The Theban Necropolis is located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite Luxor, in Egypt. As well as the more famous royal tombs located in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, there are numerous other tombs, more commonly referred to as Tombs of the Nobles (Luxor), the burial places of some of the powerful courtiers and persons of the ancient city.
There are at least 415 cataloged tombs, designated TT for Theban Tomb. There are other tombs whose position has been lost, or for some other reason do not conform to this classification. Theban tombs tended to have clay funerary cones placed over the entrance of the tomb chapels. During the New Kingdom they were inscribed with the title and name of the tomb owner, sometimes with short prayers. Of the 400 recorded sets of cones, only about 80 come from cataloged tombs.
The numbering system was first published Arthur Weigall's 1908 Report on the Tombs of Shêkh Abd’ el Gûrneh and el Assasîf (up to TT 45–100)A. E. P. Weigall, ‘A Report on the Tombs of Shêkh Abd’ el Gûrneh and el Assasîf’, ASAE 9 (1908), 118–36: "As will be seen, I have renumbered them all, and I trust that in future these numbers will always be held to, so as to avoid confusion. The tombs have been numbered in a haphazard sort of way two or three times, and one often finds two or more numerals marked down for each tomb. A few years ago Mr. Newberry made out a complete list of new numbers, and Mr. Carter had these neatly painted on wooden boards. The list, so far as I can make out, was then lost, and the boards were piled in a back room, where I found them. They ran consecutively from 100 to about ho, but I could only find a few of the numerals below 40. For this reason, I commenced my numbering at 100, and outside the doorway of each tomb the number has been nailed so that there can be no mistake."As Weigall explains, previous numbering schemes, such as that in the Baedeker Travel Guide (1902) had not been followed consistently. and then more fully in Alan Gardiner and Arthur Weigall's 1913 A Topographical Catalogue of the Private Tombs of Thebes (TT 1–252).A Topographical Catalogue of the Private Tombs of Thebes Gardiner and Weigall acknowledged that the numbers do not follow any topographical order, and are due the order in which the tombs were discovered.A Topographical Catalogue of the Private Tombs of Thebes, p.10: "The numbers employed in this Catalogue are the same as will be found marked outside the actual tombs; it is greatly hoped that these will meet with general acceptance. It will be noted that the numbering follows no topographical order. It will pain the pedantically-minded — I confess it is not wholly pleasant even to myself — that, for example, tomb 42 should adjoin no 110, and access be had to 145 from 17. Such incongruities are for the most part due to the succession in which the tombs were discovered; in practice they do not in any way impair the utility of the numbering. The purpose in assigning numbers to the tombs is to provide a series of abbreviations to be used in quotation, and so long as the numbers given are easily referred to in a printed Catalogue it matters little what order they follow. Any attempt to modify our numbering at the present juncture would introduce serious confusion into the already somewhat chaotic literature of Egyptology. Scholars are therefore begged to make shift with it, whatever its imperfections." Their publication was followed by Reginald Engelbach's A Supplement to the Topographical Catalogue of the Private Tombs of Thebes (TT 253 to 334), extended further in Bernard Bruyère,B. Bruyère, ‘New Details for Insertion in the Theban 1/1000 Scale Maps: I. Deir el-Madina’, ASAE 25 (1925), 174–177. N. de Garis Davies,Norman de Garis Davies (N. de G. Davies, ‘New Details for Insertion in the Theban 1/1000 Scale Maps. II: Sheykh ‘Abd el-Qurna and Dira’ Abu’l Naga’, ASAE 25 (1925), 239–241 Ahmed Fakhry,A. Fakhry, ‘A Report on the Inspectorate of Upper Egypt’, ASAE 46 (1947), 37–54) and later in Bertha Porter & Rosalind Moss's Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs, and Paintings.
