Following the tomb’s ransacking a mere 20 years after burial, the mummies of both Ramsses V and Ramsses VI were moved to Amenhotep II’s tomb where they were found in 1898 CE and taken to Cairo.

The tomb of Ramesses VI seems to have been robbed shortly after his burial. Reports which date at the latest from Ramesses IX's reign report the interrogation of five robbers who took four days to break into the tomb.

Ramesses V started the construction of KV9, cutting from the entrance through chamber E. His uncle, Ramesses VI, finished the excavation of the tomb,decorating thenew sections with his own name and images, and practically usurping representations and cartouches of Ramesses V in the firt five corridors.

It is, however, not known whether Ramesses VI removed the body of Ramesses V, or if two kings shared the tomb. KV9 has been open since antiquity and nerly one thousand graffiti in Greek, Latin, and Coptic are writted over the ancient Egyptian scenes.

When the lower corridors and chambers were being cut, workmen accidentally broke in to the rear chamber of KV12. The tomb was not finished; Burial Chamber J has an incomplete burial pit in the floor, pillars and pilasters wereleft unfinished and Chamber K was started but again not completed.

circa 1145 BCE

The layout is typical of the 20th Dynasty – the Ramesside period – and is much simpler than that of Ramesses III's tomb (KV11). In the Graeco-Roman period, the tomb was identified as that of Memnon, the mythological king of the Ethiopians who fought in the Trojan War. As a result, it was frequently visited; 995 graffiti left by visitors have been found on the temple walls, ranging from the 1st century CE to the 4th century CE.

circa 1145 BCE

Entryway A
Entryway A measures 3.66 meters in width and extends 15.8 meters in length. The passage slopes downward in the form of a ramp, ultimately leading to Gate B. On the south, or left-hand side, traces of an ancient work plan were discovered high up near the overhang. This sketch depicted the intended vaulting of the ceiling of Burial Chamber J, providing direct insight into the original architectural planning of the tomb.

Gate B
Gate B stands 3.6 meters high, 2.76 meters wide, and extends 0.74 meters in length and acts as the modern day entrance to the tomb KV9. A large overhang projects outward above its entrance, giving the gate a pronounced architectural profile. Evidence of closure mechanisms is preserved here: pivot holes and a ceiling recess at the beginning of Corridor B indicate that the gate was meant to be sealed by large wooden double doors. The lintel is adorned with a large sun disk enclosing both a scarab and a ram-headed man, flanked on either side by kneeling figures of the goddesses Isis and Nephthys, along with the cartouches of Ramesses VI. No decoration survives on the soffit, but the reveals and thicknesses bear the names of Ramesses VI, cut over those of his predecessor, Ramesses V.

Graffiti is abundant. On the lintel, a Coptic cross was carved, and three Greek graffiti are also preserved. On the north jamb, a single Greek graffito was incised, while the south jamb preserves four separate Greek texts. These inscriptions testify to the long history of visitors entering the tomb after its original use.

circa 1145 BCE

Corridor B
Corridor B measures 3.84 meters in height, 3.17 meters in width, and runs for 14.94 meters in length. At the top of this corridor, a recess indicates the presence of a door or possibly multiple doors that once opened inward. The floor has a gentle slope which terminates in a shallow ramp, guiding the visitor toward the next gateway.

On both sides of the passage are scenes showing Ramesses VI standing before Ra-Horakhty and Osiris (inspect), though these images were originally created for Ramesses V and later usurped. Along the south wall begins a nearly complete version of the Book of Gates, while the north wall carries an almost complete version of the Book of Caverns. The ceilings in the first sections are adorned with astronomical figures and constellations, whereas in the final two sections, extending into the first hall (designated Hall E by Piankoff), the decoration shifts to a double rendering of both the Book of the Day and the Book of the Night, framed by an elongated depiction of the goddess Nut.

