Valley of the Nobles
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What is the Valley of the Nobles?
The Valley of the Nobles, also known as The Graves of the Nobles, Theban Necropolis, or The Worker’s Village, is a location in Luxor known as Sheik Abd El-Korna where hundreds of rock-cut tombs of ancient Egyptian nobility were found. The ultimate resting place of several governors, officials, administrators, generals, and other members of the new kingdom, it is situated between the Ramesseum and Hatshepsut’s temple and is cut into the hillside (1570-1070 BC).
The tombs of the Kings were quite grand and expensive, whereas the Valley of the Nobles was extremely modest. Numerous straightforward representations that gave a picture of how life was in the past may be found in these tombs. Despite claims that these graves had been lost to the passage of time, at least 415 tombs belonging to various figures storing important knowledge have been discovered.
Who Were these Nobles?
With the help of the exquisite decorations on the tomb walls that accurately depicted every aspect of their existence, each tomb was able to tell the complete life story of each of its occupants. One of the most well-known tombs is that of Ra-Mose (Number 55), the mayor of Thebes at the end of Amenhotep III’s rule. His tomb is composed of a rock-cut court with a central doorway leading to the inner hall and shafts beneath it leading to the burial chambers, where his mummy was not discovered and the decorations were incomplete because Ra-Mose moved with the new King Akhenaton to the new Capital Akh He held a special status and was the High Preist of Amon, who benefited from great power.
As much information about his family and life was available, his tombs provided some insight into both the time when Akhenaton was advocating for atomism (The Worship of Aton the Sun Disc) and Akhenaton himself. Another example is the beautiful decorations on the tomb of Re-Khmee-e (Number 100), who served as the vizier of Tuthmosis III and Amenhotep II. These decorations depict the arrival of foreign delegations carrying gifts and tributes like agricultural goods, household items, and rare animals to the Egyptian pharaoh. The obligations of the vizier were revealed to us through his tomb. During the time of Pharaoh Tuthmosis IV, the tomb chapel of Nakht (number 52) belonged to a prominent scribe and astronomer who worked at the temple of Amon, and whose wife oversaw numerous activities there as a chanter. Although their tomb was only a little bit big, it was beautifully decorated with vividly colored scenes. These ornaments were able to depict a variety of historical facts and practises from the time period, including bird hunting and the cultural impact of music.
