Valley of the Kings

 Two branches of desert valleys crossing an escarpment in western Thebes are named the Valley of the Kings. A western branch of the Valley of the Kings, presently called the Valley of the Apes (in Arabian: Wadi el-Gurud, Biban el-Gurud) became a burial site for Amenhotep III and Ai II – rulers of the 18th Dynasty. Their tombs were hewn in a bed-rock. Eastern part of the valley, from Arabian - Biban el-Muluk (Gates of Kings), was used as a burial site for kings of Dynasties XVIII, XIX, XX as well as for other royal family members. There are 64 numbered tombs in the East and West Valleys, plus another 20 unfinished pits and shafts designated A-T. The first 21 tombs numbers were assigned by John Gardner Wilkinson in 1827. His system numbered tombs from the entrance of KV southward, then from west to east. Since then, tomb numbers 22 to 62 been assigned in the approximate order of discovery.


Panorama of Kings Valley

                                                                                                    

KV1 - Tomb of Ramesses VII (20 dyn) KV2 - Tomb of Ramesses IV (20 dyn) KV3 - Unfinished tomb of one son of Ramesses III (20 dyn) KV46 - Tomb of Yuya and Tjuyu, parents of Queen Tiji (18 dyn) KV4 - Tomb of Ramesses XI (20 dyn) KV7 - Tomb of Ramesses II and his sons (19 dyn) KV5 - Tomb of Ramesses II' sons (19 dyn) - the biggest tomb in the Valley KV6 - Tomb of Ramesses IX (20 dyn) KV55 - 'Amarna cache' (18 dyn) KV45 - Tomb of Weserhet (18 dyn) KV44 - Unknown tomb from 18 Dynasty, probably brother of Queen Tiji, Aanen, re-used during XXII Dynasty for Tentkare KV27 & KV28 - Unknown tombs from 18 dyn KV21 - Unknown tomb (probably royal family from 18 dyn) KV60 - Tomb of Sitre (called In) wet nurse of Queen Hatshepsut (18 dyn) KV19 - Tomb of Montuherkhopshef, son of Ramesses IX (20 dyn) KV20 - Tomb of Tuthmosis I and Hatshepsut (18 dyn) - first tomb in the Valley KV8 - Tomb of Merenptah (19 dyn) KV57 - Tomb of Horemheb (18 dyn) KV9 - Tomb of Ramesses V & VI (20 dyn) KV62 - Tomb of Tutankhamun (18 dyn) KV12 - Unknown tomb of royal family from 18 dyn KV58 - Unknown tomb shaft (anex of Tutankhamun tomb) KV56 - "Gold Tomb" probably for daughter of Seti II contained splendid jewellery bearing names of Ramesses II, Seti II and Tawosereti II i Tauseret KV49 - Unknown tomb from 18 dyn KV35 - Tomb of Amenhotep II (place of located many royal mummies, 18 dyn) KV11 - Tomb of Ramesses III (20 dyn), originally belonged to Sethnakhta KV10 - Tomb of Amenemose (19 dyn) KV16 - Tomb of Ramesses I (19 dyn) KV17 - Tomb of Seti I (19 dyn) - the longest tomb in the Valley KV37 - Unknown tomb from 18 dyn, probably used by robbers as storeroom KV42 - Probably tomb of Sennefer, director of Thebes under Tuthmosis II or Hatshepsut-Merytre, wife of Tuthmosis III (18 dyn) KV34 - Tomb of Tuthmosis III (18 dyn) KV54 - Tutankhamun cache (18 dyn) containing embalming material and elements of a funerary meal KV18 - Tomb of Ramesses X (20 dyn) KV43 - Tomb of Tuthmosis IV (18 dyn) KV36 - Tomb of Maiherperi, official of Tuthmosis IV (18 dyn) KV61 - Unknown tomb from 18 dyn KV29 - Unknown tomb from 18 dyn KV13 - Tomb of Bay, chancellor of Siptah (19 dyn) KV14 - Tomb of Tawoseret and, maybe, Seti II. Anected by Sethnakht (19-20 dyn) KV38 - Tomb of Tuthmosis I, re-burial by Tuthmosis III from KV20 KV15 - Tomb of Seti II (19 dyn) KV47 - Tomb of Siptah (19 dyn) KV32 - Unknown tomb from 18 dyn. Probably tomb of Queen Tia, consort of Amenhotepa II KV30 - Unknown tomb from 18 dyn KV31 - Unknown tomb from 18 dyn KV40 - Unknown tomb from 18 dyn KV26 - Unknown tomb from 18 dyn KV59 - Unknown tomb from 18 dyn 180 m on the south to the tomb of Amenhotep I - KV39

