Tombs of Pharaohs

The History of Egypt for Kids - Tombs of Pharaohs

The Civilization, Culture & History of Ancient Egypt and facts about Tombs of Pharaohs

Ancient Egyptians

Ancient Egyptians - Tombs of Pharaohs
A comprehensive guide and fact sheet about Tombs of Pharaohs. Discover fascinating facts and information about ancient Egypt and Tombs of Pharaohs.
 
The history of the tombs of Pharaohs
The Mastaba, the Pyramids and the rock tombs in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens
The tomb wall paintings
The tomb robbers
The tomb and pharaoh curses
The booby traps and poisons
Famous Pharaohs tombs in the Valley of the Kings
An overview of the Tombs of Pharaohs of ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptians - Tombs of Pharaohs
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Tombs of Pharaohs
The tombs of pharaohs and their style of burials changed through the ages of ancient Egyptian history. The death  and funerary rituals always included embalming and the process of mummification. The burial of a pharaoh took place 70 days after the death and included an elaborate funeral procession to the designated tomb of the dead king or queen. The mummies of the deceased pharaohs were placed in a sarcophagus which was decorated with their likeness interred in the tombs of pharaohs.

The Tombs of Pharaohs
The following fact sheets provide details of the history of the tombs of pharaohs.
 

Ancient Egypt - Tombs of Pharaohs Fact Sheet

Fact 1 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The Mastaba was the first type of tomb. It was a very simple construction devoid of lavish decoration. The mastaba was built of mud-brick and consisted of a single elevated platform. The mastaba was used during the Pre-dynastic Period through to the Early Dynastic Period of ancient Egyptian history.

Mastaba

Traditional mastaba
 

Fact 2 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The mastaba tombs were developed into massive complexes. The burial chambers were surrounded by many rooms and passages. King Hor- Aha of the 1st dynasty built a massive underground mastaba tomb complex in honor of his mother Queen Neithhotep at Naqada, near Thinis.

Tomb of Queen Neithhotep built by King Hor-Aha
 

Fact 3 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

During the period of the Old Kingdom a radical change was made in relation to the burial of the kings of Egypt. In 2686 BC the first Egyptian pyramid was built by the famous architect Imhotep. Imhotep built  the Step Pyramid at Saqqara for King Djoser who was one of the kings of the 3rd Dynasty - also refer to King Djoser. The site of Saqqara was to eventually house 16 pyramids.

Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara

King Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara
 

Fact 4 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The Step Pyramid at Saqqara led to the building of the smooth surfaced Great Pyramid of Cheops at Giza during the 4th Dynasty of kings.
 

Fact 5 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The great pyramids of Giza were built for Khufu aka Cheops (r.2589 - 2566 BC), Khafre aka Chephren (r.2558 - 2532 BC) and Menkaure (r.2532 - 2504 BC.)

Pyramids
 

Fact 6 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The Pyramid Texts were inscribed on the walls of five of the pyramids at Saqqara between 2350 to 2175 B.C. The sacred texts are inscribed on the pyramids of King Unas of the 5th Dynasty, and Teti, Pepi I, Merenre and Pepi II of the Sixth Dynasty. The tomb was pyramid texts were devoid of any pictures or images, they were just plain text.
 

Fact 7 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The glorious Old Kingdom, the 'Age of the Pyramids' declined leading to the chaotic First Intermediate Period and the 7th - 10th Egyptian Dynasties. King Qakare Ibi is the only Pharaoh that can connected to any tomb monuments. His pyramid was located at Saqqara and contained pyramid texts on the walls of his tomb.
 

Fact 8 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The End of the Pyramids: The building of pyramids came to a halt during the periods of the Middle Kingdom and the Second Intermediate Period that covered the the 11th - 17th dynasties. The major constructions during these eras focussed on the building of temples.
 

Fact 9 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

By the period of the New Kingdom, and the 18th-20th dynasties, the great Pyramids were completely abandoned in favor of hidden rock tombs in the Valley of Kings. Some of the most famous pharaohs including Hatshepsut, Tutankhamun, Tuthmose and Ramses II are buried in the Valley of the Kings. Queen Hatshepsut was also memorialized in her mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari.

Hatshepsut mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari

Hatshepsut mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari
 

Fact 10 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The decline of the New Kingdom led to a series of invasions including the Syrians, the Nubians, the Persians and the Greeks. During the 21st-31st dynasties no great tomb monuments were built. At the end of this period Egypt became a mere province of Ancient Rome.

continued...
 

Ancient Egypt - Tombs of Pharaohs Fact Sheet

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Tombs of Pharaohs
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The Ancient Egyptians

 

Tombs of Pharaohs
Learn about Tombs of Pharaohs the fast and easy way via the Tombs of Pharaohs Fact sheet.
 

Ancient Egypt - Tombs of Pharaohs Fact Sheet

Fact 11 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The kings of ancient Egypt provided for their afterlives according to their earthly means - so they were entombed with their best and most expensive belongings.
 

Fact 12 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

During the 1st dynasty Human Sacrifice and animal sacrifice both played a part in the funerary rituals. The practice ceased at the end of the first dynasty when 'shabtis' took the place of actual people. Shabtis were small funerary statuettes that were placed in tombs to perform tasks for the deceased in the afterlife.
 

Fact 13 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

Tomb walls were beautifully painted with images of the gods and the pharaoh. Ancient Egyptian art was dictated by strict conformity to a set of simplistic rules that were adhered to for three thousand years that helped to create a sense of order and balance.
 

Fact 14 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The style of tomb paintings therefore hardly changed over 3000 years. Males were depicted with reddish-brown colored skin reflecting outdoor pursuits whereas females were painted with a yellowish colored skin.
 

