HistoVisual
Egypt Antiquity Built: c. 1550–1070 BC UNESCO

Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings is a dramatic desert ravine on the west bank of the Nile at ancient Thebes, chosen by New Kingdom pharaohs as their secret burial ground in a deliberate departure from the conspicuous pyramid tombs of their predecessors. Cut deep into the limestone cliffs, the 63 known tombs range from simple pits to elaborate multi-chambered palaces stretching hundreds of metres underground, their walls covered with vivid painted texts from the Book of the Dead and the Amduat to guide the deceased pharaoh through the perilous underworld. Among those buried here are Tutankhamun, Seti I, Ramesses II, III, IV, VI, and IX, and Thutmose III. Despite the Egyptians' best efforts at concealment, nearly every tomb was robbed in antiquity — with the single dazzling exception of Tutankhamun's, discovered intact by Howard Carter in 1922.

Site View and Location

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Valley of the Kings

Egypt

Longitude: 32.6015

Latitude: 25.7402

Historical Significance

The Valley of the Kings is the single richest source of knowledge about New Kingdom Egypt, providing unparalleled insight into royal funerary religion, artistic conventions, and the political history of a civilisation at its height. The discovery of Tutankhamun's intact tomb in 1922 became one of the most celebrated archaeological finds in history, sparking a global fascination with Egyptology. The site forms part of the Ancient Thebes UNESCO World Heritage inscription of 1979.

Facts

Fact 1

Tutankhamun's Tomb

When Howard Carter opened Tutankhamun's tomb (KV62) in 1922, it contained over 5,000 objects including a solid gold inner coffin weighing 110 kg — the only near-intact royal burial ever found in the valley.

Fact 2

Tomb of Seti I

The tomb of Seti I (KV17) is the longest and deepest in the valley, extending 137 metres into the rock and descending 45 metres underground, with decoration of such quality it is widely considered the finest in all of Egypt.

Fact 3

Ancient Robbers

Archaeological evidence shows that most royal tombs were robbed within decades of sealing, and ancient Egyptian court records from around 1110 BC document actual trials of tomb robbers caught pilfering royal burial goods.

Fact 4

KV5 — Tomb of the Sons of Ramesses

KV5, the tomb of the sons of Ramesses II, was discovered to contain at least 121 corridors and chambers — making it by far the largest tomb ever found in Egypt — with excavations still ongoing.

Fact 5

Hidden Location

The valley was chosen partly because the pyramid-shaped natural peak above it, known as al-Qurn, was sacred to the goddess Meretseger; the remote location was also intended to foil grave robbers, though this ultimately failed for almost every tomb.

Fact 6

Ongoing Discoveries

As recently as 2022, archaeologists uncovered a previously unknown tomb (designated KV65) in the valley, demonstrating that the site still holds undiscovered secrets more than a century after systematic excavation began.

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