Wadi al-Muluk in Luxor and its royal rock-cut tombs

Wadi al-Muluk in Luxor, known in English as the Valley of the Kings, is a desert valley of royal tombs in the Theban hills whose rock-cut chambers still speak of Egypt’s New Kingdom rulers.

Wadi al-Muluk in Luxor, known in English as the Valley of the Kings, is a dry desert valley on the west bank of the Nile where Egypt’s New Kingdom rulers cut their tombs into the rock. Set within the wider Theban Necropolis, it forms part of the ancient Thebes landscape that was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

The desert valley behind Luxor’s west bank

Wadi al-Muluk lies in the Theban hills on the western side of the Nile, opposite the modern city of Luxor in southern Egypt. The valley occupies a desolate wadi in the hills behind the villages of the West Bank and the cliffs of Dayr al-Bahri, forming one of the best-known sectors of the Theban burial ground.Theban hills west of Luxor The surrounding cliffs rise towards the distinctive pyramid-shaped peak of el-Qurn, a landmark that overlooks the tomb entrances scattered along the floor and sides of the valley.el-Qurn above the valley

The Arabic name Wadi al-Muluk is one of several forms used historically for this place, alongside Wadi el-Muluk and Biban el-Moluk, phrases that evoke a “valley of the kings” or “gates of the kings”. The valley comprises an eastern branch, which contains the majority of the royal tombs, and a more remote western branch sometimes described as the Valley of the Monkeys, both cut into the same Theban limestone massif.eastern and western branches

Royal burials of the New Kingdom

The main history of Wadi al-Muluk belongs to the New Kingdom, the period from around the mid-sixteenth to the early eleventh century BC when Egypt’s capital and royal focus lay at Thebes. Across those centuries, from the Eighteenth Dynasty to the Twentieth, most of the pharaohs and powerful nobles of this era were buried in tombs cut into the valley’s slopes and side wadis.New Kingdom burial ground Names associated with the valley include rulers such as Thutmose I, Amenhotep III, Horemheb and Ramesses II, whose burial places or intended tombs are linked to numbered shafts and corridors extending away from the valley floor.

The period usually defined for this sequence of royal burials runs from about 1550 BC to 1069 BC, a span of nearly five centuries.c.1550–1069 BC chronology Within that timeframe lie some of Ancient Egypt’s most discussed burials, including the relatively modest tomb of Tutankhamun and large, multichambered complexes created for later Ramesside kings. The valley’s function as a royal cemetery distinguishes it within the Theban Necropolis, which also contains burial grounds for queens, princes and officials as well as mortuary temples aligned along the desert edge.place within ancient Thebes

Rock-cut tombs, corridors and painted chambers

Unlike the freestanding pyramids of the Old Kingdom, the built form that defines Wadi al-Muluk is the rock-cut tomb rather than a monument rising above the surface. The entrances punctuate the slopes and valley floor, leading into corridors and chambers carved into the limestone. Some tombs consist of relatively short passages and a single chamber, while others extend through a series of descending corridors, staircases and vast halls lined with columns.corridors and chambers In the largest complexes the sequence of rooms can run to many spaces, with side chambers branching off the main axis.

The walls and ceilings of many tombs carry painted and carved decoration featuring hieroglyphic texts, figures of deities, coils of serpents and scenes that relate to Ancient Egyptian funerary beliefs. These programmes belong to a tradition of royal tomb decoration that evolved across the New Kingdom, adapting the arrangement of passages, burial chambers and symbolic motifs to changing ideas of kingship and the afterlife.tomb decoration tradition The numbering of tombs in Wadi al-Muluk, often prefixed by “KV” for “Kings’ Valley”, reflects the sequence of recorded entrances and excavations rather than the order of construction.

Visiting Wadi al-Muluk: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Wadi al-Muluk lies on the west bank of the Nile opposite Luxor in southern Egypt and is reached by crossing the river and continuing by road into the Theban Necropolis.
• The valley is cut into desert hills and approached along surfaced paths and slopes, with walking on uneven ground and climbs on constructed stairways between tomb entrances.
• Wadi al-Muluk forms part of the ancient Thebes World Heritage landscape in Egypt, where Modern Standard Arabic is the official language and the currency is the Egyptian pound.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Wadi al-Muluk

Where is Wadi al-Muluk in relation to Luxor and the Nile?

Wadi al-Muluk lies in the desert hills on the west bank of the Nile opposite Luxor, forming part of the Theban Necropolis above the river’s western villages.

What should visitors expect when exploring the valley and its tombs?

Visitors encounter entrances cut into desert slopes leading to rock-carved corridors and chambers, with walking on uneven ground and stairways between various tombs.

What makes Wadi al-Muluk distinctive among ancient Egyptian sites?

Wadi al-Muluk is distinctive as the principal New Kingdom royal burial ground, combining a dry desert valley, the peak of el-Qurn and numerous rock-cut tombs with decorated interiors.