The temperature had been expected to get up to 104 degrees F. That was wrong. It actually got up to 109 degrees F…and it reached the high point while we were walking around this white limestone valley in the hilly desert. We carried an umbrella for the sun.
In the Old and Middle Kingdom of Egypt, they buried the Pharaohs in pyramids. The pyramid was intended to be a marker that help the soul find the body in order to return for the second life. However, since they buried treasures with the Pharaoh to help him in his second life, the pyramids also helped grave robbers find and loot the tomb.
So later the practice shifted to burial in tombs. The entrance to the tomb was often buried with shifting desert sand, so some of the tombs have been hidden for millennia.
The Valley of the Kings has 63 tombs: 26 of Pharaohs and the rest of important nobility and priests. The second most recent find was King Tut’s tomb in 1922. This one was hidden because there was another tomb built above it slightly higher us the hill side. Tut’s tomb was not so big or impressive, but it is well known because of all the gold found there.
The 63rd tomb was found within the last year or so and is still being excavated.
We were not permitted to take photos inside the tomb. This is because they do not want flash to affect the painting. There is vibrant original paint that is up to 4,000 years old. The paint has lasted so long because it was made by grinding a precious stone, such as malachite for the blue color, and mixing it with egg white. The powder infuses into the limestone and bakes in from the heat.
Photos:
1) Exterior shot of the Valley of the Kings
2) Exterior to King Tut’s tomb
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