The Enchanted Slumber of Pharaoh Siptah in the Whispering Valley of the Kings

Beside the southern fringe of the Valley of Dreams, the tomb of Pharaoh Siptah stands out from its kin. Unlike the neighboring resting places, this one is not carved into the stone face of the cliff, but into a long, flowing ribbon of rock stretching from north to south. This flowing peninsula separates Siptah's resting place from the main valley, barricaded by imposing wooden doors. The Pharaoh's sigil is etched upon the threshold, showing this to be a solitary royal tomb, built for a Pharaoh alone.

On the 18th of December in the year 1905, it was Edward R. Ayrton who unveiled the entrance to this incomplete crypt; however, fear of peril stopped his excavations. Three years later, in 1912, it was Harry Burton who dared to return, only to be faced by a wall where Side Chamber Ja of Tia'a's tomb, KV32, continued past the entrance. Today, the tomb remains just as it was discovered, unfinished to the core. It possesses no storeroom chambers and only one fragment of alabaster sarcophagus, unearthed within its burial chamber, hints that this tomb was prepared for a Pharaoh of extraordinary power and awe.

The enchanting riddles that enshroud Pharaoh Siptah's final resting place continue to animate the Valley of the Kings, where tales of the abandoned dreams of days gone by still echo with each visit.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons