Valley of Kings. Photo by I, Nikater – Wikimedia

Top 10 Amazing Facts about the Valley of the Kings in Egypt


 

Egypt is one of the most known African countries as the land of the Pharaohs, Pyramids, Luxor Temple, River Nile and camels too.

It is estimated that there are more than 42,000 Egyptian artefacts spread out through European and American museums.

Another amazing landmark in this north African country is the famous Valley of the Kings.

This place was the resting place of the pharaohs. They were buried here with their possessions in readiness for the afterlife.

The Valley of Kings has been in existence for more than 500 years. Egyptologists believe that this special valley dates back to the 11th century.

Located on the west bank of the River Nile, it is close to Thebes, Egypt’s ancient capital. This location was strategic and significant as you will learn in the facts below.   

Read more about the top 10 amazing facts about the Valley of the Kings.

1. The Valley of Kings served as burial grounds for Egyptian Royals

Photo by Editor from Mars – Wikimedia

The main purpose of Valley of the Kings was to bury the pharaohs between 1539 BC to 1075 BC.  

Archaeologists have so far discovered 63 tombs and more are yet to be discovered.

Thutmose I was the first ruler to be buried there and the last one believed to be Ramses XI. Different rulers, pharaohs and queens were buried in the Valley of Kings.

These rulers were the only ones buried here. Other royal family members were buried in small rock chambers near the king’s tomb.

Being the final resting place for the kings, the tombs were decorated befitting the kings’ status.

Entrances to these tombs were hidden to keep the treasures buried with the kings and queens safe from grave robbers.

2. Of all tombs in the Valley of Kings, King Tutankhamun is the Most Important

King Tutankhamun is said to be one of the most important pharaohs to ever lived. He became a king while still a child after the demise of his father Rameses 1.

He died after an accident and was buried with a lot of precious treasures. His tomb was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922.

All the treasure found in his tomb can now be viewed in the Egyptian Museum.

3. There is an alleged curse on King Tutankhamun’s Tomb in the Valley of Kings

By Victorgrigas – Wikimedia

Locals believe that anyone who gets close or touches the boy king’s tomb will be cursed.

This was after the team led by Howard Carter died mysteriously. None of them, including Howard, survived shortly after the discovery of the tomb.

The popular belief is said to have been cast by the pharaohs to anyone who disturbed the mummies.

Anyone that touched the tomb would get bad luck, get a mysterious sickness and eventually die.

The curse is believed to have been placed to keep tomb robbers away. Interestingly, it is only King Tuts grave that has the spell.

4. The Valley of Kings was established to avoid tomb robbers

Before the Valley of the Kings was established, several tombs of the pharaohs were vandalized.

It was common knowledge that the kings were buried with precious gold and other treasures. They believed that they would need them in the next life.

These treasures would attract unwanted attention from robbers. Several tombs were vandalized and all their treasures were stolen.

The Valley of Kings, a remote location, was identified and secluded as a royal burial ground.

These new graves were deep and had long corridors. Some shafts were intentionally dug to confuse tomb raiders.

Inside the tombs were storage chambers where furniture, jewels and any other treasure were stored.

The tomb raiders that were caught were tried and given harsh punishment.

5. There are ancient writings on the tombs at the Valley of Kings

Photo by Peter J. Bubenik – Wikimedia

Since the tombs belonged to the royals, their graves had to look beautiful. Other than decorating it with precious items, they also had paintings and hieroglyphic writings on the walls.

The painted scenes embossed on the walls were of pharaohs, gods and goddesses. Hieroglyphic texts were also written to guide them to the next life.

These are some of the top attractions in this historic landmark. When visiting, take some time and study the detailed paintings. Some of the writing is in Latin and Greek.

Tourists have been visiting these tombs since the Roman era.

6. Not all tombs at the Valley of Kings is open to the public

Photo sourced from Wikimedia

Most of the tombs are not open to the public. This is due to the continual excavation and discoveries happening at the site.

On one occasion, about 18 of the 63 tombs are opened but not at the same time. The others are always closed for preservation or restoration.

This way, the authorities can maintain the original status of the tombs.

7. The Kings were buried with more than their possessions in the Valley of Kings

The ancient Egyptians strongly believed in the afterlife. They believed that they would continue living as pharaohs as well as be close to their gods.

To prepare for this new life, they would be buried with their earthly possessions. Their bodies were preserved through the process of mummification.

They believed that through mummification, the bodies would be well prepared to wake up in the next life. The ancient tombs also included all the belongings of the king or queen.

An interesting observation in all the tombs was that none of them had books. The pharaohs probably needed to start on a completely new and blank page.

8. The Valley of Kings is still an active archaeological site

Photo sourced from Wikimedia

This zone has been a focus of archaeological and Egyptological exploration. It has been active since the end of the 18th century. Several new tombs get discovered every year.

In 1979, UNESCO included it in their list of World Heritage Sites. The excavation here is continuous.

There is also a new tourist centre that was established here. The most recent tomb was discovered in 2020.  

One important royal’s, Ramses VIII, tomb is yet to be discovered.

9. Not all tombs at the Valley of Kings belong to the royals

While the Valley of Kings was solely built for kings and queens, some tombs belonged to the lesser important such as servants.

A section of the valley was used as a burial ground for private citizens while other sections were set for animals.

Other than serving as a burial ground, the other function of the Valley of the kings was to store material treasures for the kings.

Several other tombs are said to have been the burial space for the wives and children of both the Pharaohs and nobles. About 20 of the 64 tombs were reserved strictly for the Kings.

The stark difference of these tombs was the decorations, the more elaborate tombs belonged to kings and queens.

10. The tombs in the Valley of Kings are numbered

Photo by Peter J. Bubenik – Wikimedia

All the tombs discovered in the Valley of Kings have numbers. They bear the abbreviation KV, short for King’s Valley.

The numbering was first done in 1827 by Wilkinson over the entrances of 21 tombs. These tombs are in the East Valley. The West Valley had 4 tombs

These numbers range from KV 1 (belonging to Rameses VII) and the most recent one KV 64 that was discovered in 2012.

Some tombs are unoccupied while others that have been discovered are yet to be identified as to who the deceased was.

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