Valley of the Kings
Valley of the Kings
Valley of the Kings is located on the west bank of Thebes, which was once the capital of Egypt during the New Kingdom. It is famous for its royal tombs, which are beautifully painted. Based on the name, you may probably think that this great cemetery was only meant for the kings. But, it's only partly correct as the queens, members of the royal family and entourage were also buried here. Besides Thebes being the capital, it is also believed that the Theban Peak, shaped like a pyramid which can be seen high above the burial ground was another reason why the kings chose Thebes to be the burial site.
The Valley of the Kings is divided into two parts: the East Valley and the West Valley. Most of the royal tombs are found at the East Valley where only tombs of AmenhotepIII and Ay, and some pits are found at the West Valley. The majority of the tombs belonged to the New Kingdom.
The tombs were cut into the limestone rock in a remote wadi (a dried-up river valley) on the west side of the Nile. The walls of the tombs were painted with pictures that show the scenes of daily life and the land of the gods. Treasures were filled inside the tombs. The king's formal names and titles were carved in his tomb along with his images and statues, as the Egyptian belief that 'To speak the name of the dead is to make him live again.'
All of the tombs were not able to escape the fate of being robbed, except the tomb of Tutankhamun. Only mummies of those of Amenhotep II and Tutankhamun were found in their own tombs.
The Valley of the Kings occupies the lower centre of the image.
The central area of the Valley of the Kings. Tutankhamun's tomb is just left of the shelter in the centre.