Fact 15 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

Tomb paintings of gods and pharaohs were always depicted as young and healthy. Heads were depicted in profile with just one eye visible. Their faces were devoid of emotional expression. Both shoulders were shown front facing.
 

Fact 16 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The fabulous items of gold, silver and jewels belonging to the Kings and Queens attracted the attentions of robbers - the tomb raiders. The locations of tombs were kept secret but inevitably many tombs of pharaohs were found and robbed.
 

Fact 17 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The ancient Egyptians employed various tactics to deter tomb robbers. The locations of tombs were well hidden in remote locations such as the Valley of the Kings.
 

Fact 18 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

A tomb would be sealed and bolted, it would contain secret chambers that were difficult to access, passages were blocked with massive stone slabs, there were hidden holes, trap doors and wires were used as booby traps to injure or kill any intruders.
 

Fact 19 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The ancient Egyptians also used powdered poisonous substances to coat the walls and tomb contents. The poison was released into the air when stones were disturbed.
 

Fact 20 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

Tomb robbers were treated most severely. They were whipped, tortured and some had their hands chopped off. They were then executed by being burnt alive or impaled on a stake. Either mode of execution would mean that there was no body to pass into the afterlife. The sentence of impalement meant that the soul would be forever tied to the place of execution.
 

Ancient Egypt - Tombs of Pharaohs Fact Sheet

All the Giza Pyramids

All of the Giza Pyramids

 

Tombs of Pharaohs

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Tombs of Pharaohs

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Tombs of Pharaohs for kids and schools

Tombs of Pharaohs  for kids, schools, homework and research

Tombs of Pharaohs

 

Tombs of Pharaohs
Facts and information about the burials of the Queens and Kings of Egypt and the tombs of Pharaohs.
 

Ancient Egypt - Tombs of Pharaohs Fact Sheet

Fact 21 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The ancient Egyptians also attempted to deter tomb robbers by a pharaohs curse.
 

Fact 22 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The curse of Pharaoh Tutankhamun is reported as:

 "Death comes on wings to he who enters the tomb of a pharaoh".
 

Fact 23 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The tomb curse of Pharaoh Thutmose I is:

"He shall have no heir"
 

Fact 24 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The tomb curse of Pharaoh Meryibre Khety is:

"He shall be cooked together with the condemned"
 

Fact 25 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The Valley of the Kings is a necropolis meaning a large cemetery or burial place. The Valley of the Kings is located near Luxor (once called Thebes). Sixty-three tombs which have been discovered in the Valley of the Kings belonging to the Pharaohs and leading nobles and statesmen.
 

Fact 26 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The Valley of the Queens is a necropolis where many of the wives, children and family members of famous Pharaohs were buried in over 100 tombs.
 

Fact 27 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

John Gardiner Wilkinson (1797–1875) assigned the numeration system for the Egyptian tombs found in the Valley of the Kings. Each tomb has a number and letters that indicate their location. For example QV no.66 refers to the burial of Nerfertari in the Queen Valley, WV no.23 refers to the burial of the Pharaoh Ay in the Western Valley and TT no.55 refers to the burial of Ramose designated to the category of Theban Tomb.
 

Fact 28 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The most famous tomb of all is that of Tutankhamun that was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter.
 

Fact 29 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The most famous tomb in the Valley of the Queens belongs to Queen Nefertari, the beautiful wife of Ramses II aka Ramses the Great.
 

Fact 30 on Tombs of Pharaohs:

The table below provides the references to the tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings.
 

Ancient Egypt - Tombs of Pharaohs Fact Sheet

Ancient Egypt

Tombs of Pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings
The following table below provides the references to the tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings.
 

Tombs of Pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings

 

KV1: The tomb of Ramses VII (Edwin Brock)

KV2: The tomb of Ramses IV (Edward Ayrton)

KV4: The tomb of Ramses XI (John Romer)

KV6: The tomb of Ramses IX

KV7: The tomb of Ramses II aka Ramses the Great (Henry Salt)

KV8: The tomb of Merenptah

KV9: The tomb of Ramses V and Ramses VI (Georges Daressy)

KV10: The tomb of Amenmesse (Edward Ayrton)

KV11: The tomb of Ramses III

KV14: The tomb of Twosret, later reused by Setnakhte

KV15: The tomb of Seti II (Howard Carter)

KV16: The tomb of Ramses I (Giovanni Belzoni)

KV17: The tomb of Seti I aka Belzoni's tomb (Giovanni Belzoni)

KV18: The tomb of Ramses X (Howard Carter)

KV19: The tomb of Mentuherkhepshef

KV20: The tomb of Hatshepsut and Thutmose I (Howard Carter)

KV34: The tomb of Thutmose III (Victor Loret)

KV35: Originally the tomb of Amenhotep II but then shared by several other mummies (Victor Loret)

KV38: The tomb of Thutmose I (Victor Loret)

KV39: Possibly the tomb of Amenhotep I (Victor Loret)

KV43: The tomb of Thutmose IV (Howard Carter)

KV47: The tomb of Siptah (Edward Ayrton)

KV55: The tomb of Tiye and Akhenaten (Edward Ayrton)

KV57: The tomb of Horemheb (Edward Ayrton)

KV62: The Tomb of King Tutankhamun (Howard Carter)
 

 

Tombs of Pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings

Tombs of Pharaohs
Learning about the ancient Egyptians and Tombs of Pharaohs inspires everyone to visit historical sites and undertake Egypt Travel and Tours to experience the wonders of this magical land at first hand. Many people choose to experience a tour of Egypt on a Nile Cruise stopping at the famous destinations and sites of Egypt such as the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx. The information and facts about Tombs of Pharaohs will provide you with a great insight into Egypt and the legacy of the ancient Egyptians.

Tombs of Pharaohs

 

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