This is a small selection of images taken in El Kurna on the West Bank of the Nile at Luxor in March 2005. I have been selecting these and other images from El Kurna with the aim to publish a photo book of this magical place, that has, unfortunately, been levelled to the ground and lost forever.
El Kurna was a unique village on the West bank of the Nile covering the desert area between the highway along the Nile and the Temple of Hapshepsut built in the towering cliffs of the mountains containing the famous Valley of the Kings. There were a large number of Tombs of the Nobles in the village but only a few were open to the public. The tombs are obviously still there, and are the sole reason for flattening the village to make them more accessible to tourists.
In my view, ‘progress’ has spoilt the magic of this place, as wandering from one tomb to another through the village was a wonderful experience and made you appreciate what living in the dessert would mean.