The corridor walls preserve a remarkable number of graffiti—hundreds in total—inscribed in Phrygian (sometimes referred to as Anatolian), Demotic, Greek, Hieratic, and Latin. This multilingual assemblage reflects the wide range of individuals who entered the tomb across different historical periods.

circa 1145 BCE

Gate C
Gate C rises to a height of 3.49 meters, is 2.81 meters wide, and extends 0.76 meters in length. Its lintel is decorated with a winged sun disk, while the reveals and thicknesses once again carry the names of Ramesses VI carved over those of Ramesses V. The soffit features a depiction of a vulture, continuing the protective iconography. Door pivot holes demonstrate that large wooden double doors originally closed the gate.

Graffiti is present in significant numbers: eleven Greek graffiti are preserved on the north jamb and six additional examples on the south jamb.

circa 1145 BCE

Corridor C
Corridor C measures 3.65 meters in height, 3.18 meters in width, and stretches 12.37 meters in length. High in the walls on either side are pairs of horizontal rectangular recesses (inspect), the function of which remains debated but are generally interpreted as architectural or structural features. The corridor floor is level throughout most of its extent, ending with a shallow ramp at the west side that leads into Gate D.

Gate D
Gate D stands 3.48 meters high, 2.72 meters wide, and measures 0.76 meters in length. As with earlier gates, pivot holes confirm that it too was designed to be sealed by large wooden double doors. The lintel is decorated with a winged disk, and the soffit bears a vulture. On the reveals and thicknesses appear the names of Ramesses VI, once more superimposed over those of Ramesses V.

circa 1145 BCE

Corridor D
Corridor D measures 3.65 meters in height, 3.18 meters in width, and 10.37 meters in length. At its rear, the floor ends in a descending ramp. Immediately above this descent, pairs of vertical rectangular recesses are cut into the walls opposite one another, positioned just before Gate E. The corridor is particularly notable for its epigraphic record: nearly two hundred graffiti have been identified, written in Greek, Demotic, Latin, and Phoenician. This makes Corridor D one of the most intensively inscribed spaces in the tomb.

circa 1145 BCE

Gate E
Gate E measures 3.52 meters in height, 2.74 meters in width, and 0.75 meters in length. Its decoration continues the iconographic program seen in earlier gates, with a winged sun disk (inspect) on the lintel, the names of Ramesses VI on the reveals and thicknesses (again cut over those of Ramesses V), and a vulture carved onto the soffit.

circa 1145 BCE

Chamber E
The Chamber E (or the well-chamber-E) measures 3.63 meters in height, 4.16 meters in width, and 4.51 meters in length. Unlike many comparable royal tombs, no well shaft was cut into its floor. However, the central section of the floor lies at a lower depth than the sides, suggesting a subtle differentiation in the chamber’s internal design.

No well shaft was cut into the floor, although the depth of the floor in the central part is lower than the sides. The left (south) half of the chamber contains the eighth division (P)/ninth hour (H) and ninth division (P)/tenth hour (H) of the Book of Gates. The right (north) half of the chamber contains the fifth division of the Book of Caverns. The ceiling continues the Books of the Day and the Night.

Gate F
Gate F has a height of 3.5 meters, a width of 2.7 meters, and extends 1.2 meters in length. The lintel displays a winged sun disk, while the reveals and outer thicknesses bear the names of Ramesses VI. A vulture decorates the soffit. A pivot hole cut into the right, or north, side reveals that this gate was intended to be closed by a single large wooden door.

circa 1145 BCE

Pillared Chamber F
The pillared chamber beyond Gate F measures 3.69 meters in height, 8.44 meters in width, and 7.22 meters in length. Originally, the chamber was sealed by the large door of Gate F. At its center, a broad descent divides the chamber into two halves, flanked by four pillars, with two positioned on each side.

