The Entrance to a Tomb in the Valley of the Kings at Luxor in Egypt
The official name for the Valley of the Kings 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. At the start of the 18th Dynasty, only the kings were buried within the valley in large tombs, when a non-royal was buried, it was in a small rock cut chamber, close to the tomb of their master. Amenhotep III's tomb was constructed in the Western Valley, Tutankhamun, Ay and then Horemheb returned to the royal necropolis. The 19th & 20th Dynasties saw an increase in the number of burials with Ramesses II and later Ramesses III constructing a massive Valley of the Kings has been a major area of modern Egyptological exploration for the last two centuries. Before this the area was a site for tourism in antiquity (especially during Roman times). This areas illustrates the changes in the study of ancient Egypt, starting as antiquity hunting, and ending as scientific excavation of the whole Theban Necropolis. Despite the exploration and investigation noted below, only eleven of the tombs have actually been completely recorded.
Size: 5050px × 3354px
Location: The Valley of the Kings at Luxor in Egypt
Photo credit: © Brenda Kean / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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