I’m planning on getting my real estate license soon, so I’ve been looking at even more real estate virtual tours than usual (which is saying something). But one of my internet searches for home tours turned up something so exceptional, I just had to share. The Egyptian government recently started a virtual tourism campaign entitled Experience Egypt from home. Stay home. Stay safe. The virtual tours explore some of the country’s most famous sites, and they’re all great. But the tour of Ramsses VI’s tomb, known as KV9, is beyond anything I’ve ever seen.

Located in the Valley of the Kings among some of the world’s most elaborate and famous tombs, Ramsses VI definitely did a respectable job of keeping up with the Joneses. Surprisingly, rather than building his own tomb, Ramesses reused the tomb of his nephew, Ramesses V, who he succeeded before him.

After moving the former inhabitant to another tomb (rude), R-Six made the place his own. He put on a few additions and did some extensive redecorating before moving in. Among the changes made, Ramesses VI had his face painted over all appearances of his nephew’s image. It’s actually the paintings that I found most fascinating. While taking the tour, make sure you remember to look up at the walls and the spectacular ceilings.

You can enjoy the virtual tour of the tomb of Ramesses VI here, and you can explore all of the Egyptian Government’s virtual tours of heritage sites here.

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(Fans of tomb raiding, Swipe>>) The “Valley of the Kings”, on the west side of Thebes/Luxor (not far from Hatshepsut’s temple, 8 posts ago) was the burial location for most of the pharaohs from the 18th and 19th dynasties. #~ This makes these burials removed from the famous pyramids of the Old Kingdom by both a thousand years and several hundred miles. The spatial move has to do with a change in the seat of political power from Memphis southward to Thebes. #~ But the bigger change in burial practice was that rulers were no longer building pyramids. It turns out that a giant pyramid is effectively a billboard saying, “Massive buried treasure, right here! Come and get it!!!” This is a problem if your afterlife requires an unmolested body and lots of entombed goodies. #~ So the kings from this later period sequestered workers in a secret village and had them carve hidden tombs out of the soft limestone hills. The idea was that this way no one would find your burial and so you could properly enjoy your eternal life. #~ Of course, word eventually got out, with tombs getting robbed starting with the next dynasty. Only King Tut’s tomb (9 posts back) remained undisturbed into the 20th C. Despite the removal of most everything that could be sold, however, many tombs still have amazingly well preserved artwork on the walls, as well as the occasional sarcophagus. #~ (Nerd Note: These photos are all from Ramesses VI’s tomb.) #~ #egypt #travel #traveldeeper #egyptiantomb #valleyofthekings #ramessesvitomb #kv9 #ancienthistory #history

A post shared by Ben Loomis (@vandysseus) on Jan 14, 2020 at 8:29am PST

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What a time to be alive. www.bit.ly/RamessesVI Tour Ramesses VI tomb in Egypt right from wherever you are. #pharoah #egypt #ramesses #ramessesvi #ramessesvitomb

A post shared by Wendy Day (@rapcoalition) on Jul 13, 2020 at 7:38pm PDT

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The Tomb of Ramesses VI, The Valley of Kings, Egypt. . . . #ramessesvi #ramessesvitomb #ramesses #tomb #tombs #thevalleyofthekings #egypt #valleyofthekings #valleyofthekingsegypt #egyptian #egyptiantombs

A post shared by @ marla.singer.is.trash on May 18, 2020 at 10:47pm PDT

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The absolute breathtaking gorgeousness of the #valleyofthekings #ramessesVItomb #luxoregypt #egypt

A post shared by Cindy (@cindyl307) on Apr 3, 2019 at 2:06pm PDT