On the south (left) wall of the pillared Hall F, the decoration continues the Book of Gates, specifically divisions ten and eleven. These include the concluding scene of the composition, in which the god Nun is depicted lifting the solar bark of Ra from the primordial waters, with the goddess Nut extending above the scene. The north wall, in turn, preserves the continuation of the Book of Caverns. Above the entrance to the following corridor, Ramesses VI is represented performing rites of censing and libation before Osiris. Elsewhere in the hall, the king appears in additional ritual contexts before a range of deities, including Meretseger, Khonsu, Ptah, and Ptah-Sokar-Osiris. The ceiling decoration of the hall contains the concluding sections of the Book of the Day and the Book of the Night, arranged within the framing figure of the elongated goddess Nut. At the far end of the chamber, the descending ramp leading to the next corridor is guarded by paired images of winged cobras, each crowned, embodying the protective goddesses of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Graffiti is again present here, with texts in Greek, Latin, and Arabic. Among these, one Arabic inscription dates to 1895 CE, while a Greek graffito has been securely dated to 168 CE, providing rare chronological anchors for later use of the space.

circa 1145 BCE

Descent F
The sloping passage of Descent F measures 3.26 meters in height, 3.16 meters in width, and 9.88 meters in length. Its decoration is striking and among the richest of the tomb. On the south wall, Nekhbet is depicted as a winged cobra, crowned with the red and white crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt. Beyond her figure begins the first hour of the Amduat (often transcribed as Imydwat), where the goddess Neith also appears in the form of a winged cobra.

On the opposite, or north wall, the goddess Meretseger is represented as a serpent wearing the red crown. Below her image begins the sixth hour of the Amduat, accompanied by Serqet as a winged cobra. The underside of the overhang is adorned with three vultures with outspread wings, alternating with text bands that record the names of Ramesses VI. These motifs emphasize divine protection of the descent toward the deeper chambers.

Gate G
Gate G stands 3.53 meters high, 2.71 meters wide, and extends 0.61 meters in length. The lintel is decorated with a winged sun disk, while the reveals and thicknesses again carry the cartouches of Ramesses VI. The soffit features a vulture, continuing the consistent protective program of the tomb’s gateways.

circa 1145 BCE

Corridor G
Corridor G measures 3.7 meters in height, 3.17 meters in width, and 7.31 meters in length. The floor is level for most of its extent, but toward the west end a ramp descends through Gate H. Just before this gate, a pair of beam holes is cut into the walls. These holes likely supported a cross beam, slightly longer than the width of the corridor, which could be swung into place across the passage. It is thought that this arrangement was used as an anchor point to lower the sarcophagus and other heavy articles into the inner chambers.

Graffiti is well attested here, with seventy-one examples preserved in Coptic, Greek, and Latin. Two of the Greek inscriptions carry dates: one from 16 BCE and another from 151 CE. These are of particular significance, as they provide concrete evidence for the tomb’s accessibility in both the late Ptolemaic and Roman periods.

circa 1145 BCE

Gate H
Gate H is 3.49 meters in height, 2.72 meters in width, and 0.61 meters in length. Its decoration follows the established formula: a winged sun disk appears on the lintel, the cartouches of Ramesses VI occupy the reveals and thicknesses, and the soffit displays a vulture.

circa 1145 BCE

Corridor H
Corridor H is the tallest of the passageways thus far, measuring 5.04 meters in height, 3.16 meters in width, and 9.73 meters in length. During its construction, the builders accidentally broke into Chamber G of tomb KV12. To remedy this, the ceiling and floor at one end of the corridor were lowered, leaving visible alterations in the rock.

The corridor contains a dense collection of graffiti: sixty-six in Greek and a single inscription in Latin. Among these, two carry explicit dates—44 CE and 191 CE—demonstrating again the sustained use of the tomb as a site of visitation across centuries.

Chamber I
Chamber I measures 3.75 meters in height, 4.16 meters in width, and 4.53 meters in length. Both the walls and ceiling are decorated, although not all of the decorative program survives intact. Twelve graffiti have been identified within this chamber, carved into its walls by later visitors.

