Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings lies in the desert hills on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the city of Luxor in southern Egypt. For nearly 500 years, from about the 16th to the 11th century BC, the pharaohs of the New Kingdom and some of their family members and officials were buried here, in tombs cut deep into the rock.

The kings chose a hidden valley under a pyramid shaped peak, now called Al Qurn, partly in the hope of protecting their tombs from robbers. Most were still looted in ancient times. In November 1922 the British archaeologist Howard Carter found the nearly intact tomb of Tutankhamun, known as KV62, which made the valley famous around the world. Together with Luxor's temples it forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis, listed in 1979.

More than 60 tombs have been found, numbered from KV1 onwards. They range from simple pits to long corridors leading to burial halls, with walls covered in painted texts and scenes from the books of the afterlife, showing the journey of the sun and the dead king through the underworld. The tombs of Ramesses VI, Seti I and Ramesses IV are among the most richly decorated.

Only a selection of tombs is open at any one time, and they rotate to limit damage from humidity and visitors. Tutankhamun's mummy remains in his tomb, while most of his treasures are now in the Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza.

The general ticket costs EGP 750 for foreign adults and EGP 375 for students and covers three of the open tombs; some tombs, including those of Tutankhamun and Seti I, need separate tickets. Arrive at opening time to avoid the heat and the tour groups. The valley is often visited together with the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon.

The KV numbers follow a system begun by John Gardner Wilkinson in 1827 and run from KV1 to KV64. The tomb of Seti I, KV17, is usually regarded as the finest in the valley. KV5, built by Ramesses II for his many sons, has more than 120 known chambers and was rediscovered in the 1990s. The ancient name of the peak above was ta dehent, The Peak.

The craftsmen who cut and painted the tombs lived at Deir el-Medina, a short walk over the hills, and their records include the Turin Strike Papyrus, which may describe the first recorded strike by workers. Most royal tombs lie in the East Valley. The West Valley, also called the Valley of the Monkeys, has one open tomb, that of Ay, which needs its own ticket and is seldom crowded. The site opens daily from 6 am to 5 pm.