The Valley of the Kings is where the pharaohs stored their treasures in hidden tombs to preserve them from grave robbers who had sacked the pyramids. So they built all the tombs in one valley, and soon the grave robbers caught on. Duh.

The Valley of the Kings is where most of the loot in the Cairo museum originated. It’s also where King Tut’s tomb was discovered in the late 1920s. While we think Tut is a big deal, fact is he was somewhat of a minor pharaoh, in power for only a few years. Since the tomb was excavated so late, however, most of the treasures survived and were taken to the Cairo museum. Judging from the quantity of goods in King Tut’s tomb, one can only imagine what was contained in a major Pharaoh’s tomb, like Ramses.

No flashes allowed in the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, so pictures are suboptimal. They do provide an idea of what’s on the walls in the tombs, where the pharaohs stored their hidden treasures.

	Indiana Jones in the Valley of the Kings. Another glorious day in the Egyptian desert, stunning blue sky, arid, lovely.
	Hieroglyphics from the tombs.
	Souvenirs are a must, so it’s fortunate that your trusty guides bring you into their stores, usually under some guise like "see how an authentic Egyptian artisan lives and works." You know something’s up when you seen the American Express sign on the door.
	More hieroglyphics.
	Horus, the sky god, man with a hawk's head.
	Boats are big in the tombs, signifying the trip to the great beyond.
	This looked absolutely awesome in the dim light beneath the tombs, but my lack of experience with the new digital camera really showed.
	On the left is Khnum, god of the annual flood on the Nile that brought life to all Egypt. Shown with Ramses 16 (if my memory serves), and the snake that protects the tomb.
	This way to King Tut’s tomb. For about US$8.00 extra, the guidebooks say stay away, so we did.
	Pictures from outside the Tomb of Menenptah. That’s Khnum again, on the left.
	Horus, the falcon-headed god on the right, near the entrance to the Tomb of Menenptah.
	The stone crypt deep in the heart of the Tomb of Menenptah.