El-Assasif

Al-Asasif is an extensive necropolis on the eastern slope of the Theban hills in West Thebes, just east of Deir el-Bahri. It served as a burial ground across three major phases of pharaonic history: officials of the Middle Kingdom (c. 2055–1650 BC), the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1070 BC), and the Late Period (c. 664–332 BC) all commissioned rock-cut tombs and subterranean chambers here. The Late Period tombs — particularly those of the 25th and 26th Dynasties — are especially remarkable for their vast open courtyards and shaft systems descending more than 60 meters below the desert surface. Painted reliefs and hieroglyphic texts preserve rich records of funerary belief and the lives of the buried officials. Only part of the site is open to the public; ongoing excavations by Egyptian and international teams continue to yield new discoveries.