Valley of the Kings is a rocky, narrow gorge that was used as a cemetery by the pharaohs (kings) of ancient Egypt between 1550 and 1100 B.C. The valley is sometimes called the Valley of the Tombs of the Kings. It lies on the west bank of the Nile River across from Luxor. Over 60 tombs have been discovered in the Valley of the Kings and in the adjoining Western Valley.
Loading the player...Valley of the Kings in Egypt
The tombs are in the form of corridors and chambers cut into rock. Carved and painted religious scenes and hieroglyphic texts cover the walls of many tombs. The artwork shows mainly the dead king and the gods in the afterlife. The largest tomb is one that archaeologists believe held the remains of about 50 sons of Ramses II. It was discovered in 1995. The tomb of Seti I is the most ornamented. Other tombs include those of Tutankhamun, Thutmose III, Ramses II, and Ramses III. 
