An Egyptian tomb ideally comprised two basic parts. One was intended to house the body for eternity; the other was to act as the interface between this world and the next. These two elements could lie close to one another or could be separated by some considerable distance; they could also be of various constructional types and materials. However, the fundamental distinction remained between the mortuary chapel, or offering place, open to the public, and the burial chamber, intended to be sealed for eternity.
Theologically, since the dead were believed to dwell in the west, the western side of the Nile was the ideal place for a tomb. Accordingly, many necropoleis are to be found in this location. However, in a number of areas, this was not topographically practicable, tombs being placed on the east bank, in some cases with adjustments to ensure that the offering place of the public element faced west.
In the Nile Delta, however, the binary east/west bank division did not usually exist....
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Dodson, A. (2016). Tombs in Ancient Egypt. In: Selin, H. (eds) Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7747-7_8901
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