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Nobles' Valley

The Valleys - The Places

The Tombs of the Nobles are dotted around much of the Theban Necropolis on the Western side of the River Nile at Thebes. On occasion they were offered a prime location by the Pharaoh they served but more often it became a matter of where they could find suitable and usable rock to tunnel into.

The Tombs on their discovery were listed, given the designate “TT” and a number, meaning Theban Tomb 55 for example. We are incredibly fortunate that Ancient Egyptian Funerary practises insisted that the name of the Tomb owner should be listed for their Soul’s sake, meaning that Egyptologists today are able to decipher the hieroglyphs and attribute many of the Nobles to the Court and Pharaoh they worked for.

The Tomb Layout was essential. For an Ancient Egyptian, a lack of care and attention to the pathway and decoration of the Tomb could lead to your soul, after your death, not being able to properly and correctly navigate their way out of the Underworld. This would prevent their ascension into the Field of Reeds. For more information about this, click here. 

As you can see from the diagram, the Tomb contained 2 pathways:

1.) the pathway for the deceased’s soul to reach the Underworld, face the Weighing of the Heart in Hall of Two Truths before using the Spells and directions which would have been depicted on the Tomb’s Walls to successfully navigate their Flight for Resurrection

2.) the pathway for the deceased’s soul to coming from by day from the Underworld to the Field of Reeds

For details about the Weighing of the Heart, click here.                   To learn about the Spells, click here. 

For more information about the Flight for Resurrection, click here.                        To understand where the Field of Reeds is, click here.

TT315 – Tomb of Noble Ipi

Noble Ipi was working as a Vizier of a Town, Treasurer and Steward during either the late 11th or early 12th Dynasty. Regrettably little is known about him. His Tomb sit in the cliffs above the Mortuary Temples of Pharaoh Mentuhotep II, Pharaoh Hatshepsut and Pharaoh Tuthmose III. It has a Courtyard which leads through a stone Entrance to the Corridor of the Tomb itself. Internally there is the Chapel and a deep slope leading to the Burial Chamber, home to Ipi’s Sarcophagus which is sunk into the floor. What remains of the decorations are highly coloured with Hieroglyphs and Hieratic inscriptions.

He is joined in the Courtyard area by some further burials, presumably of his family although these are now lost.

Tomb TT41 – Noble Amenemipet

Noble Amenemipet worked as the Chief Steward of Amun for the Southern City i.e. Thebes; during the reigns of Pharaoh Seti I and his son, Pharaoh Ramses II. His Tomb is very sizable with an extended Courtyard which leads through a stone Entrance to the Corridor of the Tomb itself. Internally it has a multitude of rooms, relief, hewn rock Statues, False Doors and well decorated ceilings.

Noble Amenemipet, also known as Ipy, is shown in one hewn rock Statue with his wife, Nedjemet who was a singer of Amun.

TT8 – Tomb of Noble Kha and Wife Merit

Kha was an Architect, a Foreman or Overseer of Works, and a Chief of the Great Place during the 18th and 19th Dynasty switch between Periods. He worked for Pharaoh’s Amenhotep II, Tuthmose IV and Amenhotep III constructing various building projects for them within the scope of his roles.

His Tomb, in Deir el Medina, was found intact but now is somewhat damaged, especially by the removal of the Pyramidion from its roof!

To learn more about the Artisan’s Village in Deir el Medina, click here. 

Tombs of the 3 Royal Butlers

These 3 Tombs are grouped together, and all share the same Entrance, Corridor and Ante Chamber with only their mudbrick Chapels and Burial Chambers being separated from the others.

These Tombs once housed Imn Nakht, his son Nebenmaat, and his grandson Kha’Emteri. They all held the Title of ‘Servant in the Place of Truth’ or Royal Butler during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II.

Noble Montuemhet was the 4th Prophet of Amun,
Mayor of Thebes, Governor of Upper Egypt, Builder
of Temples at Thebes, Scribe of the Temple of Amun, and Interpreter of the Prophets in the Temple; during the
reigns of Pharaoh’s Taharqa and Psamtek I, or during the 25th and 26th Dynasties.

His Tomb is quite outstanding. It is literally open air and contains some stunning statues. It is in the process of being renovated so it can be opened to the General Public but it is known that there are more than 300 metres of Corridors internally!

TT34 – Tomb of Noble Montuemhet

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