Hiero Lens

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Tomb of Ramesses VI (KV9)

Monument at Valley of the Kings · also called KV9, Tomb of Memnon, Ramesses VI tomb

KV9 is known for its burial chamber ceiling, where the sky goddess Nut swallows and gives birth to the sun among the texts of the Books of the Day and Night. Begun for Ramesses V, it was taken over by Ramesses VI (c. 1140 BC).

The tomb has been open since antiquity. Greek and Roman visitors called it the Tomb of Memnon and scratched graffiti on its walls, so ancient tourists' Greek letters sit next to the hieroglyphs. Few of them could read the old script, which by then only temple priests still knew.

Its corridors carry the later books of the underworld: the Book of Gates, the Book of Caverns and the Book of the Earth. Builders' huts from this tomb covered the entrance to Tutankhamun's tomb nearby, which helped keep it hidden until 1922. When KV9 is in the rotation, it is usually on the main valley ticket.

What to see and read

Burial chamber ceiling

Nut is drawn twice, back to back, her long body arching overhead. The hours of the day and night run along her, with the sun's boat sailing through.

Book of the Earth

The earth god Aker and scenes of the sun's rebirth from the depths, on the burial chamber walls.

Greek graffiti

Scratched names and notes by visitors from Ptolemaic and Roman times, in the corridors.

Signs to look for

  1. Basket V30nb The basket starts Nebmaatre, the throne name of Ramesses VI.
  2. Feather H6mꜣꜥt The feather spells maat in Nebmaatre.
  3. Crook S38ḥqꜣ The crook, heqa, is in his birth name, part of the title 'god, ruler of Heliopolis'.
  4. Star N14sbꜣ Stars line Nut's body on the ceiling.

Reading the hieroglyphs here

  • Look up. A wide photo of the ceiling lets you read the hours one by one later.
  • Keep the Greek graffiti out of frame when you use Hiero Lens: it reads only hieroglyphs.

Point your camera at a wall Hiero Lens boxes the signs and names them, on your phone; nothing is uploaded. On worn stone, trace a sign over the photo.

Questions

What is on the ceiling of the tomb of Ramesses VI?

The sky goddess Nut, drawn twice. The texts of the Books of the Day and Night run along her body.

Why are there Greek inscriptions in KV9?

The tomb was open in Greek and Roman times. Visitors scratched their names and comments on the walls, as tourists still try to do.

Also at Valley of the Kings

Monument

Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62)

KV62 has one painted room, the burial chamber, where you can read the cartouches of Tutankhamun and of Ay, the king who buried him. The young king's mummy still lies in the tomb.

Monument

Tomb of Seti I (KV17)

KV17, the tomb of Seti I (c. 1290–1279 BC), shows royal hieroglyphs at their best: almost every wall is carved in fine raised relief and painted, from the entrance down to the burial chamber.

Monument

Tomb of Thutmose III (KV34)

KV34 holds the whole Amduat written in simple cursive hieroglyphs, as if a papyrus had been unrolled on the walls. It is the tomb of Thutmose III (c. 1479–1425 BC), hidden high in a cleft in the cliffs.

Where it is

Open in OpenStreetMap · Written from published sources and not yet checked on site by our team: displays and open tombs change.