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Deir El-Medina: The Secret Village of the Valley of the Kings Artists

Discover Deir El-Medina, Luxor's ultimate "hidden gem." This is the secret 3,000-year-old village of the artists who built the Valley of the Kings. Explore their stunningly vibrant, colorful tombs, which are filled with personal art showing daily life, not just royal rituals. Then, walk the "main street" of the actual village ruins. It’s a unique, "behind-the-scenes" look at the real people of ancient Egypt.

EFT Team
August 25, 2021
Updated: November 9, 2025

For 500 years, the pharaohs of the New Kingdom were buried in the secret, golden tombs of the Valley of the Kings. But have you ever asked: who actually built them?

Welcome to Deir El-Medina, the “hidden gem” of the Luxor West Bank. This is the secret, walled village where the royal craftsmen, artisans, and artists who carved and painted the Valley of the Kings lived, worked, and died.

This is not a site for kings or gods. This is a “behind-the-scenes” look at the “middle class” of ancient Egypt—the highly-skilled, literate, and well-paid workers. And because they were the best artists in the land, they saved their finest work for their own tombs. The result is a place of breathtaking, vibrant color and personal, human-scale history.

Why Is Deir El-Medina a “Must-See”?

While the Valley of the Kings is about “royal afterlife,” Deir El-Medina is about “real life.”

The tombs here are tiny, but their paintings are arguably the most beautiful and best-preserved in all of Luxor. The colors are so vibrant they look like they were painted last week, not 3,000 years ago.

Because these were their own tombs, the artists had total creative freedom. The walls are not just filled with religious texts; they are covered in joyful, detailed, and personal scenes—spouses playing a board game, a family picnicking in the fields, and beautiful, intricate patterns.

What You Will See: A Tour of the Village

A visit to Deir El-Medina is a complete experience. You don’t just see the tombs; you see the entire community.

1. The Tombs (The Main Event)

This is why you are here. Your ticket grants you entry to several small, beautifully decorated tombs. You will descend a steep staircase into a tiny, vaulted burial chamber that is completely covered in art. Don’t miss these two:

Tomb of Sennedjem: This is the “Sistine Chapel” of Deir El-Medina and the most famous tomb here. Its ceiling and walls are in perfect condition. Look for the famous scene of Sennedjem and his wife in the afterlife, walking through the green fields of paradise.
Tomb of Inherkau: This tomb features incredible details and unique scenes, including a famous painting of the deceased with a cat under his chair.

2. The Village Ruins (The “Great Pit”)

After the tombs, you’ll walk to the “Great Pit.” This is the actual, 3,000-year-old village where the workers lived. You can walk down the “main street” and see the stone foundations of their homes. You can see the layout of their living rooms, kitchens, and sleeping platforms. It’s a remarkable, tangible link to their daily lives.

3. The Ptolemaic Temple

At the entrance to the site stands a small but beautiful Ptolemaic temple. This temple was built thousands of years after the village, but it’s one of the best-preserved of its kind. It was dedicated to the goddesses Hathor and Ma’at (goddess of truth), who was a fitting patron for the workers.

Egypt Fun Tours Pro-Tip: Deir El-Medina is where archaeologists found thousands of ostraca. These were small-shards of pottery used as “ancient notepads.” The workers used them to practice drawing, write letters, do laundry lists, and even write love poems. It’s because of these ostraca that we know so much about their “real” daily lives!

How to Visit Deir El-Medina

Location: The village is on the West Bank of Luxor, but it’s in its own separate, hidden valley.
How Long: A visit takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.
The Perfect Combination: Deir El-Medina is not on the same ticket as the Valley of the Kings. It’s located very close to the Valley of the Queens.

The perfect “Egypt Fun Tours” itinerary is to combine a visit to Deir El-Medina with the Valley of the Queens (to see Nefertari’s tomb) and the Temple of Hatshepsut. It makes for a perfect, easy-to-navigate half-day tour.

Let us take you to this secret village. Our expert guides will do more than just show you the paintings—they’ll tell you the stories of the real people who lived, loved, and worked here, creating the masterpieces you see today.

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