As a frequent independent visitor to Egypt over many years, I enjoy visiting sites that are generally open to the public yet do not get the footfall that they should. Whether this is due to location, lack of information, nervousness when going ‘off the beaten path’, or any number of other logistics, I have never been totally sure. Recently, I visited the Temple of Nekhbet-Hathor in the Wadi Hilal at Elkab, and the only visitors there were me, my British travel companion, and an Egyptian friend.
I had visited the early New Kingdom rock-cut tombs at Elkab several times in the past, but had never before managed to go further up into the valley – the Wadi Hilal. There is a clearly defined, rough dirt track, but the terrain is quite hard going for standard vehicles, and the walking distance, at around 3 km, was a little too far for me in the heat of Upper Egypt. I had, therefore, hired a car and driver from an agency in Aswan to drive us to Luxor, and requested a vehicle that could specifically cope with some off-road driving.
My goal was to see the small temple that is co-dedicated to Nekhbet and Hathor, located deep into the wadi. The temple is believed to have been started by Thutmose IV and finished by his son Amenhotep III – or perhaps built at the beginning of the reign of Amenhotep III, as there are several scenes of him honouring his father.
