//--> The Valley of the Kings in Egypt is the place where most of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom were buried, that is, from that time when ancient Egypt was an empire that extended along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean (the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties). The Valley of the Kings is the burial ground for many important kings of ancient Egypt. Tomb at Valley of the Kings. Archaeologists have found around sixty-three tombs (with the latest discovery being in 2008) at this burial complex located in the hills of Dayr- al-Bahri. The valley lies in the southern half of Egypt , just west of the Nile River . Past visitors recommended avoiding the area during the summer, since temperatures rise into the 100s. Valley of the Kings photo from 1857 (Credit: Wikipedia) The Valley of the Kings dates back to 1539 BC, which makes it significantly younger than the great pyramids of Giza that were constructed as burial chambers. You can also hire taxis from the West Bank ferry terminal. Grand statues of the Pharaoh were erected around Egypt’s great building projects like the Abu Simbel temples, for the purpose of distinguishing himself from other Pharaohs. At the entrance of each tomb, there will be a man who will punch your ticket (you have the right to visit 03 tombs with the ticket (EGP 240)). Sitemap - Privacy policy. There is a number of unoccupied tombs in the Valley of the Kings and their owners remain unknown. After around 1500 B.C. It was not until the Eighteenth Dynasty that some measure of exclusivity was implemented for interment in the Valley, so much so that a ‘Royal Necropolis’ was especially created chiefly for the purpose. © Exploring the Valley of the Kings, 1862. It was founded by the third XVIIIth Dynasty king, Tuthmosis, who kept adding glory to ancient Egypt. Valley of the kings definition, a valley on the west bank of the Nile near the site of Thebes: the necropolis of many of the kings and queens of the 18th and 19th dynasties of … In the East Valley, in 1922, Howard Carter found what was labeled KV62: the tomb of Tutankhamun. thefield.value = "" Valley of the Kings is one of the most amazing tombs from the ancient civilization which is also called as “ The Valley of the Gates of the Kings “. The Valley of the Kings is divided into two main branches: the more famous East Valley and the West Valley. Even many of the major tombs discovered revealed very little, and quite often they have been virtually emp… function clearText(thefield){ Known to the Ancient Egyptians as ‘the Peak’ (ta dehent), al-Qurn later became the theoretical inspiration for the Egyptian Pyramids. We may also earn commissions on purchases from other retail websites. Nikola Tesla's Most Extraordinary Interview, Hidden For 116 Years! To get to the Valley of the Kings, even from the few hotels on the West Bank you will either need to take a tour, to arrange a car and driver, or to take a taxi who will wait while you visit the tombs. It was there that they were buried, for example, Thutmose III, Tutankhamun, and Ramses. In fact, there was in no true sense an ‘exclusivity’ in the burials allowed within the necropolis. On the West Bank of the Nile across from modern Luxor, cut into the Theban Hills, lies the Valley of the Kings (KV). The first unknown tomb since the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb is dubbed KV 63; even though it has a sarcophagus, pottery, linens, flowers, and other materials it is unoccupied. The corridors then break off into the well decorated burial chamber, and multiple side chambers. The peak of al-Qurn which watches over the valley is an iconic feature of the region; the tomb police, known as the Medjay, watched over the valley from this location. The Valley of the Kings is located on the Western bank of the Nile River, opposite modern-day Luxor, and was previously known as Thebes. Valley of the Kings Facts. The first ruler of the twentieth dynasty, Setnakhte, had two tombs constructed for himself. While the veracity of the former is still uncertain, extant historical records dating back to the period prove that it was Thutmose I, who was one of the first pharaohs interred in the Valley. The most famed collection of such elaborate tombs—the Valley of the Kings—lies on the Nile's west bank near Luxor. © Elena Pleskevich - Cliffs in the Valley. Even though exploration in the Valley of the Kings started roughly 200 years ago, and despite 65 tombs having been discovered during this time, only eleven of them have been completely recorded. It is now known that many of the tombs were not used for kings. Opening hours: Even though most of the tombs that are located in this valley have been robbed and looted the remains of these ancient burial sites give archaeologists and historians an estimate of the power of ancient Pharaohs and noblemen. To the south, towering over the valley, is a peak shaped like a pyramid, known as el-Qurn (the horn). Many of these were small tombs, which were basically single holes in the ground, while the very large ones revealed over 100 other underground chambers. Are billionaires buying up land away from the coasts based on prophecies or inside information? Here is the entire info about Valley of the Kings: The most imposing tomb of this period is that of Amenhotep III, WV22 located in the West Valley. Considered the greatest of all Egypt’s kings, his intention was to leave a legacy that would last forever. Kings had nice tombs, with all their important belongings, located next to their mortuary temples. Egyptians tools such as picks, hammers, shovels and chisels were made of wood, stone, ivory, bone and copper. Have the tools used to build ancient monuments been staring us in the face all along? Properly referred to by scholars as ‘The Great and Majestic Necropolis of the Millions of Years of the Pharaoh, Life, Strength, Health in the West of Thebes’, or ‘The Great Field’ (Ta-sekhet-ma’at in ancient Egyptian and Coptic), it is also referred to as the Wadi al Muluk, or the Wadi Abwab al Muluk in Egyptian Arabic. Of all the known tombs found in the Valley, only eighteen tombs are open to the public, although none of them are ever truly open at the exact same time. Once called the Great Necropolis of Millions of Years of Pharaoh, or the Place of Truth, the Valley of the Kings has 63 magnificent royal tombs.