KV57

KV57 is an ancient rock-cut royal tomb in the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile at Luxor, attributed to Pharaoh Horemheb of the late 18th Dynasty. It is part of the concentration of New Kingdom royal burials that defines the valley.

A short corridor leads to decorated corridors and burial chambers with painted and relief decoration typical of late 18th Dynasty funerary art. The tomb is relatively compact compared with some later royal tombs but is noted for the quality of its wall decoration and the arrangement of subsidiary rooms.

Constructed as the burial place for Horemheb, the tomb belongs to the New Kingdom period and shows the funerary plan and decorative program used for elite royal burials of that era. The tomb was entered and reused or disturbed in antiquity, like many Valley of the Kings tombs.

KV57 sits among the numbered tombs of the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of Luxor, within the Theban necropolis area opposite the modern city of Luxor. It is accessed via the valley road that serves the main group of royal tombs.

• Access: Part of the Valley of the Kings archaeological area on the west bank of the Nile; access is controlled by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and can be subject to rotation or temporary closure.
• Interior highlights: Contains decorated walls and burial chambers attributed to a late 18th Dynasty pharaoh, so interior decoration and small chambers are the main points of interest.