Elaborately decorated tombs were not exclusive to the pharaohs in ancient Thebes. Queens, nobles, and even the artisans who crafted them had wonderfully decorated tombs kept in separate valleys. Come with us as we show you these smaller, more intimate tombs in Deir el-Medina, Tombs of the Nobles and Valley of the Queens.
Deir el-Medina Village
Set above the remains of a village is a group of tombs worth visiting. These ones, though, are a little different. Often called the Valley of the Artisans, Deir el-Medina’s burials belonged to the highly skilled artists, stone masons and workmen responsible for digging and decorating the tombs of the pharaohs and queens in Egypt’s New Kingdom.
Since the artisans knew the locations of many tombs, Pharaohs were worried they would give this information to potential grave robbers. Therefore, they established this remote housing complex to keep the workers secluded from the general population. Under Ramses III reign, the workers protested food shortages. The protest included refusing to work until more food was provided. Some call it the first workers’ strike.
The village we see today is a re-creation, but the layout of tightly packed homes is said to replicate the original footprint.
Deir el-Medina Tombs
What makes this village interesting is the workers’ tombs found in the cliffs above their mud village. Artisans used their free time to build and decorate tombs for themselves, their family and friends. Tombs belonging to the average citizen were not usually decorated, but thankfully these workers put their talents to use for more than just the pharaohs’ crypts.
A major difference between these tombs and those of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings is that workers painted their crypts, but did not include carved reliefs. That doesn’t take away from them, though, because the wonderful pictorials still display their vibrant colours. In fact, some look as if they were painted last week. Restoration involved repairing damaged plaster, but the images were not repainted; therefore, we can enjoy seeing the original 3000 year old art.
The common belief at the time was that the deceased had to overcome various obstacles on their way to the afterlife. The Underworld Books included text and pictoral instructions for a successful completion of these tasks. During the New Kingdom, The Book of the Dead was one of the most important books. Since most workers couldn’t afford a papyrus version of the Book of the Dead, they painted images from it on their tomb walls.
We’ve included the musuem’s TT numbering of the tombs.
Tomb of Inherkhau (TT359)
Inherkhau was a workman under Ramses III and IV. His tomb is a good introduction to what you’ll see in these more modest tombs. From the entrance, a few steep stairs take you to the low-roofed burial chamber. Even though it is quite damaged, we found a few places with excellent examples of the artwork.
Parts of the wall in good condition show scenes from the Book of the Dead and other mythical stories. The picture below shows the god Thoth presenting Inherkhau to Osiris, god of the underworld. This is one of the final stages before reaching heaven, The Field of Reeds.
Tombs of Amennakht, Nebenmaat and Khaemteri (TT218/219/220)
These interconnected tombs belonged to a family of artisans from the Ramses II era. At the entrance is a re-creation of a small memorial chapel in the shape of a pyramid. In addition to these chapels, some tombs also had exterior courtyards where the family could gather for ceremonies and banquets. The tombs were used for the entire family, so this area was used more than once.
After entering through a central antechamber, there are three separate burial chambers. We were surprised that the quality of the artwork varied considerably between these spaces.
Each included many pictograms from the Book of the Dead, including the important ritual, the Opening of the Mouth. The belief was that the spirit needed to use their body to speak, breathe, eat and drink to perform the tasks required to reach the afterlife. Opening of the Mouth allowed this to happen.
A painting in Amennakht’s tomb is related to this. It shows him drinking water from a sacred pond, which is necessary to sustain the ka (soul). We saw a similar picture in the Tomb of Pashedu below.
Tomb of Pashedu (TT3)
Pashedu was a skilled artist during the reigns of Seti I and Ramses II. When we visited, there was no electricity, so the caretaker shone a flashlight on the brightly painted walls. This added an aura of mystery to the images.
Steep, narrow stairs take you down to the two different levels of this tomb. The burial chamber at the bottom was the most interesting, with brightly coloued images. One that caught our eye was a red mountain with the Eye of Horus (Wedjat Eye). Another was of Pashedu kneeling and drinking sacred water under a palm tree, similar to what we showed you above.
An extra ticket is required for this tomb. Although it is in not significantly better than the others we saw, it is still worth the extra fee.
