VISITING THE TOMB OF SETI I IN THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS I think its the most interesting tomb in Luxor.

THE MOST INTERESTING TOMB IN THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS 🇪🇬 IS THE ONE FOR SETI I (c.1294–1279 BC). I enjoyed my visit.

It was rediscovered on 16 October 1817by Giovanni Battista Belzoni, who entered it 2 days later.

He said the paint on the walls still looked fresh – and that brushes and paints were still on the floor. The work must have been finished abruptly and that, for me, adds to this tomb’s appeal. The reason is that in some rooms, the craftsmen stopped work at different stages of their work – so it’s easy to put together how a tomb was decorated.

You can have a look at my video https://youtu.be/AL7qjzdzDwQ

Less than 100m from Tutankhamun’s tomb this tomb is frequently closed, perhaps to ‘rest’ it or to allow remedial work. It’s also one of the premium tombs – where an extra payment for entry is required. For most visitors to the Valley of the Kings this means they will not visit it so if, like me, you do pay the extra to visit Seti I tomb (KV17) you may well be all alone in the subterranean world – apart from the ever-present guardians.

As with the tomb of Nefertari, his daughter-in-law, there is no glass between a visitor and the art they have come to see. In most tombs in the Valley of the Kings there is – and the glass and casing in these are poorly designed and rarely cleaned.

The tomb of Seti I (KV17) began its route to immortality with careful research by the royal architects. They would have first surveyed the limestone valley to find a suitable location, looking for solid rock faces without major faults or weak points. The placement was crucial – they needed some elevation above the valley floor to protect against flash floods while ensuring the rock was stable enough for extensive tunnelling.

Once the location was decided, the design process started, with architects creating preliminary sketches on papyrus or ostraca (limestone flakes) to map out the tomb’s complex layout – it is set on several levels. Seti I’s tomb is notably longer and deeper than previous royal tombs, extending about 137 meters into the cliff.

After the basic layout was approved, specialized workers began the arduous task of cutting into the limestone. They used copper and bronze chisels, along with stone hammers, to carve out the initial tunnel. The excavation followed a carefully planned downward slope, with teams working in relay to remove the stone debris. Workers used plumb bobs and levels to ensure the corridors maintained proper alignment and angle. In the 18th and early 19th dynasties, the slope was steep; later it was less steep.

After the basic tunnelling was complete, stone workers smoothed the walls using harder stone tools and possibly copper scrapers. This created an even surface for the artists to work on. Good quality limestone was washed over with a limewash, any natural faults in the rock were filled with a rough plaster, followed by a form of stucco limestone plaster to create perfect surfaces for decoration.

The artistic decoration followed a well-organized sequence. First, architects and priests would have determined the theological program – deciding which religious texts and scenes would go where. This wasn’t random – each chamber’s decoration had specific religious significance and needed to be positioned correctly for magical effectiveness. After all, the afterlife of the king depended on getting this right.

The artistic process itself involved multiple steps:

1. Master scribes drew gridlines on the walls using red ochre paint – unfortunately, I can’t get this to show in my photos 🙁  .
2. They then sketched the initial outlines of figures and hieroglyphs, again in red ochre paint.
3. Master artists refined these sketches in black paint.
4. Sculptors carved the outlines, creating raised or sunken relief.
5. Painters then added colour using natural pigments.

The pigments were carefully prepared from natural materials: red and yellow ochre from Iron Oxides, blue from Egyptian blue, green from Malachite, black from Carbon, and white from Gypsum or Calcium Carbonate. These were mixed with natural binders like Egg white or Animal-based glue to create long-lasting paint.

The artwork was executed under difficult conditions. Workers used oil lamps for light, and scaffolding would have been necessary for reaching higher areas. The tomb needed a ventilation system to allow fresh air to reach the workers deep inside.

Seti I’s tomb has consistency and quality in its decoration. The relief carving is exceptionally deep and precise; the finest craftsmen in Egypt worked on it. The painting style shows remarkable sophistication in its modelling of figures and use of colour gradients – techniques that weren’t common in other tombs of the period. The later tomb of Nefertari must have benefited from the experience gained from this tomb – perhaps even the same craftsmen worked on both.

This was the first royal tomb to feature a vaulted burial chamber with a complete astronomical ceiling, depicting the constellations of the northern sky as they were understood in the 19th Dynasty.

This massive project would have employed hundreds of workers over several years, including architects, quarrymen, artists, sculptors, and labourers. In Egypt, there were different teams working on separate locations, and within the teams, members had specific tasks. In Seti’s temple at Abydos – I feel that it is possible to see the style of a team. The entire process was overseen by high-ranking officials who ensured the work met royal standards and were rewarded by the king – or even his son, Ramesses II.

Unlike many other tombs of the Valley of the Kings that have suffered from exposure and time, the artistry here remains remarkably preserved, with colours still in good condition after almost 3,500 years.

As you proceed through the tomb’s chambers, you encounter the stunning Amduat from the 9th Hour, a spiritual text depicting the sun god Ra’s nighttime journey through the underworld. This particular scene shows Ra’s solar bark navigating the depths of the netherworld, surrounded by protective deities. The detailed craftsmanship reveals why this tomb is considered one of the finest examples of New Kingdom art.

Further along, a powerful scene depicts the god Anubis greeting Pharaoh Seti I. The jackal-headed deity of mummification holds Seti I  in welcome, symbolising his role in guiding the king through the afterlife. The hierarchical scaling of the figures – Anubis and Seti portrayed at the same height – reflects the pharaoh’s divine status in death.

The Book of Gates provides another spectacular example of funerary art, particularly the depiction of the solar bark.

This sacred boat, carrying the sun god through the hours of night, appears with intricate details of its divine passengers. The surrounding hieroglyphs tell of the vessel’s journey between the realms of the living and the dead.

Reaching the burial chamber, the lower sections have niches that once held magical bricks (seen in the above photo just above the 2nd blue band) inscribed with protective spells from the Book of the Dead. Each brick, aligned with the cardinal points, served as a mystical guardian for the pharaoh’s eternal rest.

Perhaps for today’s humans, the most incredible aspect of any Pharaoh’s tomb is that it might only be seen, once closed, by the Gods and a resurrected Pharaoh.

One of the chamber’s key items is found today in London. Belzoni obtained permission from the then ruler, Mohammed Ali Pasha, to remove many items from Egypt. Mohammed Ali Pasha was at that time consolidating his newly won power in Egypt after his remarkable 1809/11 power grab. He must have been inundated with similar requests and innumerable other issues. The sarcophagus of Seti I was shipped to London.
The British Museum famously rejected the purchase for £2,000, which allowed the architect Sir John Soane to acquire it in 1824.
A statue head of his son Ramesses II had been shipped to London in 1818 by Belzoni. The statue head of one of Ramesses II’s predecessors, Amenhotep III, was shipped with the sarcophagus of Seti I. Ramesses II did, however, usurp Amenhotep III’s statue, having its features recarved to try and match the official image of Ramesses II. Both heads are in the main Egyptian statue gallery of the British Museum.

The sarcophagus is made of translucent calcite (often called Egyptian alabaster) and was originally infilled with “Egyptian Blue” pigment.  Today it can still be seen in Sir John Soane’s Museum.