ABSTRACT
T HE valley in which the tombs of the Pharaohs of Dynasties XVII!., XIX., and XX. are situated, known to the natives as
Biban d llIoUik, lies amidst the limestone hills behind the temple of Der el Bahri and the Theban plain. There are several ways of approaching it. The main road leads north-west from the temple of Sety at Gurneh, and, turning west, soon passes in between the hills, where it is clearly marked, and cannot be mistaken. A ride of less than half-an-hour through rugged desert scenery brings one to the wooden barrier which marks the entrance of the royal necropolis. There is a bridle-path over the hilI, leading from Cook's rest-house at Der el Bahri; a steep path, somewhat dangerous for inexperienced climbers, leads from immediately above the north galleries of the temple of Der el Bahri ; there is a third path between the two above mentioned; and from the south of Dh el Medineh a long but easy track leads over the hills. The visitor, however, will find it best to ride up the long valley road and to return over the hill by the path which leads to Cook's rest-house. As the tombs are lit by electricity from 9 A.M. to I P.M. (after about March 15 from 8 A.M. to 12 P.M.), and are closed in the afternoons, the visitor will find it best to bring the excursion to an end at Cook's rest-house at lunch-time. In or near the valley there are the tombs of all the Pharaohs of the three above-mentioned dynasties, from Amenhotep 1st to Rameses XIIth, with rare exceptions. The tomb ofTutantkhamen has not yet been found (1908). The tombs of Rameses VIIIth and Rameses IXth have not been found, and probably are not situated in this valley at all, these Pharaohs having reigned in the north for but a year each. Akhnaton was buried at EI Amarna, and his successor Smenkhkara's tomb has not yet been discovered. The position of the tombs will be seen upon the accompanying map. The list is as follows ;-
Those who only have a short time .to spend in the valley are advised to visit as many of the seven best tombs as they can in the following order :- 35. Amenhctep IInd, as an example of a mid-XVlIIth dynasty temb. The
The history of the valley.
