Compact: The West Bank monuments

To make the planning of your sightseeing program more comfortable, we have compiled a list of the public sites of the West Bank monuments. Each location you can easily find in the map of the "Theban Mapping Project" down at this page. Another small notice: In some of our stories you still find the name Mohamed El Bialy as the Director of the Antiqities of Thebes West. In the meantime Ali Ebrahim El Assfer took over this position.

 

Mortuary temples

It was one of the most important ceremonial duties of the rulers during the New Kingdom, beside the construction of their royal tombs to build up a mortuary temple on the West Bank to honor the gods. In this stately stone buildings, of course also themselves are shown as heroes. No one missed it to show himself in battles, of course as the triumphant, and when subjugating his enemies in wall paintings and reliefs. In ancient times the line of these temples looked like a chain on the edge of agricultural land and the desert. Today there are only some well preserved or reconstructed (see list below), but all still reflect its special spirit. The tickets (12 LE each site) you get at the Ticket Office, except for the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, where recently an own ticket counter opened.

Mortuary temple of Setoy I.
Ramesseum, mortuary temple of Rameses II.
Deir El Bahari, mortuary temples of queen Hatschepsut and king Mentuhotep
Mortuary temple of Merenptah
Medinet Habu, mortuary temple of Rameses III.

At the time an international team is digging out the temple of Amenhetep III., which is located to the west behind the so-called Colossi of Memnon. They already unearthed remarkable pieces like statues and fragments of the king and his wife Teje. If you are lucky you can watch the scholars during their difficult work: when stopping at the colossi (no entrance fee!), which in ancient time guarded the entrance gate of the temple, you can overlook the area. But under no circumstances enter the excavation area, it is strongly forbidden as well as to shoot photos. Not only here, also on the sites of the other temples restoration and preservation continues. Therefore don't wonder if from time to time parts are closed or scaffolds disturb a bit your view.

 

Tombs

Valley of the Kings (Biban El Moluk)

65 tombs of kings, queens and princes of dynasties 18, 19 and 20 have been discovered in the East and West Valley. Because only some are open for the public at the same time, we give you a complete listing of the royal tombs in numerical order (KV stands for Kings Valley). Until today it is not sure for some tombs who was burried there, this tombs we do'nt mention. Unfortunately it is impossible to get up-to-date information from the Council Office of Antiquities about the latest openings or closings of tombs ib advance. Therefore you have to inform yourself in-situ at the board beside the ticket counter in the valley. This board - as we are told - is the only updated source, where you find which tombs are open at the day of your visit. With a ticket for LE 30 you can visit three tombs of your choice except the one of Tutankhamen (LE 40 extra). Also not included is the the tomb of Ay in the West Valley (12 LE ) which is worth to visit, because almost you are alone there. Who likes to get comprehensive information about the royal tombs is recommended to visit the fabolous website of the Theban Mapping Project, that offers a wealth of textes and photographs. Notice: Tickets you buy only at the entrance of the valley of the Kings!

East Valley
KV 1 Rameses II.
KV 2 Rameses IV.
KV 3 Son of Rameses III.
KV 4 Rameses XI.
KV 5 Sons of Ramses II.
KV 6 Rameses IX
KV 7 Rameses II.
KV 8 Merenptah
KV 9 Rameses V. und Rameses VI.
KV 10 Amenmeses
KV 11 Rameses III.
KV 13 Bay
KV 14 Tausert and Setnakht
KV 15 Sety II
KV 16 Rameses I.
KV 17 Sety I.
KV 18 Rameses X.
KV 19 Mentuherkhepshef
KV 20 Thutmes I. and Hatshepsut
KV 32 Tia'a
KV 34 Thutmes III.
KV 35 Amenhetep II.
KV 36 Maikerperi
KV 38 Thutmes I.
KV 43 Thutmes IV.
KV 44 Tentkaru
KV 45 Userhat
KV 46 Yuya and Thuyu
KV 47 Siptah
KV 48 Amenemipet
KV 55 Teje
KV 57 Horemhab
KV 62 Tutankhamen (Notice: extra ticket LE 40)