Village Temple
After visiting the tombs, don’t forget to see the Village Temple, located on the far side of the complex. Although built hundreds of years after Deir el-Medina was abandoned, it is worth a visit.
Constructed during the Ptolemy Period, 3rd to 2nd century BCE, notice the difference between the columns in this temple and the older ones in Luxor or Karnak Temples. The Ptolemy Dynasties used mixed vegetation on their columns, including palms, lotus and papyrus. These multi-plant columns became prevalent during the Greco-Roman period of Egypt. It was interesting to see how the architecture evolved.
After passing these columns, the older Egyptian influence is seen. Hellenistic pharaohs in Egypt continued to follow Egyptian traditions, so the three rooms in the temple each have wonderful illustrations of their deities. The main, central room sustained the most damage, but the side rooms are in much better condition. Their walls are covered in large reliefs of Egyptian deities sitting on chairs and scenes from the Book of the Dead.
In the 7th century AD, the temple was converted to a Coptic monastery, so you can see a few crosses on the exterior walls. Also in the yard, are ruins of a much earlier Egyptian temple.
It is a beautiful, understated sanctuary, and is included in the entrance to Deir el-Madina but not many bother to walk to it. They don’t know what they’re missing.
Entry fee – 200 EGP ($4 USD) include three tombs. An extra fee for Tomb of Pashedu 120 EGP ($2.35 USD); Opening Hours – 6 am to 5 pm; Time Needed – Expect to spend one hour, unless you also see the temple and Tomb of Pashedu, then 1 ½ to 2 hours.
Tombs of Nobles
This necropolis held tombs for high-ranking men who were viziers, advisors and priests to the pharaohs. For that reason, it is called the Tombs of Nobles or Valley of the Nobles. They weren’t built for one person, though; the noble’s family members were also interred in the same tomb.
After being impressed by the nobles’ tombs we saw in Saqqara, we were interested in visiting these. While those in Saqqara date to the 25th century BCE and were built in mastabas, these in Luxor are 1,000 years younger and found in rock-cut tombs in the cliffs. You can read about the older ones in our post Saqqara – Explore the Step Pyramid and Tomb Art.
Instead of walls covered in depictions of pharaoahs and deities as they are in the Valley of the Kings, most of these frescoes tell stories from the nobles’ lives, including their occupation and family. Over 1,500 tombs have been found to date in this area, and they expect to find more. Only a few are open to the public, and the rotation changes to minimize damage.
The most recommended are the Tombs of Sennefer and Rekhmire, which are on one ticket, and Menna and Nacht, which are together on another ticket. We were able to see all four on our visit. We’ve included the musuem’s TT numbering of the tombs.
Tomb of Menna (TT69)
Menna was a scribe and managed the agricultural fields under Pharaohs Thutmose IV and Amenhotep III. It makes sense then, that the images show him surveying the crops and measuring the harvest yields. There are also several family portraits and ones of them enjoying local festivals.
Tomb of Nakht (TT52)
Nakht was a priest and astronomer in the 1400s BCE. By studying the movement of the stars, he knew the best time to harvest and when to schedule various festivals; therefore, the pictures depict festival preparation, grain thrashing, and the slaughtering of cows. As well, his wife was a musician in the royal court, so there are scenes of concerts and musical instruments.
The walls are covered in a protective glass, but unfortunately, it is very dirty, so it was difficult to take pictures.
Tomb of Rekhmire (TT100)
Rekhmire was a vizier and highest advisor to Thutmose III and Amenhotep II. This meant he presided over the courts, managed temple building projects, and collected taxes. The walls display frescoes of the vizier receiving gifts on behalf of the pharaoh from Nubians, Syrians and Egyptians, including their exotic animals.
There are also harvest pictures and an ancient spreadsheet of accounts.
An interesting one is a funeral procession with Rekhmire on a barque (boat) going down the river, in the middle of a forest.
Tomb of Sennefer (TY96)
As Mayor of Thebes and director of Pharaoh Amenhotep II’s wealth, this tomb is more elaborate than the others. To reach the burial chamber, you have to hunch over and climb down a long, narrow tunnel. It was so tight, it reminded us of entering a pyramid in Giza.
