the Valley of thge kings ( must know) )

1. The Valley of the Kings has been a royal burial complex for almost 500 years.
2. The official name for the site 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. Or also, Ta-sekhet-ma’at (the Great Field).
3. The first tomb discovered was of pharaoh Ramses VII designated KV1
4. Most of the tombs of the Valley of the Kings are not open to the public.
5. Researchers state that the quality of the rock in the Valley is quite inconsistent, ranging from finely grained to coarse stone.
6. Builders took advantage of available geological features when constructing the tombs; due to the lack of specific tools, the builders had to look out for any advantage that could help them achieve their goal.
7. The peak of al-Qurn which watches over the valley is an iconic feature of the region; the tomb police, known as the Medjay, watched over the valley from this location.
8. The tomb of Akhenaten was originally intended to be located in the Valley of the Kings; Archaeologists point toward the unfinished WV25 as the intended burial chamber for Akhenaten.
9. During Roman times the valley of the kings was a very attractive touristic location.
10. Many of the tombs have graffiti written by ancient tourists; researchers have located over 2100 ancient graffiti, mostly Latin and Greek.
11. Archaeologists have found that most of the ancient graffiti are located in KV9, which contains just under a thousand of them. The earliest positively dated graffiti dates to 278 B.C.
12. The mark “KV” actually stands for “Kings Valley” while WV stands for Western Valley.
13. There is a number of unoccupied tombs in the Valley of the Kings and their owners remain unknown.
14. The most imposing tomb of this period is that of Amenhotep III, WV22 located in the West Valley.
15. The burial site of Tutankhamun is one of the most famous in the entire Valley of the Kings.
16. The tomb of Tutankhamun was one of the first royal tombs to be discovered that was still largely intact, even though robbers had already accessed it in the past.
17. The tomb of Horemheb is one of the most unique tombs in the Valley of the Kings exhibiting unique features compared to other tombs in the Valley, it is rarely open to the public.
18. The first ruler of the twentieth dynasty, Setnakhte, had two tombs constructed for himself.
19. The tomb of Ramesses III is one of the largest and most visited tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
20. The first unknown tomb since the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb is dubbed KV 63; even though it has a sarcophagus, pottery, linens, flowers, and other materials it is unoccupied.

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The Valley of the Kings

The Valley was used for primary burials from approximately 1539 BC to 1075 BC, and contains some 60 tombs, starting with Thutmose I and ending with Ramesses X or XI

 

On February 8, 2006, American archaeologists uncovered a pharaonic-era tomb (KV63), the first uncovered there since King Tutankhamen in 1922. The 18th Dynasty tomb included five mummies in intact sarcophagi with colored funerary masks along with more than 20 large storage jars, sealed with pharaonic seals

As can be seen, from reference to the Map below, the  excavation in the area between tombs KV. 9 (Ramesses V/VI) & KV. 57 (Horemheb), along the northern side of the spur leading from the Valley centre to KV. 35 (Amunhetep II). As tombs, KV. 56 (The Gold Tomb) & KV. 57 lie within this area it has been decided that clearance & recording of them should also be undertaken by the current excavations

Although the area currently under investigation is quite small, being easily walked from end to end in less about 2 3 minutes,  sifting of the debris has already produced a varied collection of finds. Amongst these have been fragments of gold & mummy cloth, stamped pottery shards (originating in the temple of Seti I) & statues modelled from naturally occurring flint nodules . Additionally a fragments of the sarcophagus & canopic chest of Horemheb, originating from Davis clearance of KV. 57 (& giving some indication of the poor manner in which this was conducted) were found; with the former having since been restored to its original position on this monument.
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Luxor to allow tourists visit ancient tombs at night

 

The authorities in Luxor are preparing to open the ancient royal tombs, located west of the city, for tourists at night, for the first time in history.

 

Luxor Governor Mohamed Badr  said the authorities are coordinating with the Antiquities Ministry in order to provide appropriate lighting and open the sites ahead of the start of the tourist season in October. The project is aimed at diversifying the offer of tourist attractions in Luxor and at avoiding the high daytime temperatures. It will also take advantage of the Al-Qama mountain lighting project, which cost LE 56 million. 

 

Speaking to the German news agency DPA, Badr added that the historic Madamod temple, located northeast of the city, might also soon be open for tourists.