Tomb of Nefertari

The most beautifully painted tomb in Egypt, burial place of Ramses II's principal wife

The Tomb of Nefertari, in the Valley of the Queens, is generally regarded as the finest painted tomb in Egypt. Nefertari was the principal wife of Ramses II, and the pharaoh clearly spared no expense or talent on her resting place. The walls and ceilings are covered in luminous paintings of extraordinary quality — the blues and greens and golds remain vivid after 3,200 years, depicting Nefertari's journey through the afterlife with a delicacy that puts most of the pharaohs' own tombs to shame.

The tomb is expensive to enter separately from the Valley of the Queens general ticket, and the visit is strictly timed. It is worth the cost. You will see twelve chambers of painting at the highest level of New Kingdom art, covering the Book of the Dead and scenes of the goddess Isis, the god Thoth, and the sun god Ra in his various forms. This is one of the great artistic achievements of the ancient world, in a setting that makes the Vatican look overstuffed by comparison.

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The tomb was closed for restoration for over a decade after it opened to the public in 1904, because the humidity from visitors' breath was damaging the paintings. It reopened in 1995 with strict visitor limits — a maximum of 150 people per day — and a separate, higher admission fee designed to discourage casual visits. Even so, conservators worry about the long-term impact of tourism, and the tomb may be closed again in future. Visit it while you can.

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