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The first pharaoh of the 19th dynasty was
Ramses I; among the nineteenth dynasty tombs is his tomb, KV16
that was finished in a hurry because of the pharaoh` s death and
despite that, the tomb is beautiful, has decorations and has the
sarcophagus of the Ramses I. It is one of the most visited
tombs. Ramses I` s son, who succeeded him at the throne, Seti I,
has his tomb, KV 17, considered the most beautiful of the Valley
of the Kings, with very well executed paintings and bas-reliefs.
The Seti`s sun, Ramses II built a large tomb, KV 7, but which
is in a state of degradation, being exposed to the preservation
works. The tomb has its axis broken, probably as the consequence
of a poor quality of the area` s land. In the same time, in the
opposite side of the his own tomb, Ramses II enlarged an
anterior tomb, KV 5, of an unknown noble from the 18th dynasty,
with the purpose of having there buried his numerous sons.
Having 120 known rooms, it` s probably the biggest tomb in the
Valley. The tomb of the Ramses II` s son, Merenptah, KV 8, was
open even since antiquity; it has a length of 160 meters, ending
in a mortuary room which once contain a set of four sarcophagi.
Beautifully decorated, it is open to the public most of the
year` s period. The last kings of the 19th dynasty built similar
tombs, more significant being KV 47 of Siptah, which is also
beautifully decorated, especially the ceiling. Each tomb has
objects which offer the deceased a comfortable existence in the
afterlife, as well as Shabti statues. The modern abbreviation KV
comes from the English King Valley, the tombs being numbered
in the discovery order. |
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