TT255 measures just 4 by 1.85 meters — smaller than most modern bathrooms — and it’s still one of the most rewarding small stops on Luxor’s West Bank. In ancient Egypt, status wasn’t only about square footage. It was about what you could afford to put on the walls, and Roy clearly afforded a lot.
Roy lived at the end of the 18th Dynasty, during the reign of Horemheb, holding the titles Royal Scribe and Overseer of Crops and Livestock for the Temple of Amun. His wife Nebtawy — known as Tawy — served as Chantress of Amun, a role carrying real religious and social standing of its own. The tomb sits in Dra Abu el-Naga, a quieter section of the Theban Necropolis than the crowded Valley of the Kings, and consists of a single decorated room, a stela niche, and a burial shaft leading to the actual burial chamber.
A Small Room, Fully Used
Despite the size, TT255’s walls are divided into distinct sections that each carry part of Roy’s story. The left wall shows agricultural life across four registers — plowing, harvesting flax, leading animals, and a man carrying a calf as an offering. Friezes of Hathor heads and Anubis jackals line the tops of the walls for divine protection, while scenes from the Book of Gates sit alongside images of Roy and Nebtawy before the gods Nefertem and Ma’at. Offering tables piled with bread, beer, and flowers round out the room, expressing the hope for eternal sustenance that runs through nearly every Egyptian tomb.
The ceiling deserves a look up: painted geometric rectangles and small floral patterns, separated by a central yellow band, still vivid after more than 3,000 years.
Visiting the Tomb of Roy
- Location: Dra Abu el-Naga, easily paired with the nearby Tomb of Shuroy (TT13), just north of Roy’s tomb.
- Ticket: TT255 is sold within the Dra Abu el-Naga cluster ticket system alongside Shuroy (TT13) and other tombs in the area. For the current grouping and pricing, see our Dra Abu el-Naga guide and entrance fees page.
- Time needed: 10–15 minutes; it’s a single small room.
- Photography: Usually requires a separate camera ticket; check on arrival.
- Accessibility: Rock-cut hillside tomb; not wheelchair accessible.
- Best time: Early morning, for light and cooler temperatures.
If you only have time for one Dra Abu el-Naga stop, TT255 makes the case that a tomb doesn’t need scale to make an impression — just a well-used wall and 3,000 years of surviving color.