Ancient Egypt: The Tomb of Nefertari

 

Nefertari was the favourite wife of Ramses II, who ruled Egypt for more than 60 years (1279-1213 BC). At Abu Simbel, in the south of Egypt, he had two temples cut out of two small mountains next to each other. The first one he dedicated to himself, the second one he dedicated to his wife. No pharaoh ever did anything like this for his wife. When Nefertari died (around 1255 BC), she was buried in a tomb in the Valley of the Queens.

The tomb was discovered in 1904 by the Italian archaeologist Ernesto Schiaparelli. The official name is QV 66. Many observers agree that the wall decorations of this tomb are the most beautiful in the Valley of the Queens, maybe in all of Egypt.

Unfortunately, the decorations are in danger of being destroyed. They are not painted directly on the rock, because the ancient workers found the rock to be of poor quality. Therefore they covered the walls with a thick layer of plaster and painted the decorations on the plaster. At the time it seemed like a good idea, but today we know that it was not. Water and salt seep slowly through the rock behind the plaster and threaten to push it out and destroy the decorations. Because of this problem the tomb was closed to the public for many years.

Restoration and conservation work was undertaken from 1986 to 1992. In 1995 the tomb was opened to a limited number of visitors, but the problem persisted, and in 2005 the tomb was closed again. Today it remains closed to the public.

At the moment the only way to study the tomb and its decorations is to look at photos and drawings which were made before the tomb was closed. Some of these photos are printed in the slim volume written by Mohamed Nasr and Mario Tosi and published by the Italian publisher Bonechi.

The text covers three topics. The first is Nefertari and Ramses II in antiquity (pp. 3-7). The second is the discovery of the tomb in 1904 (pp. 17-21). The third is the restoration and conservation work which took place from 1986 to 1992 (pp. 26-29).

On the inside of the front cover there is a useful 3D drawing of the tomb by Stefano Benini. Most pages are used for illustrations. All photos are taken by the authors. Most of these photos show the fabulous wall decorations in the tomb.

As far as I know, the first edition of this book was published in 1997, i.e. two years after the tomb was opened to a limited number of visitors. The second edition (which I bought in Egypt for 20 Egyptian pounds, i.e. about 2 British pounds) was published in 2008, i.e. three years after the tomb was closed again, but this fact is not mentioned anywhere in the book. Why is the text not updated?

The tomb can be divided into four sections. The first is the access stairway which leads down into the tomb. The second is the antechamber, a vestibule and an annex. The third is the internal stairway which leads down to the burial chamber. The fourth is the large burial chamber which has three small side rooms. The ceiling of the burial chamber is supported by four square pillars. The ceiling and all the walls are decorated. The four square pillars are decorated with 16 different motives.

You can find additional information (text as well as photos) about the tomb in the following books:

** Zahi Hawass, The Realm of the Pharaohs, pages 378-381

** T. G. H. James, Ramesses II, page 230-237

** Rosanna Pirelli, Queens of Ancient Egypt, pages 218-233

** Joyce Tyldesley, Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt, page 152-153

** Kent R. Weeks, The Treasures of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, pages 372-387.

You can find a more extensive presentation of the tomb House of Eternity: The Tomb of Nefertari by John K. MacDonald (1996).

 

QV 66 has the most beautiful wall decorations in the Valley of the Queens, but it is closed to the public. You cannot visit this place. Even if you could, you would not be allowed to bring your camera and use it inside the tomb. This slim volume published by Bonechi is recommended for anyone who wants to know what the tomb of Nefertari looks like.

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Mohamed Nasr and Mario Tosi,

The Tomb of Nefertari,

Bonechi, 1997, reprinted 2008, 32 pages

 

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