The Valley of the Kings is called Biban El-Muluk in Arabic, a name meaning “The Gates of the Kings”, clearly a reference to the entrances of numerous tombs that, even in ancient times, could be seen in the mountainsides. The valley forms a deep rift in the limestone mass of the mountain of Thebes. A western branch is called the west valley, or valley of the Apes, where two pharaohs had tombs dug- Amenophis III and Ay. The mountain called el-Qurn (‘the Horn). Also known as the Theban peak, dominates the valley.

Location:

The secret Valley of the Kings is located on the West bank of the River Nile at Luxor. It is situated 25 Km from Luxor train station.

Why was it built?

It was used for burial, there are many kings buried in this valley. Moreover, the shapes of the tombs have been changed from pyramids style to the cut rock tombs in the mountain.

Overview:

Dimensions considered, the Valley of the Kings is completely inferior as funerary complexes compared to the pyramids further north in Egypt. But the decorations illustrate the thoughts and ideas, and the expectations for the afterworld to a degree that the pyramids do not. There are usually 30-40 open tombs, but they size varies a lot as well as the artistic level of the wall decorations. Most visitors will be satisfied with visiting 3-5 tombs, and a good experience is mostly decided by whether you can walk around a tomb by yourself or not.

But why was this site selected for royal tombs?

According to ancient Egyptian theology, a good tomb would be a place which could be considered to be the best possible “bridge” to the underworld. At the Valley of the Kings, the world almost comes to an end. Nothing grows here, and the climate is hot even through the winter. Hence it is a very obvious s symbol for death. The rocks could easily be dug in, allowing for canals into the underworld.
Moreover, the mummy science had since long found out that the desert was an ideal place for storage of corpse.

Until now, 62 tombs have been opened, but old sources indicate that there could be as many as between 100 and 150. Chances are that the remaining tombs are the inferior to the best we now have, but who know? There might be a new Tutakhamun tomb out there?

It is believed that Tuthmosis I was the first Pharaoh to have his grave constructed here, in the 16th century BCE. But it would take about 200 more years before it became customary that the kings built their graves here. Ramsis I became the first to establish this custom. Among the first things a king did after his coronation was to start building his tomb- it was after all his ”life insurance” his ticket to eternal life. Compared to pyramids, tombs were fast to build, and in no cases were more than 6 years spent on a single grave. The walls are decorated with magical “books “, like the Book of the Underworld, the Book of the Gates, and the Book of the Day and Night. All central for the kings success in the afterlife. There are also illustrations of the afterworld, equally central in securing that the king could live again in the company of Amun-Re.



Reference: “Egypt Tourist Guide, 2008” 16th Edition.