Valley of the Kings

Egypt / Qina / Armant / Tal der Könige
 valley, place with historical importance, archaeological site, interesting place, UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Valley of the Kings (Arabic: وادي الملوك Wadi Biban el-Muluk; "Gates of the King")[1] is a valley in Egypt where for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the kings and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom (the Eighteenth through Twentieth Dynasties of Ancient Egypt).[2][3] The valley stands on the west bank of the Nile, across from Thebes (modern Luxor), within the heart of the Theban Necropolis.[4] The wadi consists of two valleys, East Valley (where the majority of the royal tombs situated) and West Valley.

The area has been a focus of concentrated archaeological and egyptological exploration since the end of the eighteenth century, and its tombs and burials continue to stimulate research and interest. In modern times the valley has become famous for the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun (with its rumours of the Curse of the Pharaohs[5]), and is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. In 1979, it became a World Heritage Site, along with the rest of the Theban Necropolis.[6]
All the 64 tombs are updated using information from Teban Mapping Project (www.thebanmappingproject.com/)
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_Of_The_Kings
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   25°44'25"N   32°36'6"E

Comments

  • Dang! The satellite imagery shifted. After all that time I spent positioning them the first time around, now I need to do it again. Oh well.
  • Even if you don’t know much about the Valley of the Kings, a burial ground of ancient Egyptian pharaohs and one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, chances are you know about one of its occupants: King Tut and the Curse of the Pharaohs that accompany his grave. In 1922, Egyptologist Howard Carter discovered and opened the tomb of Tutankhamen - despite warnings that "Death shall come on swift wings to him who disturbs the peace of the King." Lord Carnarvon, the funder of the expedition, was the first to die: he was bitten by a mosquito and later accidentally lashed the bite while shaving. His wound became infected and he died of blood poisoning. Whether the "mysterious" deaths associated with the Curse of the Pharaoh actually had anything to do with opening of the tombs or just great copy to sell newspaper, scientists did recently discover that the tombs indeed contained potentially dangerous molds, bacteria, toxins, and even hazardous gases.
  • After reading the above comment, I dn't feel it safe to open the tombs(due to scintific reasons); though I would like to visit it later.