Egypt opened the tomb of Pharaoh Amenhotep III in Luxor on Saturday after more than 20 years of renovation. The reopening comes ahead of the Grand Egyptian Museum’s official launch in Cairo on November 1.
The tomb sits on the western side of the Valley of the Kings. Amenhotep III, known as Amenhotep the Great, ruled ancient Egypt from 1390 BC to 1350 BC. Archaeologists discovered the tomb in 1799, but looters stole many of its treasures, including the sarcophagus.
A Japanese-led team restored the tomb in three phases over two decades. Workers renovated paintings of the pharaoh and his wife on the walls. The tomb features a 36-meter-long passageway leading to a main burial chamber for the king and two chambers for his wives, Queens Tiye and Sitamun.
Unlike other tombs in the valley, it isn’t fully decorated. Paintings show Amenhotep III with Egyptian gods, and inscriptions in the burial chamber depict scenes from the Book of the Dead. The pharaoh’s mummy was moved to his grandfather’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
Egypt hopes the reopening will boost tourism, a key source of foreign revenue, after years of decline following the 2011 political unrest. Visitors can now explore the tomb’s restored art and ancient history firsthand.
