The villages of the West bank were once the home of the tomb robbers, who then became the workers for the great archaelogical digs. Many of the workers in the hotels also come from these villages.

 

The village of Qerna.

The row of holes in the central hill are some of the tombs of the nobles. To the left, you can see the pyramid shaped hill which overlooks the Valley of the Kings.

When I first visited the Valley of the Kings in 1977, this road had just been built, and I had to walk to the actual tombs from the Cafe, and then past the souvenir stalls. With the temperature over 100, it was exhausting. Now, the souvenir stalls have been moved to this area, and from the cafe, you take these funny looking trains for the princely sum of £LE 1. A much more pleasant way of getting there!

The entrance to Tutankhamen's tomb lies beneath the tomb of Ramses VI - the larger entrance, which certainly preserved it until it was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. The tomb entrance is where the guide is sitting.

 

When you arrive on the West Bank, go to the central ticket office, and you will find that you can buy tickets to visit 3 tombs for £LE12, but you'll pay £LE40 for Tutankhamen. Unfortunately, it is not a very impressive tomb. The tombs are hot and humid, but this year, guides will not be allowed inside them, so, a visit inside may be more pleasant than it was when I went there. The light is so intense, as there seems to be no shelter from the sun, that sunglasses and a very fast film are required.
Opposite Tutankhamen's tomb is a rest house, which is a welcome retreat from the heat - especially if you can sit under one of the fans!