The Valley of the Queens, which is part of ancient Thebes with its Necropolis in Egypt, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, along with the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, and Karnak. Where the queens lived On the west side of the Nile River, in the hills of Upper Egypt, there is a canyon called Luxor. This site is where the queens and some royal children of the 19th and 20th dynasties (1292–1075 BC) were buried.
Valley of the Queens, includes:
Valley of the Queens Facts
The queens’ necropolis is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Madinat Habu, where Ramses III was buried from 1187 BC to 56 BC. There have been more than 90 queens’ graves found. Most tombs have an entrance path, a few small halls, and a sarcophagus room. Sitre, who was married to Ramses I, may have been the first queen to be put to rest in a tomb. The most well-known ones are Ramses II’s favorite queen, Nefertari; the princes Khaemwese and Amonhirkhopsef; and a Ramesside queen named Tyti.
In the past, Nefertari’s tomb was called “Ta-Set-Neferu,” which means “the place of beauty.” We know of many graves, but only four of them are open to the public. People can see the tombs of Queen Tyti, the Ramesside princes Khaemwaset and Amunherkhepshef, and Nefertari, whose tomb is thought to be the best tomb in Egypt’s Valley of the Queens.
Nefertari Meritmut was the first of Ramesses the Great’s royal wives. She was one of Egypt’s best-known queens. She was called “a lovely buddy, Mut’s favorite.” She had a good education and was involved in politics. Among a lot of other names that could be used. When you walk into her beautiful tomb, which Ramesses called “the one for whom the sun shines,” you can tell right away how important she was.
The walls and passageways between the three chambers are covered with beautiful paintings, and the ceilings have golden stars. The sizable rock temple Ramesses erected for his first wife next to his own at Abu Simbel is evidence of his love for her. While Nefertari’s tomb is without a doubt the biggest and most beautiful in the valley. If you think the price to get into the Valley of the Queens is too high, you should also check out the tomb of “Amunherkhepshef,”
Valley of the Queens Tour
Its well-preserved reliefs make it worth a trip. The Valley of the Queens is near the Valley of the Kings, Memnon’s Colossi, and Hatshepsut’s Temple. It is on the other side of the Nile from Luxor. The cheapest way to get around if you know what you’re doing and don’t think you’ll need a tour guide is to find a cheap taxi. It will take you to all the sights and wait for you while you look around.
This will probably cost between LE 100 and LE 200, depending on where you want to go and how long you want to stay. The Valley of the Queens is a few miles south of the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, and the Valley of the Artisans on the West Bank side of Luxor. You can get there by booking a guided tour that includes entrance fees, hotel pick-up and drop-off, and an English-speaking guide.
Valley of the Queens Entrance Fee
You can get to the attraction in a car, a taxi, or on a bike. For an extra fee, you can also take a private tour of the site, which gives you access to Nefertari’s tomb. There are bathrooms and a free parking lot with a small store right there. The site is open every day from 6 a.m. to 5 or 7 p.m., depending on the season. Adult tickets cost 50 Egyptian pounds ($6), and student tickets cost 25 Egyptian pounds ($3). The tombs of Amunherkhepshef (QV52) or “Amun-her-Khepshef,” the tomb of Khaemwaset (QV44), and the tomb of Tyti (QV52) are all accessible with the same ticket.
Nefertari and Nefertiti
Is Nefertiti the same person as Nefertari? Nefertari and Nefertiti, the two queens, are not the same person. Nefertari (also called Nefertari Meritmut) was a beautiful woman and Ramesses II’s beloved wife. He made her a huge temple, and she was just as important and had the same duties as the wife of a head of state today. She could read and write hieroglyphs, and she talked to the wives of foreign kings and queens, giving them gifts and often helping with diplomatic matters.
About 100 years passed between Ramesses II and Nefertiti (Neferneferuaten Nefertiti). She had a lot of power because of her husband, Akhenaten, and most people think she was one of the two pharaohs who ruled for a short time after Akhenaten died and before Tutankhamun took the throne.
