Meir Tombs
Rock tombs of the governors of Cusae in Middle Egypt, with some of the finest reliefs of the Old and Middle Kingdoms.
The governors of Cusae
The necropolis of Meir lies on the desert edge west of the Nile, near the town of Qusiya in Asyut Governorate. It was the burial ground of the nomarchs (provincial governors) and officials of the fourteenth Upper Egyptian nome, whose capital was Cusae (Qis), during the Old and Middle Kingdoms, from around 2300 to 1800 BC. Their rock-cut tombs are carved into the cliffs in several groups.
Masterpieces of relief
The tombs of Meir are renowned among Egyptologists for the quality and originality of their relief decoration. The Middle Kingdom tombs of the nomarchs Senbi and his son Ukhhotep, in particular, contain scenes of daily life carved with remarkable freedom and observation: herdsmen with their cattle, including a famous emaciated herdsman leading oxen, hunters in the desert, fishermen, craftsmen and musicians. Several of the tombs also preserve painted decoration. The tombs were recorded in detail in the early twentieth century by the British Egyptologist Aylward Blackman, whose publications made them famous.
Visiting
Meir lies off the usual tourist routes and is often combined with the Monastery of al-Muharraq nearby and with visits to Tell el-Amarna or Asyut. Travel in the region may involve a police escort.
Exhibo editorial
Meir is one of those places Egyptologists talk about with a gleam in their eye and almost no tourist ever sees. The tombs are cut into a desert cliff beyond the fields, and inside, the carving is astonishing: a gaunt, bony herdsman leading his oxen, desert animals in full flight, fishermen hauling in nets — observed with a freedom unusual in Egyptian art.
Go with a local driver, combine it with Deir el-Muharraq, and take your time with the reliefs. It's a long way to come, and worth every kilometre.
Gallery
How to find it
Meir lies on the desert edge west of the town of Qusiya, about 50 km north of Asyut, reached by car through the village of Meir. From the ticket office, paths lead along the cliff to the open tombs.
