For nearly 500 years from 1539-1075 BCE, at least 63 tombs were constructed for the kings and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom.

The place is almost always packed with tourists, so we joined the throngs and braved the three thousand year old tunnels.

Some on the tour paid a lot extra to see the tiny tomb of the boy king Tutankamun.

The Valley of the Kings is dominated by the peak known to the Ancient Egyptians as ta dehent, or “The Peak.”

It has a pyramid shaped appearance that echoes the pyramids of the Old Kingdom, built more than a thousand years prior to the first royal burials carved here.

The Valley of the Kings’ isolated position also resulted in reduced access, and special tomb police (the Medjay) kept watch over the necropolis.

There is no Hamunaptra as featured in the fantasy movie, The Mummy.

We saw three tombs with the ticket from the tour and also visited the tomb of Ramses VI for another 50LE (~$10), it was excellent.