These ancient tombs are roughly cut from the natural rock, and though they are not as well preserved as some of those to be visited in the Luxor or Cairo areas, these show fine examples of hieroglyphic texts detailing the careers of their owners as well as scenes of daily life in the earlier periods. Tombs of this period are usually fairly inaccessible in most places south of Cairo. Many of the tombs in the Qubbet el-Hawa necropolis of nobles are linked together as family members added their own chambers.

The tombs are still being excavated, though significant finds were made in 2014 and 2017 CE. Most of the tombs in the Princes' cemetery follow a simple plan, with an entrance hall, a pillared room and a corridor leading to the burial chamber.

circa

The Tombs of the Nobels is part of an archaeological site, today known as as the Qubbet al-Hawa (Dome of the Wind). The modern name is derived from the dome of the tomb of an Islamic sheikh situated atop the peak of the hill. Archaeologically, the term is also usually understood as referring to the site of the tombs of the officials lined up on artificial terraces below the summit of the river Nile bank upon which the Islamic tomb stands.

circa 1950 BCE

QH31: Tomb of Sarenput II
Sarenput II built for himself the finest and largest tomb of Qubbet el-Hawa (No. 31). In spite of the tomb's grandness, only the niche and few pillars of the innermost chamber are decorated; nevertheless, the scenes are vividly painted and detailed, chiefly depicting the tomb owner. After crossing a courtyard, a hallway lead to a large hall whose ceiling is supported by six pillars. Then another hallway – with several niches containing osirian statues of Sarenput on both sides – lead to the inner room, with four pillars and a niche once hosting a granodiorite statue whose remains are now in the British Museum (EA98).

circa

QH33: Tomb of Heqaib III and Ameny-Seneb
The tomb QH33 is a stunning example of Ancient Egyptian precision, a final resting place not just for a person, but for a piece of the sun itself. Imagine the governor of Elephantine, his tomb a stage for rebirth, constructed over years with incredible foresight. The genius of it all lies in the tomb's alignment: every year, on the winter solstice, a perfect shaft of sunlight pierces the darkness to illuminate the very spot where his statue once stood. It's more than a tomb; it's a monumental timepiece, designed to connect the man to the celestial order of his universe and guarantee his eternal journey. While time has taken its toll, the sheer ambition of its creators still echoes from the rock walls, a silent testament to a belief in a solar-powered afterlife.

circa

QH34: Tomb of Khunes and Ankheseni
The tomb designated QH34 tells a complex story far more sprawling than its solar-aligned neighbor. Originally conceived as a vast burial site during the Old Kingdom for a governor named Khunes and his relatives, the complex was a large-scale project featuring a monumental stairway and extensive courtyards. Yet, its history didn't end with ancient Egyptian burials; centuries later, after enduring natural collapses, a community of Byzantine monks transformed parts of the sprawling funerary complex into a Christian church. Stepping through its repurposed spaces, visitors can witness the profound passage of time etched in the stone, where the symbols of one faith were covered by the plaster of another, creating an extraordinary dialogue between sacred traditions. This layering of history is what makes QH34 so compelling—a place where the promise of a pagan afterlife gave way to a new kind of spiritual life within the very same walls.

circa 2260 BCE

QH35: Tomb of Heqaib
Like many rock-cut tombs at Qubbet el-Hawa, QH35 was not a single, isolated burial but a family funerary complex that evolved over generations. The specific tomb designated QH35d was the resting place of Pepinakht Heqaib, a high-ranking official who served in the late Old Kingdom under King Pepi II. The broader QH35 complex also included burials for other family members, including a reuse of the space centuries later during the Late Middle Kingdom. Though the shifting sands and passage of time have obscured some of its history, the tomb and its surrounding area contain a wealth of information about how a powerful family navigated life and death in ancient Egypt. Its excavation and ongoing study reveal both the grandeur of its original builders and the continuity of reverence that saw later burials placed within its venerable rock walls.

circa 1885 BCE

QH36: Tomb of Sarenput I
Sarenput I was buried in a large rock-cut tomb at Qubbet el-Hawa (No. 36), which was decorated in sunk reliefs at the outside, and lively painted in the interior. The tomb is composed of three rooms connected by hallways; the first two chambers are provided with colonnades while the innermost has a niche that once housed a statue of the owner. Unfortunately, the whole tomb suffered significant damage over time.