I had been meaning to revisit the two archaeological sites of Mo‘alla (ancient Hefat) and Tod (ancient Djerty, Classical Tuphium) for several years, but had somehow managed to overlook them. So this time I arranged for a driver (Ahmed) to take me and my travel companion Paul to visit both places, which are located just south of Luxor. It is important to note that tickets for both Tod and Mo‘alla are available only at the Luxor Temple ticket office. There is no sign at Luxor Temple that says that you can buy the tickets there, so you need to ask for them. In January 2025, they cost a reasonable LE100 each (around £1.50).
MO‘ALLA
Both sites are on the eastern side of the Nile, with the temple complex of Tod approximately 20 kilometres from Luxor. Mo‘alla is a further 15-20 kilometres south of Tod, and the tombs are found on a hillside immediately across a canal and the Cairo–Aswan railway line. The Eastern Desert Road neatly shadows the canal and the railway for much of the route. We had already decided to go to Mo‘alla first, so Ahmed drove us for 45 minutes along smooth tarmac roads past dozens of small vegetable farms and numerous picturesque plantations of bananas and dates. We went through one police road check, which required no paperwork (we were simply waved through), and a bustling street market of local farm produce at a small village. Just beyond the modern-day village of el-Mo‘alla, we turned left to cross one of the many bridges that span the canal and waited at the level crossing for the Cairo–Aswan train to pass. The archaeological site lies almost immediately in front of, and to the left of, a dirt-track road. The local inspector and site guardians came out of their office to greet us, check our tickets, and walk us up a small slope to the tombs.
