91 valley of the kings

With the Luxor Pass in hand, it was time to return to the Valley of the Kings once more. But this time, something totally different. I’d always cycled to Deir el-Bahari, then climbed over the hill to the Valley of the Kings beyond. In Chatting with Edris, our taxi driver, we decided to do the unthinkable: skip breakfast and get up at 5.30 am. Catch the taxi at 5.40, and arrive at the Valley of the Kings just as it opened at 6 am. What a brilliant idea. To be the first to enter the Valley was amazing, and to be standing there as the guard arrived with the key to open the tomb, unbelievable! In almost every tomb, we were the only people there. The numbers did start to grow, so we went to the tombs most visited, first, leaving lesser know. Ones to last, as not many would go into them anyway. After two hours we had seen plenty, and the crowds had arrived. There was no way I was going to fight against hundreds of others, as can be seen in the video when we got to the tomb of Ramesses VI. Having the Luxor Pass gave us the luxury of doing exactly the same thing the following day, returning at leisure to enjoy solitude in the remaining tombs not yet visited.
Most thrilling was being able to go into two tombs that I’d never seen before, that of Tuthmosis IV which had the very distinct layout found in early 18th dynasty tombs, and the tomb of Ay. This latter tomb was an especially good experience for me. It was in the Western Valley, a five minute taxi ride along a bumpy road, so had virtually no visitors. When we arrived, the gatekeeper came up on his bike and then actually gave me the key to unlock the tomb! That’s was just too cool for words. The tomb itself was also very interesting in the sense it was the Pharaoh Ay, who had come to power after the death of the boy king Tutankhamen. He was adviser to the boy, and, of course, there’s speculation that the premature death of the king could be blamed on Ay who usurped the power. The team had the same sort of yellow background and decorations found in Tutankhamen’s tomb. In fact, Ay can be seen in Tut’s tomb, portrayed on the wall helping in the burial of the king.
I know this video is just tombs, but I hope it gives you the sense of excitement one feels going down these steep corridors and stairs into these ancient chambers. And if you ever get to Egypt yourself, this might help you choose which three tombs you want to visit (or buy a Luxor Pass and see the lot!)
#egypt #oasisoverland #valleyofthekings #luxor

Видео 91 valley of the kings канала Paul Artus