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When Howard Carter was excavating in the Valley of the Kings in the years before his 1922 discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, he used the entrance ramp of KV9 — the Tomb of Ramesses VI — as a base for storing debris from his excavations. This decision inadvertently concealed the steps to KV62 below, protecting Tutankhamun’s tomb from modern looters for another decade. KV9 itself had been open since antiquity — Greek and Roman tourists scratched their names and comments on its walls — and has been the most visited tomb in the Valley ever since. It contains the most spectacular astronomical ceiling in ancient Egypt, the complete text of multiple funerary books, and a preserved granite sarcophagus lid that still bears traces of the original painted decoration.
Pharaoh Ramesses VI — Fast Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dynasty | 20th Dynasty, New Kingdom — a period of declining royal power after Ramesses III |
| Reign | ~1143–1136 BC — approximately 7 years |
| Tomb started by | Ramesses V (his predecessor) — Ramesses VI enlarged it for his own burial |
| Tomb designated | KV9 — King’s Valley Tomb 9. One of the first identified in the Valley. |
| Mummy | Found in the royal cache at KV35 (Tomb of Amenhotep II) in 1898 — now at the Egyptian Museum Tahrir |
The Astronomical Ceiling — KV9’s Greatest Feature
The ceiling of KV9 is the finest astronomical ceiling in ancient Egypt — a statement that includes the more famous ceiling of the Temple of Dendera. The KV9 ceiling runs the full 87-metre length of the tomb in two parallel strips, one on each side of the ridge beam, depicting:
- The 12 hours of night: The sun god Ra travels through the underworld in his solar barque during the 12 hours of darkness — each hour depicted as a separate register with its guardian deities, its dangers, and the specific spells required to pass safely through
- The decan stars: The ancient Egyptian astronomical system of 36 star groups (decans), each rising heliacally for 10 days and used to tell time at night
- Nut swallowing the sun: The sky goddess Nut is depicted on both ceiling strips, swallowing the sun at sunset on one side and giving birth to it at dawn on the other — the mythological explanation of the sun’s daily cycle in painted form
- Circumpolar constellations: The northern stars that never set — identified with the eternal, imperishable souls of the dead pharaohs
The colour is largely intact — deep blue background with gold and ochre figures — and the detail visible from the tomb floor is extraordinary even without optical aids.
The Funerary Texts of KV9
| Text | Location in Tomb | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Book of Gates | First corridors | Guide for passing through the 12 gates of the underworld |
| Book of Caverns | Upper corridors | Map of the underworld caverns inhabited by the dead |
| Amduat | Antechambers | “That Which Is in the Underworld” — the oldest royal funerary text |
| Book of the Earth | Burial chamber walls | Depicts the resurrection of the sun from the earth — found in KV9 in its most complete form |
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Practical Visitor Information 2026
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Valley of the Kings, Luxor West Bank — near the main entrance, slightly uphill on the right |
| Ticket | Included in standard Valley of Kings ticket (~200 EGP / ~$4) — no extra charge |
| Opening hours | 6:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily |
| Best time to visit | 6:00–8:00 AM — near-empty, cool inside, best ceiling visibility without crowds |
| Photography | Check current policy at entrance — photography permitted in some areas · no flash anywhere |
KV9 vs Other Major Tombs — Which to Prioritise
| Tomb | Best Feature | Extra Ticket? | Always Open? |
|---|---|---|---|
| KV9 — Ramesses VI | Finest astronomical ceiling in Egypt | No | Yes |
| KV11 — Ramesses III | Longest open tomb · finest coloured reliefs | No | Yes |
| KV62 — Tutankhamun | Original mummy still in tomb | Yes (~300 EGP) | Yes |
| KV17 — Seti I | Most beautiful painted walls — ever | Yes (~1,400 EGP) | Periodically |
Visit KV9 With Egypt For Travel
Egypt For Travel includes the Valley of the Kings in every Luxor program. Your licensed Egyptologist guide selects the finest available tombs and provides full hieroglyphic and mythological context for every scene you see. KV9’s astronomical ceiling is explained in its complete cosmological framework — the sun’s journey, Nut swallowing and birthing Ra, the hours of night — turning a beautiful ceiling into a comprehensible story. Without a guide, the ceiling of KV9 is visually extraordinary. With a guide, it is one of the most intellectually fascinating experiences in Egypt.
| Program | Includes Valley of Kings | From |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Days Cairo & Luxor | ✅ Day 4 West Bank (KV9 + KV11 + KV62) | $749 |
| 7-Night Egypt from USA | ✅ Nile cruise Day 4 | $1,599 |
| 11 Days Best Egypt & Jordan | ✅ Luxor West Bank day | $1,999 |
WhatsApp: +20 155 555 2466 · ETA Category A Licence No. 1947
Frequently Asked Questions
What is special about the Tomb of Ramses VI (KV9)?
KV9 contains the finest astronomical ceiling in ancient Egypt — a double ceiling stretching 87 metres showing the complete ancient Egyptian map of the sky, the 12 hours of night, the journey of the sun god Ra through the underworld, and the sky goddess Nut swallowing and birthing the sun. It is included in the standard Valley of Kings entry ticket (no extra charge), is consistently open, and has been visited since antiquity — Greek and Roman graffiti from 1,800+ years ago covers its lower walls. It is the most visited tomb in the Valley for good reason.
Why is KV9 called the Tomb of Ramses VI if Ramses V started it?
Ramesses V began cutting KV9 as his own tomb but died before completing it. His successor Ramesses VI — his uncle — took over the tomb, enlarged it significantly, had it decorated with his own royal cartouches and funerary texts, and was buried there around 1136 BC. The naming convention in Egyptology assigns tombs to their final occupant; hence KV9 is the Tomb of Ramesses VI despite having been started by Ramesses V. Some texts and reliefs in the tomb bear both cartouches where Ramesses VI was unable to replace his predecessor’s name.
How long does it take to visit KV9?
A thorough visit to KV9 with a licensed Egyptologist guide takes approximately 30–45 minutes. The tomb descends through a series of corridors to the burial chamber, with the astronomical ceiling visible throughout the entire length. Egypt For Travel schedules the Valley of the Kings West Bank visit for 3–4 hours total, typically covering KV9, KV11 and KV62 in a single morning starting at 6:00 AM. See our complete Valley of the Kings visitor guide for the full picture.
