Is it possible that the most beautiful tomb in the Theban Necropolis is also the least visited? I am here to tell you about the Tomb of Pashedu. This is also known as TT3. It is a hidden gem in Deir el-Medina on Luxor’s west bank.
Pashedu was a special man. He was called “Servant in the Place of Truth on the West of Thebes.” He lived during the Ramesside Period. Pashedu began his career as a stonemason. He was then promoted to foreman. His father, Menna, worked at the Temple of Amun. Pashedu was the first in his family to work in Deir el-Medina. His wife was Nedjembehdet. They had several children together. Pashedu also owned tomb TT 326. This shows how wealthy he was.
To enter the Tomb of Pashedu, you descend twenty-nine narrow steps. These steps lead into a bedrock. Then, you find an antechamber and a small vaulted room.
The tomb’s layout is simple. It has an antechamber and a short corridor. This corridor leads to a burial chamber. Despite being robbed in antiquity, its beauty remains. The decorations show Pashedu’s high status.
Inside TT3, the walls display lively scenes from the Book of the Dead. These are painted on a yellow ochre background. The vaulted ceiling features eight deities on each side. Forty columns of text from the Book of the Dead, chapter 181, are between these images. Anubis, as a jackal, squats on a shrine. He holds a flail between his hind paws. You’ll see this on both sides of the passage walls.
One scene stands out in the Tomb of Pashedu. It is on the chamber’s left wall. Pashedu is kneeling under a palm tree by a pond. The details are incredible. Fibers are painted along the trunk. The composition is excellent.
The rear wall of the innermost burial chamber is breathtaking. It shows the god Osiris-Onnophris. He rules the kingdom of the dead. He sits on his throne with the mountain of the West behind him. Osiris wears a nemes-crown. He holds a flail and scepter. A seated god presents a bowl with burning tapers before him. The inscription contains a spell for lighting a lamp for Osiris. A small Pashedu figure kneels behind Osiris’s throne.
The lintel of the burial room depicts Ptah-Sokar as a flying falcon. Pashedu admired this barque. On the left-hand wall, his son Menna worships several gods. Three rows of Pashedu’s parents and relatives are on the left-hand entry wall. Pashedu and his wife, Nedjemtebehdet, appear on the northern wall with their children. Nedjemtebehdet is adorned with a wig, earrings, and a perfume cone.
The western end wall shows Horus as a falcon. Osiris stands before a mountain. Pashedu squats below. A personified Udjet-eye holds a torch in the ceiling’s curve. The dead worship Re-Horakhty, Atum, Khepri, Ptah, and a Djed-pillar on the northern wall.
TT3 forgoes ordinary life depictions. Instead, it emphasizes Pashedu and his family worshipping gods. Anubis is more prominent than Osiris here. The tomb reflects the religious beliefs of the time.
The Tomb of Pashedu is open from 6 am to 4 pm in winter. A guardian unlocks the tomb for visitors. A separate entrance ticket costs EGP 25. It can be bought at the gate’s ticket counter.
So, why is the Tomb of Pashedu the least visited? Perhaps its entrance is too awkward. Perhaps people don’t know about its beauty. But those who venture here are rewarded. They discover a masterpiece of ancient Egyptian art. This tomb is a testament to Pashedu’s life and beliefs. It is a must-see in the Theban Necropolis.