KINGS, VALLEY OF THE

Narrow gorge, Upper Egypt, near the ancient city of Thebes .

It is the burial site of nearly all of the kings (pharaohs) of the 18th–20th dynasties (1539–1075 BC), from Thutmose I to Ramses XI. The valley contains 60 tombs, virtually all of which were robbed in antiquity. Only the tomb of Tutankhamen escaped pillage; after its excavation in the 1920s, its treasures were placed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo . The longest tomb belongs to Queen Hatshepsut , whose burial chamber is nearly 700 ft (215 m) from the entrance. The largest tomb, built for the sons of Ramses II , contains 67 burial chambers.