Wikimedia CommonsCulture
Ancient Egyptian
Location
Luxor Governorate, Egypt
Key Figures
Ra, Osiris, Apophis, Ma'at, Tutankhamun
Images via Wikimedia Commons
The Myth
The story as told by the culture
In Egyptian cosmology, the Duat was the underworld through which the sun god Ra traveled each night in his solar barque, battling the chaos serpent Apophis before being reborn at dawn. The dead pharaoh joined Ra on this nightly journey, and the tombs of the Valley of the Kings were designed as physical models of the Duat itself.
The tomb walls are covered with texts and images from the Book of the Dead, the Amduat ('That Which is in the Underworld'), the Book of Gates, and the Book of Caverns — guidebooks to the afterlife describing the twelve hours of the night, the dangers the soul would face, and the spells needed to overcome them. The judgment scene before Osiris, where the heart of the deceased is weighed against the feather of Ma'at, is the most iconic image in Egyptian mythology.
The valley's location on the west bank of the Nile was deliberate: the west was the land of the dead, where the sun set each evening to begin its journey through the underworld.
Want more like this?
Get one sacred site deep-dive every week — myth, history, and travel tips.
By subscribing, you agree to receive occasional emails from Mythic Grounds. Unsubscribe anytime.
Myth types
The Place
The physical location today
The Valley of the Kings is a narrow wadi (dry riverbed) cut into the limestone cliffs of the Theban Hills on the west bank of the Nile, directly opposite the temples of Luxor and Karnak. The valley is dominated by a natural pyramid-shaped peak called al-Qurn ('the Horn'), which may have influenced the pharaohs' choice of this location.
The valley contains 65 known tombs, ranging from small undecorated pits to the vast tomb of Seti I with its astronomical ceiling and vivid wall paintings. The tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62), discovered by Howard Carter in 1922, is the most famous. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 110°F.
Visit information
Access
Ticketed — Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; separate tickets for specific tombs
Nearest city
Luxor, Egypt
Notes
A standard ticket covers three tombs (rotated to reduce damage). Tutankhamun, Seti I, and Ramesses VI require separate premium tickets. No photography allowed inside most tombs. Go early — the heat is brutal by midday.
The History
What archaeology and scholarship tell us
The Valley of the Kings was used for royal burials from approximately 1539 to 1075 BCE (the 18th through 20th Dynasties). The shift from pyramid burials to hidden rock-cut tombs was driven partly by security concerns — the pyramids had been systematically robbed — and partly by theological developments emphasizing the pharaoh's journey through the underworld.
Despite the secrecy, nearly every tomb was robbed in antiquity. The sole exception was Tutankhamun's small tomb, overlooked because construction debris from Ramesses VI's tomb above had buried its entrance. Carter's discovery in 1922 — and the spectacular golden treasures within — sparked worldwide Egyptomania and remains the most famous archaeological find in history.
Mythological Connections
Sources
Hornung, Erik. The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife (1999). Cornell University Press. View source → Comprehensive study of the Amduat, Book of Gates, and other underworld texts found in the Valley of the Kings
Tier 1Nearby Sites
Related Entries
Great Pyramid of Giza
The tomb of Pharaoh Khufu and the last surviving Wonder of the Ancient World — a machine for resurrection built at the edge of the desert
Giza Governorate, Egypt
Roskilde — Viking Ship Burials
The Danish fjord where Viking warriors were buried in their ships — and where five warships were scuttled to block an enemy fleet
Zealand, Denmark
Gyeongju — City of the Ancient Kings
The capital of the Silla Kingdom for nearly a millennium — where kings emerged from eggs, golden crowns mirrored the World Tree, and royal tombs dot the landscape like sleeping giants
North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea
New Kingdom — 1539-1075 BCE
Mythic Grounds acknowledges that many sites documented here are sacred to Indigenous peoples and living cultural communities. We strive to present information respectfully, drawing only from published and authorized sources. If you are a member of a community represented on this site and believe any content is inaccurate or culturally inappropriate, please contact us.