About a kilometre and a half from the Valley of the Kings lies the Valley of the Queens, known in ancient times as “Ta-Set-Neferu” (the Place of Beauty) and today called Biban el-Harim. Around eighty tombs have been discovered here, many badly damaged — some showing traces of fire, others having been used as stables over the centuries. Most of the tombs date from around 1300 to 1100 BC.
Tomb of Queen Titi
Once used as a stable for donkeys, the tomb of Queen Titi — believed to be the wife of a pharaoh of the 20th Dynasty — contains beautiful paintings in delicate shades of pink.
Tomb of Prince Amun-her-khepeshef
The sons of pharaohs who died in childhood were also buried in the Valley of the Queens. The decoration in this tomb, built for the young son of Ramesses III, is exceptional for the brilliance and intensity of its colour, dominated by a striking ultramarine blue. In the first chamber, the pharaoh is shown presenting his son to the gods Thoth, Ptah, and the Four Sons of Horus — Hapi, Imsety, Duamutef, and Qebehsenuef — who, after assisting Anubis in mummifying Osiris, became the protective deities of the canopic jars.
Visiting the Valley of the Queens
The Valley of the Queens is best combined with a visit to the nearby Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut’s Temple on Luxor’s West Bank.
