Known to the Egyptians as The Sceptre, Thebes was Egypt's most magnificent and sacred city for more than a thousand years. It was famed throughout the ancient world for its wealth of monuments and treasures, and its shrines, palaces and royal tombs continue to astound us today - from the great temples of Karnak and Luxor to the riches of Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Treasures of the Pharaohs presents, in stunning photographs, a vivid picture of this great city and its treasures - from its origins as a strategic provincial town to its pinnacle in the New Kingdom as the seat of Egypt's empire. The book looks at the reign of each pharaoh in turn and examines his or her contribution to the city's treasures and monuments, including the tombs in the Valley of the Kings and those of associated queens, courtiers and officials. The authoritative commentary sets the glories of ancient Thebes in their geographical, historical and artistic context, and includes the latest research into mysteries such as the lost temple of Akhenaten and the tomb of the sons of Ramesses II.