During the New Kingdom ‎(‎c‎.‎ 1570‎-1070 BCE‎)‎‎,‎ the Valley of the Kings was the burial place of Egypt‎'‎s pharaohs‎,‎ including such powerful and famous rulers as Amenhotep III‎,‎ Rameses II‎,‎ and Tutankhamen‎.‎ They were buried here in large and beautifully decorated tombs that have become among the country‎'‎s most visited archaeological sites‎.‎ The tourists contribute millions of badly needed dollars to Egypt‎'‎s economy‎.‎ But because of inadequate planning‎,‎ these same visitors are destroying the very tombs they come to see‎.‎ Crowding‎,‎ pollution‎,‎ changes in the tombs‎'‎ air quality‎,‎ ever‎-growing tourist infrastructure‎-all pose serious threats to the Valley‎'‎s survival‎.‎This volume‎,‎ the result of twenty‎-five years of work by the Theban Mapping Project at the American University in Cairo‎,‎ traces the history of the Valley of the Kings and offers specific proposals to manage the site and protect its fragile contents‎.‎ At the same time‎,‎ it recognizes the need to provide a positive experience for the thousands of visitors who flock here daily‎.‎This is the first major management‎.‎‎.‎‎.‎