Gate J
Gate J has a height of 3.45 meters, a width of 2.62 meters, and a length of 1.03 meters. It is more complex than the earlier gates, featuring a compound jamb and a step down that leads directly to the ramp descending into the burial chamber. A pair of pivot holes is cut into the soffit at the tops of the inner and outer thicknesses, demonstrating that the gate could be closed by a set of doors. In addition, two horizontal recesses were cut into the edges of the burial chamber floor, designed to receive the bottoms of the door leaves when they were fully opened. The lintel is decorated with a winged disk, and the outer thicknesses carry the names of Ramesses VI.

circa 1145 BCE

Burial Chamber J
The main burial chamber is the largest space in the tomb, measuring 6.93 meters in height, 13.04 meters in width, and 8.9 meters in length. Work here was never completed. Excavation slowed considerably when the cutters encountered a thick seam of calcite, which proved extremely difficult to work. This same geological seam also runs through Chamber E of KV9 and through the well chamber of tomb KV8 (Merenptah). The four pillars closest to the entrance were left incomplete because of this obstruction, leaving visible evidence of the abandoned labor.

At the center of the chamber lies the burial pit, its sides roughly widened to accommodate the enormous red granite sarcophagus box of Ramesses VI and remains unfinished. In the burial hall a broken granite sarcophagus was found. Today the sarcophagus lies broken into two sections, with the foot half still partly resting within the pit.

The rear wall of the chamber was modified during construction. Four pilasters were cut but left incomplete, while at the center of the wall a recess was opened, measuring 4.28 meters in height, 2.48 meters in width, and 4.06 meters in length. It may have been intended as the start of an additional chamber, but work was abandoned. Despite its incompleteness, the burial chamber is richly decorated on all surfaces. Thirty-five graffiti have been recorded here, attesting again to the long history of visitation after the New Kingdom.

The roof and the walls of the chamber are filled with fine images of Ramses VI with various deities, as well as scenes from the Book of the Earth, showing the sun god’s progress through the night, the gods who help him and the forces of darkness trying to stop him reaching the dawn.

circa 1145 BCE

The roof of the burial chamber is decorated with a magnificent figure of Nut and scenes from the Book of the Day and Book of the Night. The burial chamber itself is beautifully decorated, with a superb double image of Nut framing the Book of the Day and Book of the Night on the ceiling. This nocturnal landscape in black and gold shows the sky goddess swallowing the sun each evening to give birth to it each morning in an endless cycle of new life designed to revive the souls of the dead pharaohs.

circa 1145 BCE

Outer Sarcophagus of Ramesses VI
Fragments of a large granite sarcophagus were discovered when Georges Émile Jules Daressy cleared the tomb in 1898 CE. The sarcophagus was restored in 2004 following two years of work on over 250 fragments recovered in the tomb, where it is now on display.

circa 1145 BCE

Mummiform Sarcophagus of Ramesses VI
The Ramesses VI's mummiform stone sarcophagus was found in numerous pieces. Substantial parts of the lower sections of Ramesses VI's sarcophagus still lie in his burial chamber, and the face (inspect) of which is now in the British Museum.

The sarcophagus of Ramesses VI, shattered in antiquity, was reconstructed in 2003 CE from the framents found in the king's tomb and else where in the Valley of the Kings. The stone is hard green conglomerate, quarried in the Wadi Hammamat, about a hundred kilometers from Luxor in the Eastern Desert.

The sarcophagus, orginally painted blue, red, yellow and black is stained by ointments used in the burial ritual. Carved decoration tells the story of the king's afterlife through symbolism connecting him with the sun god Ra and Osiris. The face on the lid is a replica of the original, which has been in the British Museum since 1823 CE.

This sarcophagus was placed inside a granite box, of which two huge fragments remain in the burial chamber. The mummified body of Ramesses VI was found in the nearby tomb of Amenhotep II in 1898 CE and now rests in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.

circa 1145 BCE

The tomb KV9 is decorated with an extensive number of funerary texts; including, The Book of Gates, the Book of the Day, the Book of the Earth, the Book of the Caverns, the Imydwat and the Book of the Dead.