In 1996, published Die thebanische Nekropole zum Wandel des Grabgedankens von der XVIII. bis zur XX. Dynastie (2 vols.), documenting over 400 private tombs. She assigned numbers between dashes to previously unnumbered tombs – mainly undecorated and/or previously undocumented. These tombs are not included in the lists below.
TT1–TT100 Designation Owner(s) Title(s) Location Dynasty(s) TT1 Sennedjem Servant in the Place of Truth Deir el-Medina 19th Dynasty – Seti I, Ramesses II TT2 Khabekhnet Servant in the Place of Truth Deir el-Medina 19th Dynasty – Ramesses IIBenedict G. Davies, Who's who at Deir el-Medina: A Prosopographic Study of the Royal Workmen's Community, Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten, 1999, Khabekhnet in TT335, pg 46–47, Chart for Genealogy of Sennedjem (7) TT3 Pashedu Servant in the Place of Truth Deir el-Medina 19th Dynasty – Seti I, Ramesses II TT4 Qen Sculptor of Amun Deir el-Medina 19th Dynasty – Ramesses IIBenedict G. Davies, Who's who at Deir el-Medina: A Prosopographic Study of the Royal Workmen's Community, Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten, Leiden, 1999 TT5 Neferabet Servant in the Place of Truth Deir el-Medina 20th Dynasty TT6 Nebnefer and Neferhotep Chief of Workmen Deir el-Medina 19th Dynasty – Horemheb – Ramesses II TT7 Ramose Scribe in the Place of Truth Deir el-Medina 19th Dynasty – Ramesses II TT8 Kha Chief of the Great Place Deir el-Medina 18th Dynasty – Amenhotep II, Thutmose IV – Amenhotep III TT9 Amenmose Servant in the Place of Truth Deir el-Medina 20th Dynasty – Ramesses III TT10 Kasa and Penbuy Servant in the Place of Truth Deir el-Medina 19th Dynasty – Ramesses II TT11 Djehuty Overseer of Treasury and of Works Dra' Abu el-Naga 18th Dynasty – Hatshepsut, Thutmose III TT12 Hery Overseer of the Granary of Queen Ahhotep Dra' Abu el-Naga 17th Dynasty/18th Dynasty – Seqenenre Tao – Amenhotep I TT13 Shuroy Chief of the Brazier-bearers of Amun Dra' Abu el-Naga 20th Dynasty TT14 Huy Priest of Amenhotep, the Image of Amun Dra' Abu el-Naga 19th Dynasty – Ramesses II TT15 Tetiky Mayor of Thebes Dra' Abu el-Naga 18th Dynasty – Ahmose I TT16 Panehsy Prophet of Amenhotep of the Forecourt Dra' Abu el-Naga 19th Dynasty – Ramesses II TT17 Nebamun Scribe, Physician of the King Dra' Abu el-Naga 18th Dynasty – Amenhotep II TT18 Baki Chief Weigher of the Gold of Amun Dra' Abu el-Naga 18th Dynasty – Thutmose III TT19 Amenmose First Prophet of Amenhotep of the Forecourt Dra' Abu el-Naga 18th Dynasty – Amenhotep I TT20 Montukherkhopshef Mayor of Busiris Dra' Abu el-Naga 18th Dynasty – Thutmose III TT21 User Scribe, Steward of Thutmose I Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Thutmose I TT22 Wah, usurped by Meryamon Eldest of the King Royal Butler Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty TT23 Thay (Tjay) called To Royal Scribe of Dispatches Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 19th Dynasty – Merneptah TT24 Nebamun Steward of the Royal Wife Nebtu Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Thutmose III TT25 Amenemheb First Prophet of Khonsu El-Assasif 19th Dynasty – Ramesses II TT26 Khnumemheb Overseer of the treasuries in the Ramesseum El-Assasif 19th Dynasty – Ramesses II TT27 Sheshonk Chief steward of the Princess Ankhnesneferibre El-Assasif 26th Dynasty – Apries, Amasis II TT28 Hori Officer of the Estate of Amun El-Assasif 20th Dynasty TT29 Amenemipet called Pairy Vizier of the South, Mayor of Thebes Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Amenhotep II, Thutmose IV TT30 Khonsumose Scribe of the Treasury Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 20th Dynasty – Ramesses III TT31 Khonsu First Prophet of Thutmose III Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 19th Dynasty – Ramesses II TT32 Djehutymose Chief steward of Amun El-Assasif 19th Dynasty – Ramesses II TT33 Padiamenope Prophet, Chief Lector priest El-Assasif 25th Dynasty – Taharqa and 26th Dynasty – Psamtik I TT34 Mentuemhat Fourth Prophet of Amun, Mayor of Thebes El-Assasif 25th Dynasty – Taharqa and 26th Dynasty – Psamtik I TT35 Bakenkhonsu High Priest of Amun Dra' Abu el-Naga 19th Dynasty – Ramesses II TT36 Ibi Chief steward of the "Adorer of the God" El-Assasif 26th Dynasty – Psamtik I TT37 Harwa Chief steward of the Divine Wife El-Assasif 25th Dynasty – Taharqa TT38 Djeserkaraseneb Scribe, Counter of the Grain in the Granary of Amun Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Thutmose IV TT39 Puimre Second Prophet of Amun El-Khokha 18th Dynasty – Thutmose III TT40 Amenhotep called Huy Viceroy of Kush Qurnet Murai 18th Dynasty – Tutankhamun TT41 Amenemopet called Ipy Chief steward of Amun in Thebes Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 19th Dynasty – Ramesses I – Ramesses II TT42 Amenmose Captain of Troops, Eye of the King in Retjenu Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Thutmose III, Amenhotep II TT43 Neferronpet Kitchen-master of the King Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Amenhotep II TT44 Amenemheb Priest in Front of Amun Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 20th Dynasty TT45 Thoth, usurped by Thothemheb High Priest of Amun Chief Weaver of the Estate of Amun Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Amenhotep II and 19th Dynasty – Ramesses II TT46 Ramose Steward, Overseer of the Estate of Amun Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Amenhotep III, Akhenaten TT47 Userhet Overseer of the Royal Harim El-Assasif 18th Dynasty – Amenhotep III TT48 Amenemhat called Surer Chief steward El-Khokha 18th Dynasty – Amenhotep III TT49 Neferhotep Chief Scribe of Amun El-Khokha 18th Dynasty – Tutankhamun – Horemheb TT50 Neferhotep Divine Father of Amun-Ra Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Horemheb TT51 Userhat called Neferhabef First Prophet of Thutmose I Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 19th Dynasty – Seti I TT52 Nakht Scribe, Astronomer of Amun Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Thutmose IV TT53 Amenemhat Agent of Amun Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Thutmose III TT54 Huy, usurped by Kenro and Khonsu Sculptor of Amun Priest of Khonsu Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Thutmose IV, Amenhotep III TT55 Ramose Vizier of the South, Mayor of Thebes Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Amenhotep III, Akhenaten TT56 Userhet Royal Scribe, Child of the Royal Nursery Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Amenhotep II TT57 Khaemhat Royal Scribe, Overseer of Royal Granaries Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Amenhotep III TT58 Unknown, usurped by Amenhotep and Amenemonet Overseer of the prophets of Amun Kitchen, K. A. Ramesside Inscriptions, Translated & Annotated, Translations. III. Blackwell Publishers.(1996)Scribe in the Ramesseum Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Amenhotep III and 19th Dynasty – 20th Dynasty TT59 Qen First Prophet of Mut, Lady of Asher Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Thutmose III TT60 Senet Mother or wife of Intefiqer. Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 12th Dynasty – Senusret I TT61 Useramen Vizier of the South, Mayor of Thebes Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Hatshepsut, Thutmose III TT62 Amenemwaskhet Overseer of the Cabinet Sheikh Abd el-Qurna 18th Dynasty – Thutmose III TT63 Sebekhotep Overseer of the seal