There are dozens of  tombs in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor in Upper Egypt, although not all are royal tombs and the persons for whom many were constructed or begun are not known.  The style of tomb construction often gives clues as to which dynasty it belongs.
 

The Valley of the Kings actually has two components - the East Valley and the West Valley. Those in the East Valley, the one most visited by tourists, begin with the letter KV, while those in the West Valley to the north begin with WV.

The numbering system was begun in the 1820s by John Gardner Wilkinson who painted the number of his sequence up to 21 at the entrance to the tombs he was aware of in the East Valley. For the West Valley, Wilkinson used the designations W1 to W4, but today they are given as WV 22 to WV 25.  A few minor tombs not listed below are given other designations.

Note that in early February 2006, the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities announced that a new tomb had been discovered near the entrance to that of Tutankhamun. It appears to date from the late 18th dynasty, contains materials associated with burial preparations, and is designated KV63.
 

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Copyright © 2001-2007  Mark T. Rigby.  Last modified: 2 January 2007.