Meir Tombs

In the cliffs above the village of Meir, about 50 km northwest of Asyut, a series of rock-cut tombs preserves some of the finest provincial painting of pharaonic Egypt. The tombs belonged to local governors of the Old and Middle Kingdoms and show hunting, farming, and ritual scenes in unusually lively detail.

Few visitors make it out here, which is part of the appeal. You'll need a hired car, and security escorts may be required — ask at the antiquities office in Asyut or at your hotel before setting off.

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A story
The tombs were cut for the nomarchs — provincial governors — of Cusae during the Old and Middle Kingdoms. The wall paintings include the famous scene of an emaciated herdsman driving a starved cow, one of the rare depictions of famine in ancient Egyptian art.

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