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Valley of the Kings

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The Valley of the Kings, also known as the Valley of the Gates of the Kings, is one of the world's most famous archaeological sites. It is located on the western bank of the Nile in Luxor. The modern name of the valley, "Qurna," derives from the Arabic word "Qarn," which means a horn, referring to the peak of the mountain in the valley. The valley was used as the necropolis of the New Kingdom kings, as they decided to separate the tomb from the mortuary temple to protect it from robbery. Tuthmosis I was the first king to build in the valley. The valley consists of two parts: the eastern valley, which has 58 tombs, and the western valley, which has four tombs. Some of the tombs were built for the noblemen of the royal court or important figures who were related to the kings. The valley has been famous for the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun since 1920.