The famed Valley of the Kings, hidden between rocky escarpments, was the final resting place for the kings of the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties.
Nestled in the cliffs on the west bank of the Nile at Luxor, the isolated Valley of the Kings is home to the tombs of the great pharaohs of the New Kingdom (1550 – 1070 BC). They are hidden within a wadi (or valley) formed over millennia by rainfall and water runoff.
There are almost 63 known tombs in the valley, 26 carved for kings and the others granted to royal family members or the highest of the elite. The tombs are open on a rotation system to preserve the paintings as much as possible from the damage caused by humidity.
Many famous archaeologists have explored the valley, including engineer and circus strongman Giovanni Belzoni, and artist/Egyptologist Howard Carter, who is famous for finding the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922.
