The Tomb of Penout

The Tomb of Pennut holds a completely unique status among the rescued treasures of Lake Nasser. While all the other salvaged monuments are grand temples built for gods and kings, this is the only private tomb of a high-ranking official that was saved from the rising floodwaters, giving us a rare glimpse into the life of a non-royal ancient Egyptian.

👑 Who Was Pennut?

Pennut lived during the New Kingdom (20th Dynasty) under the reign of the powerful Pharaoh Ramesses VI. He was a man of immense influence in the region, holding the prestigious titles of “Viceroy of Kush” and “Chief of the Province of Aniba.” This meant he was effectively the royal governor responsible for managing taxes, mining operations, and maintaining order in Lower Nubia.

🎨 Splendid Art and a Royal Reward

The tomb is an elegant rock-cut structure (speos) that consists of a main rectangular offering hall and a small inner sanctuary. The walls are decorated with beautifully preserved painted reliefs that tell the story of Pennut’s life and his journey to the afterlife:

• The Royal Honor: One of the most famous scenes shows Pennut standing proudly before a statue of King Ramesses VI. The king is honoring him for his exceptional service, and Pennut is being presented with rich gifts, including two silver vessels and precious ointments.
• Family and Wealth: Other walls detail his family life, showcasing his wife, who was a songstress of the local god, and his children. It also records donations of land he made to support the local temple, giving modern historians rich information about the ancient economy and taxation system.
• The Weighing of the Heart: The interior features classic spiritual scenes from the Book of the Dead, including the famous judgment scene where Pennut’s heart is weighed against the feather of truth (Ma’at) in front of Osiris.

🪦 The Empty Niches

At the very back of the tomb lies the sacred sanctuary. Inside, you can still see three rock-cut niches that once held statues of Pennut, his wife, and the sacred cow-goddess Hathor. Unfortunately, ancient tomb raiders destroyed these statues long before modern archaeologists arrived, but the architectural frames remain intact.

🏗️ Relocating a Piece of the Mountain

When the Aswan High Dam was built in the 1960s, Pennut’s original hometown of Aniba was completely submerged under Lake Nasser. To save this priceless historical record, an international engineering team carefully cut the entire rock tomb right out of the mountain cliff as a single, massive block of stone.

They transported it safely to New Amada, where it now sits just a short walking distance away from the Temple of Amada and the Temple of Derr.

🚗 How to Visit

• Location: Situated within the New Amada archaeological complex on the western banks of Lake Nasser.
• Access: Due to its remote location in the Nubian desert, the tomb can only be visited by taking a Lake Nasser cruise boat traveling between Aswan and Abu Simbel.
• Opening Hours: The site welcomes visitors daily from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
• Tickets: Entry is included as part of the general ticket for the New Amada site, which you can easily purchase online via the official portal of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.