Tomb of Ramses VI (KV9)

Double tomb with astronomical ceilings and one of the most complete collections of funerary texts in the Valley of the Kings

The Tomb of Ramses VI is one of the most spectacular in the Valley of the Kings, known particularly for its astronomical ceiling — a double image of the sky goddess Nut, arched over both the upper and lower corridors, swallowing the sun at sunset and giving birth to it again at dawn. The sequence of images is one of the most complete representations of ancient Egyptian cosmological thinking in existence.

The tomb was originally cut by Ramses V and enlarged and usurped by Ramses VI. It descends 83 metres through a series of increasingly well-decorated corridors and halls to a vast burial chamber. The ceiling in the burial chamber shows the entire night sky, with the planets and constellations identified by their hieroglyphic names. This is included in the standard Valley of the Kings ticket; no extra fee required. Visit it on the same day as Tutankhamun's tomb to understand how different royal burials could be.

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A story
The tomb accidentally preserved Tutankhamun's for thousands of years. When Ramses VI had this tomb cut through the limestone, the rubble was dumped directly over the entrance to Tutankhamun's smaller tomb below. Robbers, not knowing the smaller tomb existed, left it untouched, and later villagers built huts on top of the spoil heap without ever finding what lay beneath. It was only cleared in 1922 when Howard Carter meticulously searched the entire valley floor.

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