The Valley of the Kings is a royal burial ground located on the west bank of the Nile, near the ancient city of Thebes (modern Luxor). During the New Kingdom (1550–1070 BC), pharaohs abandoned the highly visible pyramid structure, which invited tomb robbers, in favor of rock-cut tombs hidden deep within a remote valley. The valley contains over 60 tombs, including those of Ramses the Great and Seti I. The walls of these tombs are decorated with elaborate frescoes and hieroglyphic texts from the 'Book of the Dead,' intended to guide the pharaoh’s soul through the trials of the underworld. Despite the move to a hidden location, almost all tombs were eventually looted in antiquity. The most famous exception was the tomb of Tutankhamun, discovered nearly intact by Howard Carter in 1922, providing an unprecedented look at the wealth and burial customs of Egyptian royalty.