West Valley
KV 22 Amenhetep III.
KV 23 Ay

Valley of the Queens (Biban El Harim)

In the Valley of the Queens, in ancient times called "Set Neferu" which meant "seat of beauty", not only queens but also princes and princesses as well as members of the royal family and high ranking officials were burried. Only for the half of the 98 known tombs the owners can be named, approximately one third of them are unfinished. Some are alternately open for visitors. Tickets (12 LE each for three tombs of your choice, ask at the counter which is just open) you can buy now only in the valley itself. In January 2003 unfortunately the most beautiful tomb in Thebes West, QV 66 the tomb of Queen Nefertiti, wife of Rameses II., was closed for the public. According to official statements for one year only. But not only we are worried that it will not be never opened again. Anyhow the valley is worth your visit, for example have a look to the tombs of the queens, princes and princesses (QV stands for Queens Valley)

QV 42 Pa-Ra-her-Wenemef, son of Rameses III.
QV 43 Seth-her-Kopshef, son of Rameses III.
QV 44Kaemwasef, son of Rameses III.
QV 51 Queen Isis II., great royal wife of Rameses III.
QV 52 Queen Titi, wife of Rameses III.
QV 55 Amen-her-Khopshef, son of Rameses III.
QV 60 Nebet-Tauy, daughter of Rameses II.
QV 68 Merit-Amon, daughter of Rameses II.
QV 71 Bint-Anath, daughter of Rameses II.
QV 75 Queen Henut-mi-Re, sister and wife of Rameses II.
QV 80 Queen Mut-Tuy, mother of Rameses II., great royal wife of Sety I.

Noble Tombs

High ranking officials and dignitaries loved to be burried near the royalties at the foot of the Theban mountains. You find this huge necropoles between Qurnet El Marai in the south and Dra Abu Naga in the north. You have to buy the tickets (12 LE for the visit of two tombs) in advance at the Ticket Office. There you also have to ask which tombs at the time you are there are open for the public. Lots of private photographs of the noble tombs you can find in this Belgium homepage.

The most beautiful decorated tombs are

in Sheikh Adbel Qurn: Nakht, Astronom during the reign of Thutmes IV., Ramose, vizier under Amenhetep III. and Akhennaten, Menena, scribe and land surveyor under Thutmes IV., Amenemhet, army commander under Thutmes III., and Sennefer, mayor of Thebes under Amenhetep II.;

in Dra Abu Naga: Roy, royal scribe and steward in the estates of Horemhab, and Shu-Roy, head of the brazier-bearers of Amun in dynasty 19;

in El Kokha area: Nefer-Sekuru, high ranking dignitary in dynasty 19.

 

Recommendation

Deir El Medina, the village of the workers and artists, who during the dynasties 18 and 19 digged out and decorated the royal tombs in the rocky mountains. The ruins of their residences today give you an impression of the ancient structure of the village. And the artistic wall paintings in the small but fine tombs of Peshedu, Sennedjem, Inerkha and Ipuy beside religious scenes tell you stories of the daily life of this small and secret community. After strolling through the streets of the village you reach the beautiful small temple built in the ptolemaic era. Don't miss the view from the roof, and also not the giant ancient well at the very northern end of the site. Ticket at the nearby Ticket Office 12 LE.

To those of you who like to walk, we recommend hiking tours starting at Deir El Medina. It is like to follow the footsteps of the workers. After climbing up many, many modern steps you reach the original mountain pathways, that lead you to the valley of the Queens, to the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut and to the valley of the kings. All your efforts will be awarded with sensational views, if you are lucky and catch a day with clear weather you can see the mountains of the Eastern Desert behind the city of Luxor. (Text Antje Sliwka)