KV1  - Ramesses VII (XX Dynasty)
KV2  - Ramesses IV  (XX Dynasty)
KV3  - Ramesses III (unfinished tomb intended for one of his sons, XX Dynasty)
KV4  - Ramesses XI (XX Dynasty)
KV5  - tomb of Ramesses II son's (XIX Dynasty)
KV6  - Ramesses IX (XX Dynasty)
KV7  - Ramesses II (XIX Dynasty)
KV8  - Merenptah (XIX Dynasty)
KV9  - Ramesses V & VI (Greek travelers called "tomb of Memnon")
KV10 - Amenemose
KV11 - Ramesses III (originally Setnakht) 
KV12 - unknown of royal family tomb (XVIII Dynasty)
KV13 - Bay (chancellor of Siptah, decline of XIX Dynasty)
KV14 - Tawosret and, maybe, Seti II (tomb taken over by Sethnakht)
KV15 - Seti II
KV16 - Ramesses I
KV17 - Seti I
KV18 - Ramesses X
KV19 - Montuherkhopshef (son of Ramesses IX)
KV20 - Tuthmosis I & Hatshepsut (the first tomb in Valley of the Kings)
KV21 - discovered in 1917 by G.B.Belzoni royal family from XVIII Dynasty. Two mummies of queens. One of them, mummy A, is probably queen Ankhesenamun, wife of Tutankhamun.
WV22 - Amenhotep III (Western Valley)
WV23 - Ai II (Western Valley)
WV24 - unknown tomb (XVIII Dynasty)
WV25 - unknown tomb, possibly tomb of Akhenaten (XVIII Dynasty)
KV26...KV33 - unknown tombs (XVIII Dynasty)
KV34 - Tuthmosis III (XVIII Dynasty)
KV35 - Amenhotep II (place of located many royal mummies, XVIII Dynasty)
KV36 - Maiherperi (XVIII Dynasty, official of Tuthmosis IV)
KV37 - unknown tomb from XVIII Dynasty, probably used by robbers as a storeroom
KV38 - Tuthmosis I (XVIII Dynasty, relocated from tomb KV20 by Tuthmosis III )
KV39 - possibly tomb of Amenhotep I (XVIII Dynasty)
KV40...KV41 - unknown tombs(XVIII Dynasty)
KV42 - possibly tomb of Sennefer, director of Thebes undrer Tuthmosis II or Hatshepsut-Meritre, wife of  Tuthmosis III (XVIII Dynasty)
KV43 - Totmes IV (XVIII Dynasty)
KV44 - unknown tomb from XVIII Dynasty, probably brother of Queen Tiji, Aanen, re-used during XXII Dynasty for Tentkare
KV45 - Userhet (XVIII Dynasty)
KV46 - Yuya and  Tjuyu (parents of queen Tiji, XVIII Dynasty)
KV47 - Siptah (XIX Dynasty)
KV48 - vizier Amenemopet (XVIII Dynasty)
KV49 - unknown tomb (XVIII Dynasty)
KV50...KV52 -  animal tombs (XVIII Dynasty)
KV53 - unknown tomb (XVIII Dynasty)
KV54 - Tutankhamun cache (XVIII Dynasty) containing embalming material and elements of a funerary meal
KV55 - amarna cache -  Tiji (?), Smenkhkare (?), Akhenaten (?)
KV56 - "Gold Tomb" probably for daughter of Seti II contained splendid jewellery bearing names of Ramesses II, Seti II and Tawoseret
KV57 - Horemheb (XVIII Dynasty)
KV58 - nunknown burial shaft (annex Tutankhamun's tomb) contained gold foil bearing the names of Tutankhamun and Ai
KV59 - unknown tomb (XVIII Dynasty)
KV60 - Sitre (called In), wet nurse of Queen Hatshepsut. In the tomb H.Carter and E.R.Ayrton found in 1903 mummy of Hatshepsut and mummy of her nurse.
KV61 - unknown tomb (XVIII Dynasty)
KV62 - Tutankhamun (originally tomb of Ai II, XVIII Dynasty)
KV63 - unknown tomb (XVIII Dynasty), probably cache for unused funeral stuff.

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