Valley of the Kings

Valley of the Kings is an ancient royal necropolis on the west bank of the Nile near Thebes (modern Luxor), used as the burial ground for many New Kingdom pharaohs. The site contains roughly 60 to 65 known rock-cut tombs carved into the valley’s limestone cliffs.

Tombs here are notable for their painted and sculpted funerary decoration, long descending corridors and chambers, and the monumental architecture of entrances cut into the cliff face. A small number of tombs are open to the public at any one time to protect fragile paintings; the intact tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62) discovered in 1922 is the best-known example.

The necropolis was used mainly during Egypt’s New Kingdom period by rulers of the 18th to 20th dynasties, roughly between the 16th and 11th centuries BCE. Tombs were carved and furnished for royal burials; the site was reused, looted, and later explored by antiquarians and archaeologists from the 18th century onward.

The valley sits on the west bank of the Nile opposite modern Luxor, at the foot of the Theban Hills, about 5 to 6 kilometres from central Luxor and adjacent to other elements of the Theban Necropolis such as Deir el-Bahari and the Valley of the Queens.

• Number of tombs: Contains roughly 60 to 65 known tombs carved into the limestone hills, with access to a rotating subset opened to visitors to reduce wear on fragile decorations.
• Notable discovery: The most famous discovery was made in 1922 by Howard Carter when he opened an undisturbed royal burial chamber that contained a largely intact funerary assemblage.

What to See #

• KV62 (Tutankhamun): The intact burial chamber found in 1922 by Howard Carter that contained the tomb furnishings and treasures of a young pharaoh; the tomb is catalogued as KV62 and is a highlight of modern Egyptology.
• KV17 (Seti I): A richly decorated New Kingdom royal tomb noted for its finely preserved reliefs and wall paintings and for being one of the most elaborately finished tombs in the valley.
• KV5: A large rock-cut complex identified as the burial site for sons of Ramesses II, excavations since 1995 have revealed more than 120 chambers and corridors, making it one of the valley's largest tombs.