Valley of the Queens

The Valley of the Queens

There are many places to visit in Luxor, like the Valley of the Queens. When Luxor was the capital of the New Empire, it became a very important place. Because of their beliefs and religions, the pharaohs built a great civilization in this city. The west bank is where most of Luxor’s tombs are.

One of the famous royal tombs is in this part of the Valley of the Queens. The Valley of the Kings is to the southwest of this valley. It was built so that the queens, princesses, and their children from the New Empire could be buried there.

How the Valley of the Queens came to be

From 1550 B.C. to 1070 B.C., the queens of Egypt’s XVIII, XIX, and XX dynasties were buried in the Valley of the Queens. Later, princes, princesses, and some nobles were all laid to rest. During the XVIIIth and XIXth dynasties, most of the tombs were dug up. The goddess Hathor watched over the place.

“Ta Set Neferu,” which means “the place of beauty,” was the name people used for the Valley. In 1816, the first tomb was found (the tomb of Tyti). Twenty-four tombs were found in 1828. Ernesto Schiaparelli, an Italian, found the most famous and beautiful tomb in Luxor in 1903. It was the tomb of Nefertari. He was the last person to find the Valley of the Kings, which he did in 1906.

How the Valley of the Queens was built

There are more than 70 tombs of ancient Egyptian queens in the Valley of the Queens. In the rock, the tombs were dug out. The tombs are usually made so that there is a small room right next to the entrance. Then there was a high hallway. There are other rooms on both sides of the corridor. At the end of the hallway is the room where the dead are kept.

The tomb of Nefertari is the most well-known and beautiful of all the tombs. The tomb of Titi also has beautiful paintings, though some of them are broken. Other tombs were for Isis, Betanta, Henuttauy, Jaemuaset, Prince Menjeperre (son of Thutmosis III), Prince Ramses, Meritamon, and many others.

Nefertari’s grave

The 20th dynasty had a queen named Nefertari. Ramses II, Queen Nefertari’s husband, had her tomb built in 1290 BC. The tomb is in good shape. The tomb goes down 27 m. The decorations and paintings are easy to see.

After the entrance, there is a room to the right with pictures of sacrifices and drawings of the gods Osiris, Anubis, and the goddess Hathor. There are pictures of gods on the walls of the stairs that lead to the burial chamber.

In the burial chamber, 4 pillars show gods with Nefertari. The goddess Isis gives Queen Nefertari an Ankh on one of the pillars (one of the ancient Egyptian symbols representing eternal life).

Valley of the Queens excursions

Book one of our Egypt and Nile cruise packages between Luxor and Aswan and don’t miss the chance to see the sights of Luxor and get close to the monuments of the great Pharaonic civilization.