Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings, or Wadi el-Muluk (وادي الملوك) in Arabic, is a valley in Egypt where tombs were built for the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom, the Eighteenth through Twentieth Dynasties. The official name for the site was 'The Great and Majestic Necropolis of the Millions of Years of the Pharaoh, Life, Strength, Health in The West of Thebes', or more usually, Ta-sekhet-ma'at (the Great Field).

Related Topics:
Arabic - Valley - Egypt - Tomb - Pharaoh - New Kingdom

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The valley is located on the west bank of the Nile across from Thebes (modern Luxor), under the peak of Al-Qurn. It is separated into the East and West Valleys, with most of the important tombs in the East Valley. The West has only one tomb open to the public: the tomb of Ay, Tutankhamun's successor.

Related Topics:
Nile - Thebes - Luxor - Al-Qurn - East Valley - West - Ay - Tutankhamun

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

Related Topics:
1539 BC - 1075 BC - 60 tombs - Thutmose I - Ramesses X - XI

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The Valley of the Kings also had tombs for the favourite nobles and the wives and children of both the nobles and pharaohs. Around the time of Ramesses I the Valley of the Queens was begun, although some wives were still buried with their husbands.

Related Topics:
Ramesses I - Valley of the Queens

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Graffiti on the walls of some of the tombs indicate that this was an attraction during Roman times.

Related Topics:
Graffiti - Roman

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The quality of the rock in the Valley is very inconsistent. Tombs were built, cutting through various layers of limestone, each with its own quality. This poses problems for modern day conservators, as it must have to the original architects. Building plans were probably changed on account of this. The most serious problem are the shale layers. This fine material expands when it comes into contact with water. This has damaged many tombs, particularly during floods.

Related Topics:
Architect - Shale - Water - Flood

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