Over 3000 years ago, Nefertari, the favourite queen of Ramesses II, was buried in a tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Queens. The discovery of the tomb by Ernesto Schiaparelli in 1904 began a process of drastic deterioration which remained unchecked until 1988 when emergancy consolidation and restoration began. This guide takes the reader through each chamber, describing the hieroglyphic messages depicted in the wall paintings, and discussing the images within the context of religious beliefs. An insight is offered into the life of Nefertari and the Valley of the Queens, and on the development and symbolism of royal tombs generally and their construction and decoration. The author discusses the discovery and degradation of the tomb, and the crucial role of the getty Conservation Institute in restoring and stabilizing the wall paintings. The dangers and risks to such tombs in the future are also addressed.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
If you can't get to Egypt anytime soon, take John McDonald's informative tour of beloved Queen Nefertari's tomb, which has only been open to the public since 1995. The beautifully structured House of Eternity is replete with full-color photographs of the contrasting desert landscape, the elaborate tomb, and the paintings. Included are explanations of the hieroglyphs and artwork, plus interesting snippets from Nefertari's culture. For example, the queen's own status wasn't enough to make her powerful in the afterlife. The magical chapter 17 from the Egyptian Book of the Dead contains a spell that is painted on Nefertari's tomb walls to assure her transformation from playing senet, to becoming a "ba" bird, then finally worshipping a lion-headed god. To ensure success, the spell ends right at the doorway that marks the burial chamber.
Most souls were believed to experience the judgment of Osiris--not so with Nefertari, whose tomb contains no mention of this trial. In fact, most of the gods seem to be greeting Nefertari and urging her through the many passages to Necropolis, the city of the dead. Although the annexes are not open to the public, McDonald has included a photograph and discussion of the only evidence of Nefertari in mummified form.
With descriptions of the Egyptian gods and the people's beliefs about death being an eternity, McDonald reveals the magnificent culture behind the fragility of the restoration of this art, funded by the Getty Foundation. --Susan Swartwout --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
In 1904, the tomb of Nefertari, great wife of Rameses II, was discovered in the Valley of the Queens at Thebes. It is widely considered one of the most beautiful Egyptian tombs, in large part because of its complex and finely crafted program of wall paintings. Between 1986 and 1992, the Egyptian Antiquities Organization and the Getty Conservation Institute worked together to halt the destruction that occurred since the tomb's opening. Now, in House of Eternity: The Tomb of Nefertari, Egyptologist John K. McDonald describes the tomb's construction and offers a chamber-by-chamber guide to its iconography.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nefertari - Queen of Egypt,
By Alan Webster (Werribee, Victoria , Australia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: House of Eternity: The Tomb of Nefertari (Conservation and Cultural Heritage) (Paperback)
Books about Ancient Egypt usually deal with her Pharaoh's, the State Religion, Ancient Monuments or art treasures . Little is known about most of the Queens of Ancient Egypt. The better known queens, Hatchepsut and Cleopatra ruled in their own right. Nefertari was the principle wife of one of Ancient Egypt's greatest Pharaoh's, Ramesses the Great. Ramesses built many temples and monuments during his long reign, some of which are still standing today including the Ramesseum, and the two Temple's at Abu Simbel. The smaller temple was dedicated to Nefertari. Very few temples or monuments were dedicated to anyone but the Pharaoh or one of the many Gods. The book " House of Eternity, The Tomb of Nefertari" tells as much of the story of Queen Nefertari as is known today. The Tomb of Nefertari is one of the most beautiful surviving monuments of Pharaonic Egypt. Since the Tomb was discovered in 1904, much damage has been caused by tourists. The tomb was closed to the public and preservation of the artwork undertaken by the Getty Institute. The tomb was re-opened to the public in 1995.. This book gives the reader a guided tour of the Tomb. The pictures in the book are spectacular.The author John McDonald takes the reader through the construction and decoration of the tomb, and then guides the reader through the journey into the Egyptian afterlife undertaken by Nefertari. The pictures on the tomb walls are from the Book of the Dead and the meaning of each is explained as Nefertari travels from the doorway of her tomb to her final resting place. I would rate this book as an essential addition to the library of anyone seriously interested in the history of Ancient Egypt and would advise anyone planning to visit the Tomb to read the book before hand.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Profusely illustrated,
By
This review is from: House of Eternity: The Tomb of Nefertari (Conservation and Cultural Heritage) (Paperback)
The book begins with chapters describing the context of the life of Nefertari and of her tomb. The final chapter, about half of the book, is a tour through the tomb, explaining the pictures and text on the walls. These pictures are almost entirely of Nefertari and the divinities she would meet in the afterlife. No pictures of day-to-day life here.
The book is profusely illustrated. Out of the 120 pages, the Getty Museum claims there are 89 color and 12 black-and-white illustrations. I haven't counted them myself, but the numbers seem right -- most pages have color illustrations on them, and many pages consist entirely of such illustrations. I would estimate that about 80% of the wall surface of the tomb is shown.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
the house of eternity,
This review is from: House of Eternity: The Tomb of Nefertari (Conservation and Cultural Heritage) (Paperback)
love the book, but wish it had more complete photos of the entire tomb. seeing the tomb in pieces as it were, makes it difficult to imagine how it really is.
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