Valley of the Kings

The first tomb we visited belonged to one of the Ramses’ kings but I now can’t remember which number he was. In one of the smaller tombs the decoration was stunning and the huge granite sarcophagus still lay where it has for thousands of years now. The second tomb belonged to Ramses IV and was enormous! Absolutely stunning in size and detail, the walls are covered floor to ceiling with carvings and paintings with not an inch left untouched. This was something that had to be seen to be believed. The third tomb we went into belonged to one of the Seti kings but again I can’t remember which one, I really should write these things down! The tomb was never finished as money ran out before completion, nevertheless it’s clear to see had it been completed, it would have been one of the most magnificent sites in Egypt. On an even larger scale than the two previously seen, the tomb just kept going and going, deep into the mountain with rooms off in all directions.

Obviously one of the most popular tombs is that of King Tutankhamen. Discovered by Howard Carter in 1921, this has so far been the only tomb discovered which had not been emptied by robbers over the years. Hidden underneath the tomb of Ramses VI (I remember that one!), the tomb mostly escaped detection for centuries until Carter’s chance discovery. The entrance had been broken but whoever found it neglected to notice the vast quantity of treasure inside. It was discovered with rooms filled to the ceiling by gold statues and furniture, jewelry, and priceless artifacts.

The contents have all now been moved to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo or stolen by the discoverers and all that remains is the sarcophagus and the mummy of Tutankhamen, though this is buried deep beyond the eyes of visitors. He was a young king, rising to the throne at age eight, but he died young so the decoration is not as elaborate as the other tombs and by all account is rather dull, however it still captures the imagination and demand is high. If you do want to go inside for a look, you will have to pay an additional eighty Egyptian pounds (about $12–$15) to do so.