Egypt 08: Valley of the Kings

‘Pyramids are found only in the north (of Egypt) and not in the south. This is because in the south, there are hills / mountains and so tombs were built within the hills / mountains. As for the north, there are no hills / mountains, is all flat and so pyramids were built for the purpose (the tombs),’ explained Safwat.

The Valley of the Kings, located on the west bank of Nile River, is one such example where tombs were carved and built into hills. These tombs were for the kings and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom. It was used for primary burials from approximately 1539BC to 1075BC.

There are more than 60 tombs within the valley. Not all the tombs are open to the public and some, although accessible to the public, require ‘additional’ ticket. For the ‘standard’ ticket, each visitor is allowed to visit three tombs. I visited the tombs of Ramesses VII, Tausert / Setnakht and Siptah.

Tausert / Setnakht is one of the largest tombs and inside (no photographs are allowed), the text, images, paintings and even the colours are still very well maintained and preserved. The tomb is very long and deep into the hill. It was impressive. This was not what I was expecting to see. I was amazed, dazed and a little speechless. Perhaps my knowledge of Egyptian history is just too shallow!