Wonders of the Tomb
Although commonly known as the Tomb of Ramesses VI, it was actually started by his nephew, Ramesses V, who was likely the first one buried here before his uncle expanded it for himself. The descent was a staggering 117-meter corridor that plunged deep into the limestone. What immediately hit me wasn't just the scale, but the colors. After over 3,000 years, the reds, golds, and deep blues of the hieroglyphs look as though the painters just finished their work this morning.
The walls are a literal library of the underworld. On the left, the Book of Gates guides the way; on the right, the Book of Caverns. The highlight, though, is the burial chamber. I spent most of my time looking up at the astronomical ceiling. It features a magnificent, double-elongated image of the sky goddess Nut arching across the cosmos, swallowing the sun at dusk and giving birth to it at dawn. Below her, the reconstructed green conglomerate sarcophagus sits as a haunting centerpiece.