The valleys that make up the Valley of the Nobles is quite different from the Valley of the Kings. The tombs here are decorated with murals of everyday life and are not so much dedicated to the religious books and images.

Because most of these tombs are shallow and open, they have not survived well. Where the tombs of the pharaohs are deep and well-protected, these ahve been exposed to sand and wind. They have open courtyards in front of the entrance, and often have elaborate gates and porticos. These are tomb chapels, moreso than tombs — they were left open for the family members to leave funerary offerings.

They also have some of the finest workmanship of any tombs we saw in Egypt. The tomb of Ramosa is breathtakingly beautiful — the bas-relief are finer here than in any other tomb we visited. I wish we could have seen ALL the tombs here. They were exquisite.

The tombs are usually visited in groups — Rekhmire and Sennofer; Ramose, Userhat, and Khaemhat (the ones we visited); Nakht and Menna; Khonsu, Userhet and Benia.