Valleys of the Kings & Queens

Entrance to the Valley of the Kings

The Valley is surrounded by the tall Theban Hills

The Valley of the Kings, located on the west bank of the Nile in Luxor, is home to 63 burial sites of Egypt's ancient kings and powerful nobles, including King Tutankhamun, whom Nana (our spunky tour guide) apparently does not care for. Decorated in colorful hieroglyphs, the paintings depict mythological scenes and give insight into various customs of the time period. As excavations continue, only a handful of tombs are open to the public including those we saw of King Ramesses I, III, and IV.

The Valley of the Queens, located near the Valley of the Kings, was once known as Ta-Set-Neferu, meaning "the place of the children of the Pharaoh." Both the wives and children of prominent Kings were buried within the rock-cut tombs as a way to protect against robbers. Over 70 tombs exist in the valley, many of which are said to be lavishly decorated, including the famous tomb of Queen Nefertari, wife of Ramesses II. Said to be the most beautiful tomb in all the valleys, Queen Nefertari's resting place is now closed to the general public and only accessible upon governmental permission and a $4,000 entrance fee. Obviously, our budget was not that flexible so we settled on the tomb of Queen Tyti, the speculated wife of one of the many King Ramesses.

The entrance to the tomb of Queen Nefertari, a $4,000 fee.

Carved out of the wall and painted in vibrant hues, many of the hieroglyphs still remain in astonishing condition maintaining their original colors. Red, yellow, blue, and black trace their way up and down the otherwise bare walls, forming small symbols and filling in familiar drawings. Na Na informed us of the origin of each color: red came from animal's blood, yellow from a bird's egg, blue was lapis lazuli, and the ubiquitous black, used in outlining, was from smoke and ash. Common scenes depicted the deceased crossing into the afterlife accompanied by various gods. Unlike some underwhelming world wonders that do not deliver the expected show or illicit the desired response, the hieroglyphs were an exact match to the pictures I had studied so often in art history classes. The royal figures were continuously humanized as we strolled through their tombs and the mystery of ancient Egypt and its mummies came alive in a fascinating and unforgettable way.

In an effort to preserve the incredible hieroglyphic paintings, taking photos is no longer allowed inside the tombs. But, here are some examples of what the hieroglyphs depicted:

Anubis, god of judgement and the dead

Ra, god of the sun

The ankh, or "key of life," is the Egyptian hieroglyphic character representing eternal life.

The Eye of Horus is an ancient symbol of protection.