The ancient workmen’s village of Deir el-Medina is nestled in a small wadi north of the Valley of the Queens on the Theban west bank. The village was founded during or before the reign of Thutmose I (1504 - 1492 BC) and flourished until the end of the 20th Dynasty (ca. 1070 BC). It was home to the workmen responsible for constructing the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings.

Upon arrival, visitors can take in the sight of the ruins of the settlement, most of which dates to the Ramesside Period (1295 - 1070 BC). Just beyond its northern limits is a Ptolemaic temple, dedicated to the goddesses Hathor and Maat, consisting of a small building within an enclosure wall. Construction of the temple was begun by Ptolemy IV (222 - 205 BC), and continued for the next 60 years. Immediately north of the Ptolemaic temple are small shrines dedicated to the deified King Amenhotep I and his Queen Ahmose-Nefertari, Hathor, and the Theban Triad. North of the temple’s enclosure wall is the Great Pit, a strange feature over 50 meters deep and 30 meters wide, which is thought to have been an attempted well.

Above the settlement, hidden within the cliffs, are the workers’ tombs. They include some of the finest decorated private tombs in all of Thebes. The tombs of Sennedjem, Inherkau, and the Tomb of Peshedu, a 19th-dynasty servant in the Place of Truth, are currently open to the public.

Today, Egyptologists continue to reconstruct the daily lives of these workers and their families, using the vast amount of papyri and ostraca that have been found during excavation of the settlement, tombs, and multiple chapels.

HOURS OF OPERATION:
Open daily.
1 May - Ramadan: 6:00 AM - 7:00 PM
(Last ticket sold at 6:00 PM.)
Ramadan - 30 April: 6:00 AM - 5:00 PM
(Last ticket sold at 4:00 PM.)

TICKET COST:
Includes admission to the following monuments which are open to the public:
The Roman Temple
Tomb of Sennedjem
Tomb of Inherkau

Egyptian: 2 LE
Foreign: 25 LE
Admission to Pashedu:
Egyptian: 1 LE
Foreign: 10 LE

50% reduction for bearers of International Student ID Card

LOCATION:
On the West Bank, opposite Luxor

DIRECTIONS:
BY FERRY-BOAT: From Luxor-East there is a local ferry-boat (near the main entrance of Luxor Temple) that runs from the Corniche which is labeled: "National-Ferryboat". If you choose this way you will have to catch a taxi once you reach the west bank.

BY BUS: You should be able to rent a minibus from Luxor-East. Many are run through hotels or tour groups.

BY TAXI: Taxis from Luxor-East will be more expensive. If you decide to go by this way, you can ask to go to: "maqabar al-aamal bi deir al-medina" from there. Or take the ferry-boat across to the Western-Bank and catch a taxi from the dock (see below).

NO PHOTOGRAPHY ALLOWED INSIDE THE TOMBS.