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  • Aqsunqur Mosque Cairo

    Mosque of Amir Aqsunqur

    The mosque in Cairo, Egypt, was constructed between 1346 and 1347 by Prince Aq Sangar, a builder of Sultaniyah buildings. He is credited with the Aq Sangar Bridge on the Great Bay and built a magnificent house and two bathrooms on the Nasiriyah pond. Sangar was among the Ushaqiyah during King Al-Nasser Muhammad bin Qalawun's early days.

  • Al-Hakim be Aamr Ellah Mosque

    Mosque of al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah

    A millennium ago, Fatimid Cairo's oldest and largest mosque was built. In 989, Fatimid caliph Al-Aziz Billah realized the mosque could not accommodate more worshippers and scholars. He planned a new mosque, which was completed by the 6th Fatimid caliph, Al-Hakim Amr Allah. The mosque was inaugurated in 1012 AD and named after the ruler. In 1013 AD, the ruler issued a decision to turn the mosque into a “mosque” where jurisprudence is taught, to help the Al-Azhar Mosque to accommodate students and worshippers.

  • Visit Queen Nefertari’s Tomb

    Tomb of Queen Nefertari

    Nefertari's tomb is one of the creations of historical monuments built by the kings of the ancient Egyptian dynasties and became international archaeological attractions that are visited by tourists coming from different countries of the world to enjoy these interesting stories from inside the temples. Luxor's historical tombs, including "Nefertari's Tomb" No. 66 in the Valley of the Queens, are awe-inspiring. Discovered in 1904 by an Italian expedition, the tomb, which spans over 520 meters, features intricate inscriptions and colors, showcasing the love and devotion of King Ramses II.

  • tomb of Tutankhamun | Tutankhamun tomb discovery | king tut tomb pictures

    The discovery of King Tut's tomb

    The 18th Dynasty tomb of Tutankhamun, discovered by Howard Carter in 1922, is the only complete and undisturbed royal burial in the Valley of the Kings worldwide. On November 4, 1922, the sarcophagus of the Golden King was opened, and on February 16, 1923, British archaeologist Howard Carter entered his coffin room, which had never been accessed in over 3000 years of history. The tomb of Tutankhamun contained over 5000 artifacts.

  • the Virgin Mary’s tree.

    The Tree of Virgin Mary in Matareya

    The Virgin Mary's tree is one of the paths of the Holy Family, as it is located in the place where the Holy Family rested and became weak and frail. It is located in the far north of Cairo, near the obelisk of Senusret, and it can be reached from a street branching from Matrawy Street, which is the street of the Tree of Mary residences, where the tree is surrounded by a large wall and a beautiful garden in the middle of it.

  • Life History of Ahmed Ibn Tulun

    Life History of Ahmed Ibn Tulun

    Abu al-Abbas Ahmad bin Tulun, the prince of Egypt and founder of the Tulunid state in Egypt and the Levant, was born on September 20, 835, and is commemorated today as the birthday of the Abbasid state over Egypt. Ahmad ibn Tulun was born on September 20, 835 AD, from a slave girl named Qasim or Hashim, and his origins go back to the Turkish tribe of Taghzgar, although he was born in the city of Baghdad in Iraq, the capital of the caliphate at that time, and he is from a family that lived in Bukhara, and his father was known as Tulun.

Valley of the Queens

Facts about Valley of the Queens

  • 05 16, 2023

Facts about Valley of the Queens

The Valley of the Queens is the burial area for the kings’ wives in the Egyptian Kingdom. Formerly Ta-Set-Nephiro, meaning ‘the place of the sons of the Pharaoh’, or ‘the place of beauty’, a number of 18th, 19th and 20th dynasty royal women (1550 - 1070 B. C) and several of their princes, princesses and even many from the rank of nobility were also interred in this valley. Their tombs was looked after by the priests in charge of the daily mortuary cult, burying the nobles and praying for their souls as to death.

This valley can also be found in close proximity to the renowned Valley of the Kings located on the West Bank of the River Nile in the Luxor governorate. It is not clear why this site was selected as a burial ground, but one explanation for the site’s location is the presence of the village of workers of Deir el-Medina and the valley of the kings, and besides this, one more reason is the presence of a sacred cave worship of Hathor situated at the entrance of the valley, and such caverns may be connected with the revival of the deceased or their reincarnation into another sphere.

Although during the 18th and 19th Dynasties the valley was a major burial site for queens, princes, and some nobles, it ceased to be a royal burial site after the conclusion of the 20th Dynasty. Many of the tombs were extensively reused, and many were modified to accommodate multiple burials. This sometimes required excavating burial pits inside already-existing tombs. Regarding the Valley of the Queens' use during the Ptolemaic era, hardly much is known. During the Roman period we see extensive use of the valley as a burial site again. During the Coptic period, sanctuaries were built in some of these tombs to house hermits and monks.

Tombs such as QV60 (Nabtawi) and QV73 (Hanout Tawi) show signs of a Coptic Christian presence. Wall scenes representing the deceased and Egyptian deities were covered with layers of plaster and Christian symbols were sometimes inscribed or painted in red ink, and the Christian presence in these tombs continued until the seventh century AD.

One of the first tombs constructed in the Valley of the Queens is the tomb of Princess Ahmose, the daughter of Saqnanri Tau and Queen Setjihoti. This tomb likely dates back to the reign of Thutmose I. The tombs of this period also house several members of the nobility, including the head of the stables and the vizier.

During the beginning of the Twentieth Dynasty the valley was still widely used. Tombs were prepared for the wives of Ramses III and, in a departure from previous dynastic conventions, several tombs were prepared for royal sons as well. The construction of tombs continued at least until the reign of Ramses VI. The Turin Papyrus mentions the construction of six tombs during the reign of Ramses VI. The tombs referred to in the papyrus are not known.

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Egypt Tours FAQ

Read top Egypt tours FAQs

The tombs in the Valley of the Queens were constructed to house the remains of the New Kingdom's queens, princesses, and princes.
 

The Valley of the Queens is an ancient burial site located near Luxor, Egypt. It served as the final resting place for the wives and children of pharaohs during the New Kingdom period.

The Valley of the Queens is a ravine located in Upper Egypt's highlands along the Nile River's western bank. The queens and some royal offspring of the 19th and 20th dynasties were buried there; it was a part of ancient Thebes (1292–1075 bc). 

 

Thutmose I (1540-1501 BC), the third pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty, wanted to choose his tomb in a secluded valley behind the rocks of Thebes to preserve his body and protect it from the hands of thieves, so he entrusted the engineer Anini to choose this place for him

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