The Valley of the Queens (Arabic: Wādī al Malekāt) is a site in Egypt, where
the wives of pharaohs were buried in ancient times. It was known then as
Ta-Set-Neferu, meaning "the place of beauty". It was most famous for being the
burial site of many wives of Pharaohs. Pharaohs themselves were buried in The
Valley of the Kings.
Using the limits described by Christian Leblanc, the Valley of the Queens
consists of the main wadi, which contains most of the tombs, along with the
Valley of Prince Ahmose, the Valley of the Rope, the Valley of the Three Pits,
and the Valley of the Dolmen. The main wadi contains 91 tombs and the
subsidiary valleys add another 19 tombs. The burials in the subsidiary valleys
all date to the 18th Dynasty.
The reason for choosing the Valley of the Queens as a burial site is not
known. The close proximity to the workers' village of Deir el-Medina and the
Valley of the Kings may have been a factor. Another consideration could have
been the existence of a sacred grotto dedicated to Hathor at the entrance of
the Valley. This grotto may have been associated with rejuvenation of the
dead.
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Valley of the Queens seen from the east.
The Valley of the Queens is on a geological array of limestones, marls,
clays, chalks, and shale.
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The clays in the valley have undergone expansion and shrinkage due to
recurrent flash-flooding throughout the valley. This shrinkage has
been one cause of unstable tomb construction and later tomb damage in
the valley.
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Rockslides resulting from shrunk clay deposits and tectonic events
have damaged not only the tombs of the valley but also the wall
paintings within them.
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Entrance to Nefertari's tomb.
During the 19th Dynasty the use of the Valley became more selective. The
tombs from this period belong exclusively to royal women.
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Many of the high-ranking wives of Ramesses I, Seti I and Ramesses II
were buried in the Valley. One of the most well-known examples is the
resting place carved out of the rock for Queen Nefertari (1290–1224
BCE). The polychrome reliefs in her tomb are still intact.
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Steps taken to combat and limit affects on Valley of the Queens tombs
from tourism comprise of building walled paths that control tourist
traffic, constructing shelters at some of the more popular tombs such
as QV 66 - Nefertari's tomb.
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Other methods used to preserve Nefertari's tomb are a viewing time
limited to 15 minutes, separate ticket purchase, and the addition of
an air-circulation system to the tomb. As for other tombs, plexiglass
shields and wooden floors have been installed to protect the entombed
and their resting places.
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Going up the south path.
Halfway through the Valley the path forks north and south. The south
path is uphill.
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See also
Source
Location
