While most visitors to the Valley of the Kings flock to the tomb of Tutankhamun, a quieter mystery lies a short detour away in the Western Valley. Tomb WV23 is the final resting place of Pharaoh Ay — a ruler whose name was chiseled from the walls, whose mummy has never been found, and whose story is woven with intrigue, ambition, and the twilight of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Though damaged and nearly empty, it remains one of the most fascinating stops in ancient Thebes for those willing to venture off the beaten path.
Who Was Pharaoh Ay? The Man Behind the Tomb
To understand the importance of WV23, we must first know Ay. He rose from a high‑ranking official under Akhenaten to become vizier of Tutankhamun before seizing the throne himself. His reign lasted a brief four years, marking the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Ay was already elderly when he became pharaoh, inheriting a kingdom still recovering from the religious upheaval of the Amarna Period. His wife, Tey, had been nurse to Nefertiti — a connection explored in our guide to Women in Ancient Egypt. Some scholars even suggest Ay was the brother of Queen Tiye, further anchoring him to the royal family. His title “Divine Father” (It-netjer) underscores his intimate role in the upbringing of the young king Tutankhamun.
Where Is the Tomb of Ay (WV23), and What Makes It Unique?
WV23 lies in the western branch of the Valley of the Kings — an area known as Wadi el-Gurud, or the Valley of the Monkeys, after the famous baboon painting inside Ay’s burial chamber. This isolation from the crowded main valley adds to its aura of secrecy.
The tomb’s architecture is unusual. Instead of the bent axis typical of earlier Eighteenth Dynasty tombs, WV23 features a straight corridor descending to a well chamber and then directly into the burial chamber — a design reminiscent of the royal tomb of Akhenaten at Amarna. The entire structure stretches about 100 meters, but only the burial chamber is decorated, making the vivid artwork inside feel all the more powerful.
Was WV23 Built for Tutankhamun?
Many Egyptologists, including renowned scholar Nicholas Reeves, believe WV23 was originally carved for Tutankhamun. The tomb lacks a canopic chest, its shrine, faience shabtis, or the gilded burial shrines that would typically surround a royal sarcophagus. When the young king died unexpectedly, his hastily prepared KV62 (the tomb we know today) was expanded, and the more spacious WV23 was given to Ay. The stylistic similarities between the wall paintings in WV23 and KV62 suggest the same team of royal artists worked on both.
“WV23 was almost certainly the original tomb of Tutankhamun, later usurped by Ay.” — Nicholas Reeves, The Complete Valley of the Kings
Discovery and Early Exploration of WV23
The modern history of WV23 began in 1816 when the larger‑than‑life Italian explorer Giovanni Battista Belzoni uncovered it while working in the Western Valley. After clearing a stone cairn, he and his team entered to find painted walls and a quartzite sarcophagus. Later visitors were less impressed. In 1845, Karl Richard Lepsius noted that Ay’s name had already been deliberately erased from the walls. The most thorough excavation came in 1972, led by Otto Schaden of the University of Minnesota Egyptian Expedition, whose work revealed many of the details we know today.
Inside WV23: The Wall Paintings That Impress
Despite the tomb’s modest size, its burial chamber is a masterpiece. The east wall features a rare scene: the king hunting birds in the marshes with his queen Tiy, using a boomerang — an intimate glimpse of Ay’s noble background rather than purely divine imagery. On the southwest wall, the nine gods of the Ennead appear with Ra‑Horakhty, while the northwest wall shows Ay and his ka receiving offerings from Nut and being embraced by Osiris.
The chamber also contains chapters from the Book of the Dead. Notably, the Four Sons of Horus are depicted above the canopic niche for the first time in a royal tomb — a significant evolution in funerary art.
The Desecration: Why Was Ay’s Tomb Deliberately Destroyed?
The damage in WV23 was no accident. The sarcophagus was smashed, and the names and images of Ay and his queen Tey were systematically chiseled away. All valuable funerary goods were stolen. The likely culprit is Horemheb, the military general who succeeded Ay and sought to erase all memory of the Amarna “heresy.” In ancient Egyptian belief, removing a pharaoh’s name condemned them to eternal oblivion. By defacing Ay’s monuments, Horemheb legitimized his own claim as the direct successor of Amenhotep III, bypassing the entire Amarna interlude.
The Sarcophagus and the Mystery of the Missing Mummy
The red quartzite sarcophagus inside the burial chamber today is a reconstructed piece. Originally taken to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, it was returned after Otto Schaden’s 1972 excavation. Its corners are carved with the protective goddesses Isis, Nephthys, Selkis, and Neith, mirroring the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun.
But where is Ay’s mummy? It has never been positively identified. Some scholars suggest it may lie in the tomb of Horemheb (KV57), moved there during later restorations. Others point to the “yellow skeleton” found among later mummies in nearby WV25 — a tantalizing possibility. The question remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of the Valley of the Kings.
Visiting the Tomb of Ay (WV23): What You Need to Know
WV23 is separate from the main Valley of the Kings and requires a short drive or walk into the Western Valley. Because of its isolation, you’ll often have the burial chamber entirely to yourself — a rare treat in Luxor. The tomb is generally open daily from 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM in summer, and until 4:00 PM in winter. Entrance is included with the Luxor Pass, or you can purchase a separate ticket (approx. EGP 200 for foreign adults).
When inside, look closely at the marsh‑hunting scene on the east wall, find the baboon panel that gave the valley its name, and notice the chisel marks where Ay’s face and cartouche were erased. Those absences tell a story as powerful as any intact relief.
For those planning a deeper exploration of Luxor’s royal necropolises, the complete guide to Luxor attractions and best tours in Luxor will help you craft an itinerary that includes both famous tombs and hidden gems like WV23.