特陵墓·柱廊露台)

Goddess Nekhbet, Guardian of Upper Egypt, in the Form of a Vulture Carrying a Protective Amulet @ Chapel of Anubis, Hatshepsut Mortuary Temple

(哈特謝普蘇特祭廟阿努比斯“死亡神”神殿·上埃及守護神奈赫貝特“禿鷲女神”)

Hatshepsut, Queen of Egypt, Presenting an Offering to the God Horus @ Hatshepsut Mortuary Temple

(哈特謝普蘇特陵墓·埃及皇后向荷魯斯神獻上祭品)

Polychrome Relief of Ra, Sun God, @ Hatshepsut Mortuary Temple

(哈特謝普蘇特陵墓·太陽神拉彩色浮雕)

Relief of Egyptian Offering Wine  @ Hatshepsut Mortuary Temple

(哈特謝普蘇特陵墓·埃及祭祀葡萄酒)

Exquisite Reliefs & Paintings Adorning the Tomb of Nefertari, Pharaoh Ramesses II's Great Wife

(法老拉美西斯二世妻子奈菲爾塔利的陵墓·裝飾精美的浮雕繪畫)

Sennefer on Right Receiving a Ritual @ Tomb of Sennefer, Tombs of the Nobles

(貴族塞內弗“完美兄弟”墓·右側的塞內弗正在接受儀式)

Wall Paintings @ Tomb of Roy, End of the 18^th Dynasty, Tombs of the Nobles

(貴族羅伊“國王”墓葬·18王朝末期壁畫)

God Anubis in His Form of Sacred Jackal Crouching upon a Bldg @ Tomb of Roy, Tombs of the Nobles

(貴族羅伊墓葬·阿努比斯神以其神聖豺狼的形態蹲伏在建築物上)

Road to Ramesseum on the West Bank of the Nile

(通往拉美西斯神廟的公路·位於尼羅河西岸)

Ramesseum, the Magnificent Mortuary Temple of Pharaoh Ramesses II

(拉美西斯神廟·拉美西斯二世法老宏偉的陵廟)

Workmen's Village of the King's Craftsmen & Artists Building the Tombs of the Theban Necropolis @ Deir el-Medina

(工匠村·建造底比斯墓地的技工手藝人村)

Wall Painting of the God Anubis Performing the Opening of the Mouth Ritual on Pharaoh @ Tomb of Nebenmaat @ Deir el-Medina Tombs (Worker Tombs)

(工匠墓壁畫·阿努比斯神為法老舉行開口儀式)

Amennakht (Early Ramesside Period), the 1^st to Build 1 of 3 Tombs Belonging to a Single Family, w/ All Accessed via a Single Entrance

(拉美西斯王朝早期的阿曼納赫特“強大的太陽神”·第一個建造三座陵墓之一的人，這些陵墓屬於同一個家族，且所有陵墓都通過同一個入口進入)

Hot-Air Balloon over Thebes (熱氣球空游底比斯)

Flame of Hot-Air Balloon (熱氣球·火焰)

Hot Balloon Silhouette (熱氣球剪影)

Boat-Lined Boulevard on the Nile

(尼羅河上小船成列的大道)

Part of Village of Old Gurna Nestling @ the Foothills of the Theban Hills 

(底比斯山麓腳下老古爾納“獅子居所”村一角)

Hot-Air Balloon over Thebes (熱氣球空游底比斯)

Nabi Musa or the Tomb of the Prophet Moses

(納比穆薩“先知摩西”之墓)

West Town in Thebes， an Archaeological Site西城·底比斯考古遺址

Residential Area, Housing Typically Consisted of Mudbrick Structures

(居民區·房屋通常由泥磚結構構成)

Straw-Thatched Cottage on the West Bank of the Nile

(尼羅河西岸草屋)

A Flock of Sheep & Shepherds (羊群與牧羊人)

Curious Kids on the Ground (地面上好奇的孩子們)

Crew, Greeting Hot-Air Balloon Riders back

(歡迎熱氣球歸來的地勤人員)

Get-Off Hot-Air Balloon (返回地面 04-08-2011)

Farmland on the West Bank of the Nile

(尼羅河西岸·農田 04-08-2011)

Colossi of Memnon, 2 Massive Stone Statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III 

(門農巨像·兩個法老太陽神三世巨型石雕)

Hot Balloon Certificate (乘坐熱氣球證明)

Crosslinks(相關博文):

埃及(Egypt)

Africa (漫遊非洲)

小學二年級(2nd Grade)