The rest of the world has been fascinated with Egypt for much of modern times. Whether it’s the incredible feats of engineering or the rich cultural history, the mysterious countenance of Egypt continues to intrigue us. Archaeologists and Egyptologists spend countless hours sifting through the relics of a civilisation that is slowly but surely giving up her unique secrets, and millions of tourists come to the country every year for their holidays. In Egypt, a few hours spent in a historical site can reveal thousands of years of ancient history, and one of the most important and visited sites is the Valley of the Kings.
For over 500 years from about 1539 BC to 1075 BC some of Egypt’s most recognised historical figures came to their final resting place in this famous necropolis. Nearly everyone who comes on holidays to Egypt will visit the Valley of the Kings, which is situated on the left bank of the Nile at Luxor. It is an impressive sight when first you arrive – the sheer scope of the project is awesome. Painstakingly carved from the solid limestone and flint cliffs, it was constructed under the imposing shadow of the great Mountain of Thebes, whose natural form is uncannily close to the shape of the pyramids.
Many of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings were constructed in great secrecy to escape the attention of the grave robbers. It was practice for the Egyptians to be buried with a trove of riches to set them up for their journey to the afterlife, and this belief in life after death was the very basis of their religion. Unfortunately, in the end, even the seemingly impenetrable limestone chambers were not enough to stop the plunderers and many of the tombs had long since had their treasures removed by the time archaeologists excavated them. The exception was the tomb of Tutankhamen which was discovered in 1922 completely intact, and contained a blinding array of gold, statues, artwork and furniture.
The Valley of the Kings contains over 60 tombs which spider into the cliffs in a complex maze. Many of these have only been excavated in fairly recent times, and the scenes and texts recorded on the walls of the chambers are considered to be some of the most important clues to Egypt’s tumultuous history. Unfortunately there has already been a large amount of deterioration due to the elements and the massive amount of tourists who visit the site on their holidays in Egypt.
Once inside the cavernous, echo filled chambers the feat of their construction becomes even more evident. Each tomb has its own entrance and inside is usually a stairway leading up to a number of rooms and ante chambers. The size and number of chambers depends on the importance of the Pharaoh, the date it was built and also the time allowed for construction. There is an Egyptian saying “To speak the name of the dead is to make him live again” and the richly decorated inscriptions and carvings in some of the more important tombs are evidence of this belief.
A visit to the magnificent Valley of the Kings will be a highlight of any visitor’s holidays in Egypt, and one cannot help but be awed by this spectacular edifice in such a setting.
Author Resource:
Claire Bryant is an Egypt holiday specialist for key2holidays, an online tour operator offering holidays in Egypt (http://www.key2holidays.co.uk/egypt/ ) as well as holidays to the Indian Ocean, the Far East, Cuba and the Caribbean, Southern Africa, Italy & the Mediterranean, Canada, Australia
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