The oldest tomb known to have been built in the Valley of the Queens was the tomb of princess Ahmose (the daughter of King Seqenenre and Queen Sitdjehuti). Notable Tombs & Visiting The Valley Of The Queens Today Excavations continue to this day, and who knows what future discoveries are just waiting to be found? The site was UNESCO World Heritage Listed in 1979 (along with the Valley of the Kings and Thebes). The main wadi of the Valley of the Queens has some 91 tombs, while another 19 tombs are around in the other valleys. To help safeguard them, the tombs were built in such a way as to be discrete so that thieves wouldn't find them (by and large, it hasn't worked - although Tut's tomb was a notable exception).Įarlier in the history of Ancient Egypt, the queens and wives of the pharaohs were buried together, but this changed over time with the women being buried elsewhere. Naturally, these have always been tempting targets for tomb raiders.

To ensure the queens had what they needed (or wanted) in the afterlife, they were buried with their treasures, clothing, necessities (like food and drinks), and more. The way the pharaohs and wives were buried was to prepare them for the afterlife. The Valley of the Queens is located in Luxor - one of the top destinations in Egypt and famous for its great temples. From above the ground, they are some of the most unimpressive archeological sites of Egypt. The Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens are the opposite. They were even tourist destinations during Roman times, and the pyramids were the highest buildings in the world for thousands of years. The pyramids of Giza are so impressive that they have wowed people for centuries (the Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the Seven Wonders of the World - a sort of ancient Greek travel itinerary). The Valley of the Queens is made up of the main wadi (dry river valley) along with the Valley of Prince Ahmose, the Valley of the Rope, the Valley of the Three Pits, and the Valley of the Dolmen (these subsidiary valleys all date to the 18th Dynasty). The Valley of the Queens is where the wives of the pharaohs were built during ancient Egyptian times.

History & Purpose Of The Valley Of The Queens

Tomb of Tutankhamen, Valley of the Kings, Egypt

Pharaohs buried with their treasures