Valley of the Kings was hands down one of the favorite stops on our trip. Unfortunately, cameras aren't allowed in the tombs (although camera phones are, so be prepared if you visit). The valley is located on the west side of the Nile--because the sun rose in the east and set (died) in the west, tombs and monuments are generally built on the west bank, while the city and houses are on the east bank. The valley is located completely in the desert between high cliff walls. Nothing is growing and everything is the same sand color. I thought of Moses and the Israelites who wandered for 40 years in a desert very similar, and how many many people were born, lived their lives, and died following him in such a barren place. At the same time, it's quite beautiful.
In the beginning the pharoahs built large monuments to their deaths, like the pyramids. 
Obviously, though, it was easy for thieves to figure out where the kings were buried, along with all their treasures. Later kings decided to move their burial location to a remote area near Luxor. By being buried in a nondescript tomb out of town, they hoped that their afterlife would remain undisturbed. Of course, I'm assuming it was a LOT of work to get all that treasure transported into those tombs, leading everyone to know still where the kings and their riches lay. The end result is that most of the tombs were eventually found empty, except for the body in some cases. Approximately 62 tombs have been excavated.
King Tut's tomb (the most recently discovered in 1922)
is one of the big draws here. There is an additional fee to see the tomb, which is not one of the more decorated or well-preserved ones. We decided it was worth the fee, though, to see the actual mummy in the coffin in the tomb. Unfortunately, the coffin was closed--our guide said that periodically they do that to give the place a rest. We also overheard some other people saying they thought the mummy was on the American tour. Either way, we decided to skip it.
We saw 3 tombs--Ramses I, III, and VI. The boys opted to skip the last Ramses for the tomb of Thutmosis III, which was up higher on the hill and required a longer steeper descent under ground. Unlike crawling through the pyramids, the
hallways here were much bigger. The paintings are unbelievable. Up til now we had seen mostly carvings, with bits of paint remaining. Here everything was decorated floor to ceiling, including the ceiling! Most of the hallways were covered in plexiglass to protect them, but the actual rooms where the sarcophagi were found were not--I wondered how the designs were holding up over time, given 
the massive number of people who visit every day! There was a definite sense of reverence--no one needed to be told to speak quietly or walk slowly. What I found most amazing is the amount of detail and work that went into designing and decorating the tombs--after all, they are places that were never meant to be seen by the living. Everything that was put in or painted on the tombs was for the pharoah in his afterlife. The colors are so bright--as bright as they were when they were first painted? Who knows, but the detail and the level of preservation was unbelievable. One of the tombs also had the stone sarcophagus still in the chamber, which added an extra air of solemnity.
One of the tombs (I can't remember which one, sadly) was amazing in it's size. As we walked
down the corridor there were passages and room filled with rubble extending on both sides at different times. At the end, there was a hole in the wall. Looking through we could see chamber after chamber, pillars, dusty carvings and paintings, etc. going back farther than we could see. The pharoahs began planning for their afterlife as soon as they ascended the throne--but even the most long-lived pharoahs ruled for less than 60 years. It's hard to imagine the work force and effort that was focused on the preparations for death.
Incidentally, although I don't know if it's true for these tombs, it's a myth
that the pyramids were built by slaves. The business of monuments and temples was such that there was a labor force, skilled and unskilled, devoted to just that. Archaeologists are excavating sites around the pyramids that show an entire city, established in a way that would preclude them being slaves. It makes sense to think that these kinds of projects (since every pharoah would engage in them) would provide ongoing employment for generations of workers.
Obviously, though, it was easy for thieves to figure out where the kings were buried, along with all their treasures. Later kings decided to move their burial location to a remote area near Luxor. By being buried in a nondescript tomb out of town, they hoped that their afterlife would remain undisturbed. Of course, I'm assuming it was a LOT of work to get all that treasure transported into those tombs, leading everyone to know still where the kings and their riches lay. The end result is that most of the tombs were eventually found empty, except for the body in some cases. Approximately 62 tombs have been excavated.
King Tut's tomb (the most recently discovered in 1922)
is one of the big draws here. There is an additional fee to see the tomb, which is not one of the more decorated or well-preserved ones. We decided it was worth the fee, though, to see the actual mummy in the coffin in the tomb. Unfortunately, the coffin was closed--our guide said that periodically they do that to give the place a rest. We also overheard some other people saying they thought the mummy was on the American tour. Either way, we decided to skip it.
We saw 3 tombs--Ramses I, III, and VI. The boys opted to skip the last Ramses for the tomb of Thutmosis III, which was up higher on the hill and required a longer steeper descent under ground. Unlike crawling through the pyramids, the
hallways here were much bigger. The paintings are unbelievable. Up til now we had seen mostly carvings, with bits of paint remaining. Here everything was decorated floor to ceiling, including the ceiling! Most of the hallways were covered in plexiglass to protect them, but the actual rooms where the sarcophagi were found were not--I wondered how the designs were holding up over time, given 
the massive number of people who visit every day! There was a definite sense of reverence--no one needed to be told to speak quietly or walk slowly. What I found most amazing is the amount of detail and work that went into designing and decorating the tombs--after all, they are places that were never meant to be seen by the living. Everything that was put in or painted on the tombs was for the pharoah in his afterlife. The colors are so bright--as bright as they were when they were first painted? Who knows, but the detail and the level of preservation was unbelievable. One of the tombs also had the stone sarcophagus still in the chamber, which added an extra air of solemnity.One of the tombs (I can't remember which one, sadly) was amazing in it's size. As we walked
down the corridor there were passages and room filled with rubble extending on both sides at different times. At the end, there was a hole in the wall. Looking through we could see chamber after chamber, pillars, dusty carvings and paintings, etc. going back farther than we could see. The pharoahs began planning for their afterlife as soon as they ascended the throne--but even the most long-lived pharoahs ruled for less than 60 years. It's hard to imagine the work force and effort that was focused on the preparations for death.Incidentally, although I don't know if it's true for these tombs, it's a myth
that the pyramids were built by slaves. The business of monuments and temples was such that there was a labor force, skilled and unskilled, devoted to just that. Archaeologists are excavating sites around the pyramids that show an entire city, established in a way that would preclude them being slaves. It makes sense to think that these kinds of projects (since every pharoah would engage in them) would provide ongoing employment for generations of workers. 
Cameron and I loved the map at the entrance. At first, we didn't understand why it was made of white semi-translucent plastic, which made it look like an ice field or a glacial map. Then, we could see something underneath. When we bent down we could see that each tomb had been mapped and was suspended underneath to show how far down or how big each tomb was. It was a terrific way to show above and below ground.
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