After one week of  visiting many temples of worship, from Cairo to Luxor,  I asked Ahmed, our guide, “Where did the Pharaohs live?”
“In palaces, which don’t exist anymore, but don’t worry they lived in great splendor,” he answered. I had no doubt that they did. But why, besides  the wall paintings in their tombs, telling us about their splendid life, is there no trace of it.

“Can you tell me what happened to their palaces?” I insisted, but Ahmed was moving on and did not seem ready to explain further. So I did some research and found out that most places of the living in ancient Egyptian, even the king’s residence, were built of mud bricks.  Stones and rocks were reserved for the dead and the gods. Unfortunately mud bricks could not withstand the challenges of floods, neglect, and the ravages of time. A few small traces remain, and here and there we can still see part of a wall, or what once was  a building.

Near Karnak Temple in Luxor

In Luxor

Near Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III

Mud Bricks are made of mud, sand, water, rice husks, or straw, measuring between 18 to 12 inches in length and 8 to 6 inches in width, and they have to  dry in the sun for at least 25 days.

Mud Bricks up close

Are they still used today?  Yes – in villages along the Nile farmers still build their small houses from mud bricks.

Located close to the Nile in Aswan

More from Egypt soon

              Brigitte