Pathways Egypt

The Valley of the Kings in Egypt is an ancient burial site of old Egyptian leaders (Pharaohs). Located near Luxor, is a site of ancient wonders that just keeps giving. While the valley has been a tourist destination for nigh on 60 years, it has yet to reveal all of its secrets. New tombs, entrances and chambers are regularly discovered, with the most recent revelation occurring in 2008 with the discovery of two new tomb entrances.

Although many assume that Pharaohs created pyramids as their tombs, a more usual Egyptian custom was to cut tombs into rock. The tombs within The Valley of the Kings are created as such, though they still create an image of majesty just like the Pyramid Complex at Giza.

The Valley is also newer than the major pyramids in Egypt, having come into use around 1539 BC. While primarily a resting site for the Pharaohs, the Valley was also used to bury nobles and their families, so the name is something of a misnomer. There are, however, several notable Pharaohs who were entombed in the Valley.

The most notable of these is probably Ramesses I and his successor, Ramesses II. These two Pharaohs presided over a turbulent but nevertheless successful period in Egyptian history, and were also heavily involved in the creation of many recognizable sites of ancient Egypt. Furthermore, Ramesses II is attributed to being the Pharaoh ruling Egypt during the Bible-based Exodus.

There are 63 known tombs in the Valley and these were in use for nearly 500 years. The modern day landscape is much the same as it was during its usage. Its main role now is as a visitor attraction, something it performing well, as around 9,000 people can visit the Valley of the Kings in one day during peak season.

The Valley is, however, being preserved all the more. While in yesteryears, visitors would have been able to visit inside many of the tombs, in the present era of tourism only three or four tombs are open at one time. Regardless, visitors continue to flock to the area, with visitor numbers expected to reach 15,000 per day by 2015.

How would you like to trek the sands that the great Pharaohs of Egypt has set their footsteps on? How would you like to see the great archaeological wonder of the Pyramids of the great ancient civilizations?

Egypt is bounded by the Mediterranean and Red Seas and both by the Nile River and its fruitful well-watered valley, and by the Eastern and Western deserts.

Egypt is probably best known as the home of the traditional Egyptian civilization, with its churches, hieroglyphs, mummies, and - obvious above all - its pyramids. Less well known is Egypt’s medieval heritage, thanks to Coptic Christianity and Islam - traditional churches, priories and mosques punctuate the Egyptian landscape. Egypt excites the imagination of western travellers like few other nations and is one of the most well liked holiday maker destinations world-wide.