The Valley of The Kings


 

The Valley of the Kings is where the pharaohs were buried after the age of pyramid building ended. The tombs in the Valley of the Kings were cut out of solid rock. The Valley of the Kings was once known as the Place of Truth. It was the gateway to the afterlife for some of the mightiest pharaohs of Egypt. It lies in a valley behind el-Qurn (the Horn), west of Thebes (modern day Luxor). The Valley of Kings is a place of cliffs, landslides, and dazzling sunlight.

Sixty-two tombs have been located to date. In the Valley of the Kings are the tombs of such great pharaohs as Ramses I, II, and III, and IV, Seti I, and the young Tutankhamen, along with many others that remain unidentified.

Most of the tombs are located in the East Valley, but the tombs of Amenhotep III, Ahkenaten's father, and Aya, Tutankhamen's successor are in the West Valley.

As a final resting place for royalty, the Valley of the Kings was strictly off-limits to the commoners.