The Valley of the Kings, also known as the Valley of the Gates of the Kings, is an area in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the Eighteenth Dynasty to the Twentieth Dynasty, rock-cut tombs were excavated for pharaohs and powerful nobles under the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt.

Where Is The Valley Of The Kings Located Today?

The Valley of the Kings is located west of the city of Thebes. The city of Thebes was the political and administrative capital of the country and was the empire in the New Kingdom. Therefore, the kings preferred to be buried in the city of Thebes(Luxor) and chose its western bank, as it was customary in ancient Egypt to be buried west of the Nile where the sun sets.

Valley Of The Kings Luxor Egypt

Why Was The Valley Chosen As A Burial Site?

The idea of ​​resurrection after death dominated ancient Egypt. When the ancient Egyptian looked around at the surrounding nature, he found what made him believe in resurrection. The most important of these phenomena is the sun, as the sun rises in the east, then sets and dies in the west. For the ancient Egyptian, this means that the sun dies and disappears at night and then returns again to rise the next morning. Therefore, the idea of ​​resurrection after death was born again among the ancient Egyptians, as the sun was born in the morning and lives throughout the day, then dies in the evening and returns and is born again in the morning. The ancient Egyptian saw that human life is similar to those stages that the sun goes through. A person is born and lives for a long or short period, then dies and must be resurrected again like the sun. Thus, he was influenced by this solar belief. The ancient Egyptians preferred that the east be life and the west be the world of the dead. Therefore, there are approximately 90% of Egypt’s cemeteries west of the Nile. Secondly The ancient Egyptians preferred burial in a dry place in the desert to preserve the mummy and funerary furniture from humidity and the Nile floods. The desert was a refuge to achieve this purpose. There is also a third suggestion, where the kings chose that location, as the mountain is at the top of a pyramid. The kings were buried in the interior of the mountain, below that pyramid top or close to it. Thus, the religious and symbolic significance of burial inside pyramids in the two and middle states was achieved for the kings in the two states.

Valley Of The Kings Egypt

-What Is The Names Of The Valley Of The Kings?

The place where the kings were buried was known by different names such as Ta-Ent meaning valley, and also Sakhet Aat meaning big field. The cemetery was given several names such as Akhet Nehh meaning horizon of eternity, Set Nehh meaning abode of eternity, and also Set Maat meaning abode of truth, and it was known as Tast Per A meaning place of the pharaoh. Because the tombs were built in a valley between the plateaus, the ancient Egyptians called it a valley and associated it with the tombs of the kings, so it was called the Valley of the Kings.

Tombs In Valley Of The Kings

Burials continued in the Valley of the Kings for 500 years. The site was dedicated to the burial of the kings of the 18th and 20th dynasties. It includes tombs from King Thutmose I to King Ramses XI, some princes, nobles, senior statesmen and their wives at that time. It was not limited to kings only. The Valley of the Kings consists of about 63 or 64 tombs. Only 20 of the kings’ tombs have been identified. There are some kings whose locations have not been identified, such as King Thutmose II, King Smenkhkare and King Ramses VIII. Were their tombs discovered but without inscriptions, or are they still hidden in the Valley of the Kings, or did they leave the Valley of the Kings and be buried in another location?

The Valley Of Kings In Egypt

-Valley Of The Kings Numbering Map

The priests of the Twenty-first Dynasty used some of the opened and looted tombs as burial places, and unfortunately, some of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings continued to be used during the Third Intermediate Period. The tombs in the Valley of the Kings were numbered using the valley of the kings + number method. The first letter of each word was abbreviated and the tomb number was written as follows: KV 62, meaning tomb number 62 in the Valley of the Kings. The sequence of tombs was from tomb 1 to 63 or 64 until now. If another tomb was found, the site was not numbered based on the date of discovery of each tomb. Wherever a tomb was found, it was numbered in ascending sequence, regardless of its location.

Valley Of The Kings Luxor

-Who Built The Valley Of The Kings?

The craftsmen who built the tombs are credited with constructing and decorating the tombs of the Valley of the Kings to the workmen of Deir el-Medina.

