The Tomb of Tuthmose III

One of my favorite spots in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, is the tomb of Tuthmose III. It is tucked away in a corner of the royal valley and is accessed via a high stairway (more a ladder than a stair really). Climbing this stairway can be exhausting in the mid-day heat. You then go down a series of stairs until you finally enter the burial chamber, which looks like it was decorated by a child armed with several different colored magic markers.

I suspect that the burial chamber's decoration is designed to look like a papyrus with scenes from the various books of the underworld on it. One of the "books" of the underworld found in this tomb is the Litany of Re; another was the Amduat. The photo above portrays a demon of the seventh hour of the Amduat decapitating the enemies of the King in the underworld.

The other photo in this post shows Isis, as a tree with breasts, nursing Tuthmose. To the left of this scene is a drawing of the King standing with a mace and staff in his hands (partially visible). To the left of Tuthmose (not shown) are drawings of three of Thuthmose's wives and one of his daughters. This particular scene is on one of the columns that supports the ceiling of the tomb.

Photos copyright John Freed