The tomb of Seti I referred to as KV17, is located in the southeast branch of the wadi in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. The tomb is also known as Belzoni’s Tomb, the Tomb of Apis, and the Tomb of Psammis. Seti I ruled during the nineteenth dynasty. The tomb is among the deepest and longest of all tombs in the valley. Egyptologists believe this to be one of the most complete of all tombs and note that its religious text inscriptions are fully complete.
Discovery Of The Tomb
KV17 is 100 meters long and was first found by Giovanni Belzoni in October 1817. The tomb later became known as the "Apis tomb" because when Belzoni discovered the tomb a mummified bull representing the bull god Apis was found in a side room off the burial chamber.
More About KV17
The tomb of Seti I is the longest in the valley, measuring 137 meters. There are a total of seven corridors and eleven chambers and side rooms. There is also an unusually long descending passage on the floor of the burial chamber, a feature that’s unique to this tomb of Seti I.
Decorations Inside The Tomb
The tomb of Seti I is among the most decorated tombs of the valley and is covered with numerous decorations and religious text inscriptions. Text from the Litany of Ra, Book of the Dead, Imydwat, Book of Gates, the Opening of the Mouth Ritual, and the Book of the Heavenly Cow decorates the various walls of this tomb, making this an ideal place for Egyptologists to learn more about ancient Egypt. Other scenes adorning the tomb are astronomical concepts, the owner with deities, and pictures of the Pharaoh alone. KV 17 is said to be the first tomb that had a vaulted burial chamber that was built in the valley. When the tomb was first discovered by Belzoni, he found the wall paintings in excellent condition with the paint on the walls still looking fresh and some of the ancient artists’ paints and brushes still lying on the floor inside the tomb.
Current Condition
Due to extensive damage to the tomb, it's closed to the public. The sarcophagus was removed from KV17 and taken to the Sir John Soane’s Museum in London. It’s said that the tomb was damaged when a wall panel was removed from the corridor. The scenes that were removed are now in the Museum of Florence and in Berlin and at the Louvre. The excavations by people in the late 50s and 60s led to the collapsing or cracking of many walls in the tomb. This damage has also caused a considerable alteration in the moisture levels of the rocks surrounding this tomb.
