Tomb of Amenhotep III soon reopened to visitors?

Have you already enjoyed a walk to the Tomb of Ay (KV 23), middle of Valley of the Kings?
This is a nice way to feel the heart of the nature, when the wind whistles in your hears and echoes from the cliffs leave you a good omen for the rest of your discoveries.

This is the sacred place chosen by Pharaoh Amenothep III (also called Amenophis III, XVIII dynasty) and Pharaoh Ay (end XVIII dynasty), for them eternal life.
Located in the Valley of the West, or Valley of the Monkeys (named from Ay’s Tomb, decorated with twelve monkeys), the tomb of Amenothep III is along the way. Great Pharaoh of his time, Amenothep III reigned 38 years and let Egypt in peace and prosperity. By a «simple» cavity rock, never we imagine one of the biggest Tomb of Ancient Thebes is just 24 meters deeper!

Discovered in early excavation of the Valley of the Kings looted and emptied of its treasures (KV 22). Later, Howard Carter and Lord Carvarnon made a complete description of the tomb, in 1915.
After the entrance, many rooms lead to burial chamber : Corridor, pillared hall, chambers (it’s unique, two seems to be dedicated for Pharaoh’s wives), ante chambers. Burial chamber is decorated with fine quality, representing Pharaoh and deities (frescoes) and only the top of the big sarcophagus is still inside.

The tomb is closed for restoration, but workers are daily on the site now!

Through these pictures about magic nature and Pharaonic marvels, you can discover the place chosen by Amenothep III, Great Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, away from other tombs in the Valley of the Kings, as to mark his difference. He was Akhenaten’s father, his successor, entering in Armarnen era, stopped by Pharaoh Ay, who is the only other tomb in this Valley!

Development workers, at the foot of the cliff.                                                                       A tent  for meeting point or sharing a cup of tea, most of work is deep underground.

At the entrance of the tomb, the large pipes used to regenerate the air for workers underground.

External regenerator air connected to pipes inside the tomb. You can see the (small) entrance in the background.

Overview of the (small) entrance to the tomb at the immensity of the cliff.

Be sure to spend a beautiful trip through this balad, feeling nature, sunshine and nice discoveries we’ll be happy to share you!

If you like to spend couple of day in Luxor and the marvels, why not rent a flat to enjoy your visit?

Along the way, complete your discoveries by visiting Ay’s Tomb,presumed successor of Tutankhamun.
(ticket office in the Valley of the Kings 25LE around 2.5GBP; 4USD)

Find more excursions 

Tour to the Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings is a gigantic site on a mountain with Pharaoh’s tumbs (the most famous being that of Tutankhamum) carved inside the rocks, some are like chapels and contains many rooms, from 5 to 120! long corridors, magnificient paintings everywhere, unestimable treasure of history, sarcophagus and sometimes mummies, other artifacts are exposed in the museum. You can visit 3 tumbs with a ticket and can purchase more visit.

We propose you to take you on a journey in West Bank with highlights such as the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s Temple, Carter’s house and the Ramses III Mortuary Temple.

(Travelling in air conditioned car) tickets excluded

How you spend your day:

We come to pick you up in the morning at your place of residence, and let yourselves be driven to the sites of your choosing, with a lunch pause in the restaurant of your choice or of our own suggestion. We carry on the visits and take your back to your place at the end of the day. You can customise according to your wishes, here is our proposition for a great day visiting Luxor:

The Valley of the Kings

This is the place were the Thebans Pharaoh’s (Luxor Ancient name) are buried. Situated on the West Bank of the Nile, where the Sun sets, it once was the place of the deads, where no living person was allowed on this side, except the tombs architects and workers (whose village is Deir el Medineh) who were forbidden to cross the Nile to the East. There are more than XX tombs and still some discoveries to be made. A ticket allows you to explore 3 tombs but you can visit more by purchasing special tickets.
The most famous tombs is Tutankhamun’s (KV x) and there are some exceptionnal ones with up to 120 chambers (KV x) or well preserved ones (KV x) with extraordinary paintings. A really emotionnal moment in an extraordinary site that can be visited many many times.

Hatshepsut Temple

Hatshepsut was the most important of the rare female Pharaoh and therefore created disapproval in this patriarcal society. Many attempts after her death to eradicate her trace on hieroglyphs but this temple is here to stay and still in good condition. Located in Deir el Bahari, a complex of Mortuary Temples, it is dedicated to the Sun God Amon-Ra . Its most striking feature is a long colonnated terrace filled with many tall sculptures representing the Pharaoh and Deities. The temple’s architecture contains pylons, courts, a hypostyle hall, a sun court, a chapel and a sanctuary. The surviving reliefs on the wall document the birth of the first divine female Pharaoh and an expedition to a mysterious country near the Red Sea (the Land of Punt) from where they brought back copper, asphalt, naptha, carved amulets, myrrh and incense.
Hatshepsut’s temple is considered an incomparable monument of Ancient Egypt.

Ramses III Mortuary Temple

Located in Medinet Habu, Ramses III mortuary temple is gigantic and stunningly well preserved, thanks to a 4 decades long excavation work. The Temple is 150m (500 ft) long and 300m (1000ft wide) and contains an astonishing 7km² (75,350 sq ft) of very well preserved decorated wall reliefs.The first pylon (pictured) leads into an open courtyard, lined with colossal statues of Ramesses III as Osiris on one side, and uncarved columns on the other. The second pylon leads into a peristyle hall, again featuring columns in the shape of Ramesses. This leads up a ramp that leads (through a columned portico) to the third pylon and then into the large hypostyle hall. Reliefs and actual heads of foreign captives were also found placed within the temple to symbolise Pharaoh’s control over Syria and Nubia.

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