Shuroy (Dra Abu El-Naga - TT13)

Shuroy lived during the Ramesside period in the 19th Dynasty and was the Head of the Brazier Bearers at the Temple of Amun located at Karnak. His wife Wernefer was a chantress of Amun. Shuroy's tomb iocated in the Dra Abu el-Naga area on the west bank of Luxor and is referred to as TT13. The tomb is the burial place of Shuroy and Wernefer.

The Tomb Of Shuroy

Shuroy's tomb is larger than the tomb of Roy, TT255. The tomb follows the traditional T-shaped design and contains two chambers, a vestibule and a hall. It reopened recently for the public after being renovated.

The scenes inside the tomb are rapidly drawn and some have only red outlines without any details. The color on the walls is soft almost pastel-colored. The use of blue has been highlighted a lot in the decorations. The tomb clearly shows an unfinished design and most of the plasterwork has been damaged.

Decorations Inside The Tomb

The entryway contains a scene where Shuroy and his wife are posing in adoration and scenes of the owner and his wife with a number of deities and guardians of the gate are also shown. Due to damage only the upper parts of their bodies are visible. The ceiling of the first chamber is decorated with geometric patterns and has colors like golden, white, red and black. The first quarter of the wall in the first chamber does not even have the plaster, showing the incomplete construction. Text from the Book of the Gates is also found on the wall.

The second chamber has short walls, no decorations, and was initially the entrance to the tomb. The ceiling, however, is decorated with a checkboard pattern painted in yellow and white. The hall is decorated with the usual Ramesside funerary scenes. Most of the scenes of the tomb are not well-preserved, but one of the better ones illustrates the Opening of the Mouth ritual. The entrance to the hall is decorated with scenes of banqueting and even shows musicians and people clapping. 

Information For Visitors

The modern entrance to TT13 has been cut into what was initially the rear chamber of the tomb. So in order to see the paintings in the right order, one must first go into the small hall and begin at the original entrance of the tomb.

The tomb of Shuroy is now open for tourists and can be visited from 6 am to 4 pm in the winter season. The ticket for the tombs located in the Dra Abu El-Naga region of this valley which is where the Tombs of Roy and Shuroy are located. Tickets can be obtained at the main ticket office at the west bank by paying EGP 15 (80 cents US).