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Valley of the Kings East Valley, Egypt, aerial view. The Valley of the Kings, near the ancient city of Thebes is a funeral necropolis where Egyptian royalty and nobility were buried in tombs. As of 2008, the Valley of the Kings contains 63 known tombs. The East Valley (north is upper left corner) includes the tombs of Tutankhamen and Ramses II. They were built in the remote Theban Hills to protect them from grave robbers. Most tombs have been damaged by natural disasters and looted of artefacts before their rediscovery by archaeologists. Despite this, many contain elaborate wall paintings and hieroglyphics. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/PATRICK LANDMANN)