The Valley of the Kings
Starting from the 15th century BC, the kings of the New Kingdom have chosen this remote valley in the West Bank of Luxor to bury their dead bodies away from the eyes and the hands of thieves.The first king to be buried in the Valley of the Kings was Tuthmosis I and then a large number of the kings and the royal family of the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties were buried in this royal necropolis.
Although the Pharaohs have thought thoroughly about the new location of their royal necropolis, almost all of the tombs were robbed by thieves. Except for these of Tuya and Yuya and that of Tut Ankh Amun which were all discovered instinct.
The tombs of the Valley of the Kings are featured with their wonderfully coloured and ornamented walls with scenes of the afterlife, the judgment of the dead, and of the deceased presenting the offerings of the afterlife.
The most remarkable tomb and the most famous is that of Tut Ankh Amun which was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922 as the most important archaeological discovery of the 20th century.
All the belongings of the King Tut were found untouched by Carter. This included the golden mask of the king, the gold-plated coffin and more than 300 items which were all made out of gold.
Other interesting tombs at the Valley of the Kings include the tomb of Tuthmosis III, the Napoleon of ancient Egypt as nicknamed by many historians. This tomb is dug 30 meters deep above the ground with its stunning paintings. The red granite sarcophagus of the king is the only remaining item in the tomb.
There are also the tombs of Ramses VI, Ramses I, Amenophis I, and Ramses III. There are 21 tombs of the kings of the New Kingdom were buried in the Valley of the Kings.