At the bottom, the space opens up to a large room guarded by Anubis. Like many of these tombs, it has scenes from Sennefer’s life and stories from the Book of the Dead. Most are in excellent condition, but unfortunately, the walls are behind glass that is smudged with fingerprints. So while it’s not great for photographs, it is one you should try to visit.
Tip – The necropolis is quite disorganized and is spread over a large area. There is no on-site map to help locate the tombs, but most are correctly listed by their TT# on the app Mapy.cz. Each pair of tombs have custodians, but they are not always at the entrance. If you wander around enough, as we did, eventually someone will see you and unlock the doors.
The Tombs of the Nobles were covered for centuries by the desert, and most recently by the village of Qena. When the tombs were discovered, villagers were moved to New Qena, 60 km away. A few of their old homes still stand on these hills.
Entry fee – The fee is 120 EGP ($2.40 USD) per pair of tombs (Sennefer and Rekhmire are on one ticket, and Menna and Nakht are on another). Opening Hours – 6 am to 5 pm; closes at 4 pm in the winter. Time Needed – expect to spend at least an hour at the Tombs of the Nobles. The ticket office is located a km or so up the road, so either have your taxi stop at it, or buy your tickets online here. Internet coverage at the site is very poor, so purchase your tickets online ahead of time.
Getting to Tombs of the Nobles
Tombs of the Nobles are located across the street from the Ramesseum, so you can see them on the same trip.
Valley of the Queens
Although it is called the Valley of the Queens, the necropolis was not only for pharaohs’ wives but also for their sons, daughters and royal family. Unlike the pharaoh’s tombs, the paintings in the Valley of the Queens have carved edges but lack sculpted details.
The cemetery has 90 tombs dating back to the 1500s BCE, but only three are open to visitors. They are all numbered with a QV, so we’ve included that here.
Tomb of Khaemwaset (QV44)
Like the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, the ones in this necropolis also begin with a long hallway, although they are much smaller. Khaemwaset was one of Ramses III’s sons; although there are pictures of the prince, there are more depictions of his father than of him. In addition to the main hallway, there are also several side rooms that are in very good condition.
The walls are partially covered in glass to protect the artwork.
Tomb of Prince Amen-her-khopshef (QV55)
This is the second tomb we saw belonging to one of Ramses III’s sons, and they are very similar. Prince Amen-her-khopshef died young, possibly at the age of 15. There are large-sized paintings in the hallway of Ramses III worshiping, giving offerings, and presenting his son, Amen-her-khepshef, to the different gods.
Note – Khaemwaset and Amen-her-khopshef were also the names of two of Ramses II’s sons, so information found online often confuses them.
Tomb of Queen Tyti (QV52)
Many believe that Queen Tyti was both wife and sister of Ramses III. The tomb has several paintings of the queen giving offerings to Thoth, Ptah and the four sons of Horus, but it is generally in poor condition, so we didn’t take many pictures.
QV66 Nefertari Tomb – The wife of Ramses II, Nefertari is said to have the most beautiful tomb in the valley. Unfortunately, as of March 2026, Nefertari’s tomb is being restored and has no scheduled opening date. Until this tomb is restored, we don’t think the Valley of the Queens should be high on your list.
Entry fee – 180 EGP ($3.50 USD); Opening Hours – 6 am to 5 pm; in winter, it closes at 4 pm; Time Needed – One hour is enough time to visit these tombs since they don’t have as much to see.
Getting to the tombs
All the necropolises listed above are located on the west side of the Nile and are fairly close to one another, but there is no direct way to get between them. All are approximately 5 km from the West Bank Ferry Docks, so you will need to take a car/taxi. Many hang out near the ferry terminal, so finding one won’t be a problem. You will also need to get a ride between them, so you may want to hire a taxi/driver for the day. The only two that are within walking distance are the Ramesseseum and Tombs of Nobles.
Most of the ancient sites in Luxor have received UNESCO World Heritage Site status, including Karnak and Luxor Temples; the necropolises of the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Tombs of the Nobles, Deir el-Medina; and the mortuary temples of Hatshepset, Ramesseum, and Medinet Habu.
For information on where to stay and eat in Luxor, please visit our post Ancient Wonders – Karnak Temple and Mummification Museum.
To read more of our adventures in Egypt, click here.
Coming Next – Dendera Temple – A Day Trip From Luxor
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