The Valley of the Queens is a site in Egypt, in which queens, princes, princesses, and other high-ranking officials were buried from roughly 1560 BC to 1130 BC.

Valley Of The Queens Location In Egypt

The Valley of the Queens is located south of the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile in Luxor. It is also located northwest of Medinet Habu and 500 meters west of Deir el-Medina.

What Is Queens Valley known for?

This valley was called in ancient Egypt Ta-Set-Neferu ( 𓏏𓄿𓊨 𓏏𓄤 𓄤 𓄤 ) , meaning the place of beauty . The Arabs called it Baban al-Hareem because its tombs are carved into the rock, and the only way to irrigate them is through its door. It was designated for women or harem, which is why the Arabs gave it this name.

Valley Of The Queens Egypt

Discovery And Dating Of The Valley Of The Queens:

The Valley of the Queens was discovered by an Italian mission from the Turin Museum in the early 20th century. It includes tombs carved into the rock in a valley in the middle of the plateaus of the Western Mountains in Luxor. These tombs are for queens, princesses, and princes from the 17th, 19th, and 20th dynasties, i.e. for the burial of members of the royal family, while it was used for the burial of nobles in the 18th dynasty.

Valley Of The Queens Number Of Tombs

The Valley of the Queens has about 91 tombs.

Valley Of The Queens Facts

The first queen to be buried there was Queen Set-Re, wife of King Ramses I of the 19th Dynasty. The tombs of the Valley of the Kings were reused during the Third Intermediate Period to bury members of the family of the High Priests of Amun. The Valley of the Queens was reused again in the Roman era to bury animal mummies. The tombs of the Valley of the Queens were robbed at the end of the New Kingdom.

List Of The Most Important Tombs In The Valley Of The Queens

-Tomb No. 30 of Nepri of the 18th Dynasty.

- Tomb No. 38 of Queen Sat-Re, wife of Ramesses I, from 19th Dynasty.

-Tomb No. 42 of Prince Ba-Re-her & wenem-ef of the reign of Ramesses III.

-Tomb No. 43 of Prince Set-her-khepshef, son of Ramesses III.

-Tomb No. 44 of Prince Khaemwaset, son of Ramesses III.

-Tomb No. 47 of Princess Ahmose, daughter of Seqenenre-Tao and Queen Sat-djehuty of 17th Dynasty.

- Tomb No. 51 of Queen Isis II, mother of Ramesses VI

-Tomb No. 52 belongs to Queen Teti of the Ramesside period.

-Tomb No. 53 belongs to Prince Ramses, son of Ramses III.

-Tomb No. 55 belongs to Prince Amun-Khepshef, son of Ramses III.

-Tomb No. 60 belongs to Queen Nebettawy, daughter of Ramses II.

-Tomb No. 66 belongs to Queen Nefertari, wife of Ramses II. It is considered the most beautiful of the Valley of the Queens.

-Tomb No. 68 belongs to Princess Meritamun, daughter of Ramses II.

-Tomb No. 71 belongs to Princess Bent-Anat, daughter of Ramses II.

QV66 Tomb Of Nefertar

Nefertari was an Egyptian queen, the wife of Pharaoh Ramses II. Nefertari was highly educated and knew how to read and write, which was rare in that era. Her decorated tomb is one of the largest and most magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Queens. Her husband, King Ramses II, also built a temple for her in Abu Simbel next to his huge temple. The word Nefertari means “the most beautiful of the beautiful,” or more precisely, “the most beautiful of them.”

Tomb Of Nefertari Number

Nefertari's tomb is tomb number 66 in the Valley of the Queens (QV66), which is an abbreviation for Valley of the Queens

Queen Nefertari Tomb Inside

The architectural layout of Nefertari's tomb. At the beginning of the tomb, there is the main entrance on the south side, which leads to a staircase with a slope in the middle, leading to a hall containing a shelf or seat adjacent to the western and northern walls. Its purpose was to place offerings and funerary furniture. After the first hall on the east side, you can reach two side chambers. There is an entrance in the northeastern part of the first hall, which leads to a corridor with stairs leading to the burial chamber. There are four columns in the burial chamber. The inner area between the columns has a deep floor that was designated for placing the coffin. In the burial chamber, there is a scene of the goddess Nut spreading her wings, the goddess of the sky. The burial chamber includes three side chambers.

Nefertari Tomb Closed

Closure Of Nefertari's Tomb:

Last year, on March 5, 2024, Nefertari's tomb was closed for restoration work, as the murals and paintings remained very sensitive and were affected by the humidity resulting from the crowding of visitors, their breathing and sweat, in addition to the leakage of groundwater. The tomb was reopened again on October 27, 2024, but the time allowed for visiting is 10 minutes or less.

Valley Of The Queens Best Tombs

-The Tomb Of Prince Kha Em Wast:

The tomb of Prince Kha Em Wast has the best art and colour in the Valley of the Queens after Nefertari’s tomb - so if you only have time to do one more, make sure it’s this one. Many of the walls are covered with floor to ceiling glass, but you can still see all the art pretty well. Prince Kha Em Wast was a son of Rameses III and he was another that sadly died young. He is thought to have been Rameses III’s oldest son. He was known to have been the high priest of Ptah in Memphis , but didn’t become pharaoh upon his father’s death, instead the throne was inherited by Rameses III’s brother.

-The Tomb Of Princess Teti:

Some scholars believe she was the most famous wife of Ramesses III because she is located near the tombs of two of Ramesses III's sons. Her tomb is close to the entrance. Although much of the artwork has been damaged, you can still mostly make out what you're looking at.

-The Tomb Of Prince Amun-her-khepshef:

Amun-her-khepshef, son of Ramesses III, sadly died in his teens. You can see the artwork inside the tomb showing Ramesses III holding Amun-her-khepshef to the gods, hoping it will aid him on his journey to the afterlife. The art inside the tomb is generally in very good condition, and much of it still retains its original color. This tomb is located at the entrance to the Valley of the Queens and is included in the standard ticket.

Valley Of The Queens Entrance Fee

Adult EGP: 220 | Student: EGP 110