Valley of the Kings Map, History and Guide
History of the Valley of the Kings: Soon after the defeat of the Hyksos and the reunification of Egypt under Ahmose I, the Theban rulers realized the need for a new royal necropolis.The idea of pyramid tombs was abandoned, robberies being one principal reason. A valley on the west bank was chosen as an appropriate area where the new tombs could be excavated underneath in the limestone and protected from ransackers. This valley, presently known as the Valley of the Kings is under the shadow of impressive cliffs and the tallest peak, Al Qurn, is shaped naturally as a pyramid. The area is both attractive for its natural beauty and the sheer quantities of archaeological wonders discovered there and yet to be found. The Valley of the Kings was used for royal burials from approximately 1539 BC to 1075 BC, and contains at least 63 tombs, beginning with Thutmose I (or possibly earlier, during the reign of Amenhotep I), and ending with Ramesses X or XI. The official name of the necropolis in ancient times
was The Great and Majestic Necropolis of the Millions of Years
of the Pharaoh, Life, Strength, Health in The West of Thebes. Despite the name, the Valley of the Kings also contains
the tombs of favorite nobles as well as the wives and children
of both nobles and pharaohs. Around the time of Ramses I (ca.
1301 BC) tomb construction began in the separate Valley of the
Queens, although some wives continued to be buried with their
husbands in the Valley of the Kings. The tombs were constructed and decorated by the workers of the village of Deir el-Medina, located in a small wadi between this valley and the Valley of the Queens, facing Thebes. The quality of the rock in the Valley is inconsistent, ranging from finely-grained to coarse stone. Builders took advantage of available geological features when constructing the tombs. Some tombs were quarried out of existing limestone clefts, others behind slopes of scree, or at the edge of rock spurs created by ancient flood channels. A number of archaeological excavations continue periodically within the Valley of the Kings to the present day. The Theban Mapping Project has been officially granted the permit to map the entire Theban Necropolis, a project now well advanced. Read travel reviews for this Ancient Egypt site Valley of the Kings Guide The tombs are officially given a KV number, standing for "King's Valley". The tomb of Tutankhamun, for example, is also known as KV62. The tombs are numbered in the order of discovery by egyptologists, from Ramses VII (KV1) to KV63, discovered in 2005. Many of the tombs, however, have been open since antiquity, and KV5 was only rediscovered in the 1990s after being dismissed as unimportant by previous investigators. The West Valley tombs often have the "WV" prefix, but follow the same numbering system. Most of the tombs are not open to the public and officials occasionally close those that are open for restoration work. The number of visitors to KV62 has led to a separate charge for entry into the tomb. The West Valley has only one open tomb, that of Ay, and a separate ticket is needed to visit this tomb. The tour guides are no longer allowed to lecture inside the tombs and visitors are expected to proceed quietly and in single file. This is to minimize time in the tombs, and prevent the crowds from damaging the decoration. Photography is no longer allowed in the tombs. The usual tomb plan consists of a long inclined rock-cut corridor, descending through one or more halls to the burial chamber. The majority of the royal tombs are decorated with religious texts and images. The early tombs were decorated with scenes from Amduat (That Which is in the Underworld), with describes the journey of the sun-god through the twelve hours of the night. From the time of Horemheb, tombs were decorated with the Book of Gates, which shows the sun-god passing through the twelve gates that divide the night time, and ensure the tomb owner's own safe passage through the night. Late in the Nineteenth Dynasty the Book of Caverns, which divided the underworld into massive caverns containing deities and the deceased waiting for the sun to pass through and restore them to life. The burial of Ramesses III saw the Book of the Earth, where the underworld is divided into 4 sections, climaxing in the sun disc being pulled from the earth by Nun. The ceilings of the burial chambers were decorated, from the burial of Seti I onwards, with the Book of the Heavens, which again describe the sun's journey through the twelve hours of night. Click and drag anywhere on
the image below to obtain a 360 degree view.
The Tomb of Seti I QTVR Panorama Copyright © Andrew Bayuk / Guardians.net Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62) - Arguably the most famous tomb in the Valley and the scene of Howard Carter's 1922 discovery of the almost intact royal burial of the young king. Compared to most of the other royal tombs, however, the tomb of Tutankhamun is barely worth visiting, being much smaller and with limited decoration. Visitors with limited time would be best to spend their time elsewhere. Requires a separate ticket for admission from the other tombs. Tomb of Horemheb (KV57) - the tomb of the last king of the 18th Dynasty. Rarely open for visitors, but it is large and superbly decorated. Tomb of Thutmose III (KV34) - one of the most remote tombs in the Valley, located at the far end of the Valley and up several flights of steps to gain entry. The climb is worth it, though. The tomb has a large oval burial chamber. The decoration is unique, in a simple, pleasing style that resembles modern "stick figures" and the cursive writing of the time. Tomb of Seti I (KV17) - also known as Belzoni's tomb, the tomb of Apis, or the tomb of Psammis, son of Necho, is usually regarded as the finest tomb in the valley, with well executed relief work and paintings. Tomb of Merneptah (KV8) - son of Ramses II, Merneptah's tomb extends 160 metres and has suffered greatly from flash flooding of the Valley over the millennia. The paintings and reliefs that have survived, however, are generally in good condition. Tomb of Ramses III (KV11) - one of the largest tombs in the valley, and often open to the public. Its location and superb decoration usually makes this one of the tombs visited by tourists. Tomb of Ramses VI (KV9) - this tomb was originally started by Ramses V, but usurped after his death by his successor Ramses VI, who enlarged the tomb and had his own image and cartouches carved in over his predecessor's. The tomb is one of the most interesting in the Valley, with one of the most complete and best preserved decorative schemes surviving. Tomb of the Sons of Ramses II (KV5) - Ramses enlarged the earlier small tomb of an unknown Eighteenth Dynasty noble for his numerous sons. With 120 known rooms and excavation work still underway, it is probably the largest tomb in the valley. Originally opened and robbed in antiquity, it is a low-lying structure that has been particularly prone to the flash floods that sometimes hit the area, which washed in tones of debris and material over the centuries, ultimately concealing its vast size. It is not currently open to the public. Guide information within the Valley has been vastly improved in recent years. The Theban Mapping Project, in association with the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities has provided engraved metal signs detailing the history, architecture and decoration of each tomb, together with detailed plans and diagrams. A new Visitor Center at the Valley of Kings features a large acrylic glass maquette of the valley showing the location of the tombs. Visitors get to see three dimensional models of the tombs and their relationship to each other under the ground. There are also two film displays of a short film taken at the time of the discovery of Tutankhamun, 1922, by Harry Burton. In addition, there are numerous laptops where you can explore the Theban Mapping project website and explore individual tombs in detail. The Metropolitan Museum of Art and National Geographic Society have donated display and educational material.
Source:
Wikitravel
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Consider
hiking back over the surrounding hills to Deir el-Medina or Deir
el-Bahari for a spectacular view of the Nile valley below. Although
a relatively short hike, the views are well worth the physical exertion.
Do bring plenty of water, especially in the summer.