-Valley Of The Kings Discovery Facts

The Valley of the Kings was a destination for tourists in the Roman era and they recorded inscriptions on the walls of some of the tombs. French expedition scientists drew a map of the Valley of the Kings and described it. Excavations for the tombs of the valley began in the early 19th century and archaeologists succeeded in uncovering some of the tombs. Discoveries continued in the early 20th century and the greatest discovery was the tomb of King Tutankhamun in 1922 by the scientist Carter. Work is still ongoing in the Valley of the Kings, where there are some missions excavating, restoring and studying the tombs of the valley.

Valley Of The Kings Architectural

The architectural planning of the tombs of the Valley of the Kings: The tombs in the Valley of the Kings consist of a number of passages, corridors, stairs, a well, a columned room, and a burial stone. The well was a symbolic tomb for the god Sokar-Osiris and had nothing to do with storing rain or obstructing texts. The architectural planning of the tombs of the Valley of the Kings can be divided into:

-Tombs With A Single Axis:

tombs with a straight axis. An example of this is the tomb of Ramses VI, which is tomb number nine and consists of an entrance in three rectangular corridors, a small square hall, and then a room with four columns. This room represents the burial chamber of King Ramses V, which represented the end of his tomb, which was reused by King Ramses VI, then two axes were added to it, then a small square room, and then the burial chamber with a single column. The tomb was built on a single axis.

-Tombs With Two Axes:

An example of which is the tomb of Thutmose III, numbered 34. It consists of a descending staircase, then a corridor, then a room containing a descending staircase in the middle, then a corridor, then a well, then a room with two columns containing a staircase leading to the burial chamber with two columns. The room contains four small rooms on the sides, and the room takes the shape of a royal cartouche and was built on two axes.

-Three-Axis Tombs:

An example of which is the tomb of Thutmose IV, numbered 43 KV. The tomb consists of an entrance, then a descending staircase, then a corridor, then a well, which represents the end of the first axis, then a room with two columns, which includes a staircase or ladder leading to a corridor, then another staircase, then following the staircase is a room representing the end of the second axis, then the burial chamber, which is located in the third axis.

Valley Of The Kings Robberies

The most famous robberies occurred in the 20th Dynasty, when tombs were looted and some funerary furniture and mummies from royal tombs were moved and collected for fear of repeated robberies in one of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Other mummies were collected in the tomb of Amenhotep II in the Valley of the Kings. The robberies continued in the 21st Dynasty, when the priest-kings moved mummies and some furniture to the tomb of a woman in Deir el-Bahari, where they were discovered. They re-shrouded some mummies and sometimes wrote the name of their owner on the linen wrappings, Some mummies were buried in other coffins, making it difficult to identify some kings.

Best Tombs To Visit In Valley Of The Kings

-Tutankhamun KV62:

The tomb of Tutankhamun , or Tomb 62 according to scientific notation, is known internationally as (KV 62). It is the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun and is located in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, on the western bank of the Nile River opposite the current city of Luxor. This tomb gained wide international fame due to the wealth and treasures it contained when it was discovered, as it is considered the only tomb of the ancient Egyptian kings that was found with its entire contents and was not stolen by thieves, neither in ancient nor modern times. It was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter under the ruins of workers’ huts built since the era Ramesside, which indicates that the tomb remained in good condition, and was not damaged by tampering or theft, as happened in the rest of the tombs of the region during the period of decline of the Ramesside era and the establishment of the priestly state in Thebes. The tomb was found piled with royal belongings in no order.

-Seti I KV17:

The tomb of Seti I, also known by its tomb number, KV17, is the tomb of Pharaoh Seti I of the Nineteenth Dynasty. Located in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, It is one of the most decorated tombs in the valley Known for its extensive length, depth, and exquisite decorations.

-Ramses VI KV9:

Tomb KV9 in Egypt's Valley of the Kings was originally constructed by Pharaoh Ramesses V. He was interred here, but his uncle, Ramesses VI, later reused the tomb as his own. The architectural layout is typical of the 20th Dynasty – the Ramesside period – and is much simpler than that of Ramesses III's tomb.

-Thutmose III KV34:

Offers a unique design compared to other tombs and is in a more remote part of the valley, providing peace and calm. Availability may vary, so check ahead or consult your guide for current access conditions.

Valley Of The Kings Ticket Price

Adult:   EGP 750 | Student: EGP 375