The Valley of the Kings is where the pharaohs of the New Kingdom found eternal rest. More than 60 tombs are carved into the rocks of this desert valley on the Nile's west bank. Here lie Tutankhamun, Ramesses the Great, Seti I — the greatest rulers of ancient Egypt. For thousands of years the tombs were hidden from the world until archaeologists rediscovered them.

Why Pharaohs Were Buried Here

Pyramids, for all their grandeur, had one flaw — they attracted robbers. By the start of the New Kingdom (around 1550 BCE), all known pyramids had been plundered. Pharaohs decided to bury themselves sec...