LUXOR, Egypt — Egypt has reopened the grand tomb of Pharaoh Amenhotep III to visitors after more than 20 years of restoration, marking a major milestone in the country’s efforts to revive its tourism industry ahead of the Grand Egyptian Museum’s much-anticipated opening in Cairo next month.
The massive tomb, located on the western side of Luxor’s famed Valley of the Kings, belonged to Amenhotep III, who ruled ancient Egypt from 1390 BCE to 1350 BCE. It was first discovered in 1799, although most of its original contents, including the sarcophagus, were looted long ago, according to the Egyptian Antiquities Authority.
The restoration project, led by a Japanese archaeological team, took place in three phases over two decades. It involved stabilizing the structure, restoring the wall paintings of the pharaoh and his wife, and preserving key architectural features.
“It’s a very fascinating tomb,” said Mohamed Ismail, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, in an interview with The Associated Press. He noted that the site still contains the frame of the sarcophagus box, with its lid positioned where it once lay.
The tomb features a 36-meter (118-foot) downward-sloping passageway leading 14 meters (45 feet) underground. It includes a main burial chamber for the king and two additional chambers for his wives, Queens Tiye and Sitamun.
Unlike other royal tombs in the valley, Amenhotep III’s burial site is not fully decorated. The existing paintings depict the pharaoh alongside ancient Egyptian gods, while inscriptions inside the burial chamber display passages from the Book of the Dead — a collection of spells meant to guide the deceased through the afterlife.
Amenhotep III’s mummy was later transferred by ancient priests to the tomb of his grandfather, Amenhotep II, also in the Valley of the Kings. The damaged mummy is now exhibited at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, along with the remains of 16 other rulers from Egypt’s 18th Dynasty.
Known as “Amenhotep the Great,” the pharaoh ascended the throne as a teenager and reigned for nearly 38 years during one of Egypt’s most prosperous eras.
The reopening comes just weeks before the official inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza Pyramids, scheduled for November 1. Both events form part of Egypt’s broader initiative to draw more international tourists and strengthen a sector that has struggled since the 2011 uprising.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
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