Tutankhamun tomb to be closed as of October for maintenance

Antiquities Minister Mamdouh Damaty said on Sunday that Tutankhamun tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor will be closed to tourists as of October for maintenance.

In press statements, Damaty said the step was coordinated with the Permanent Committee for Antiquities to protect the tomb.

The maintenance works will cover the tomb floor, said head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector Mahmoud Afifi.

He added that the mummy, which returned in August to the Valley of the Kings instead of Tahrir Museum, will be moved from its current location at the tomb's entrance hall to a side chamber to preserve it until the maintenance works are finished.

King Tut Ankh Amun was one of the kings of the 18th dynasty of the New Kingdom of the Pharaonic period. He was the ruler of Egypt from 1334 till 1325 BC.

The tomb was discovered in the 4th of November 1922 by the British archaeologist that has become world wide famous after this discovery, Howard Carter.

While Carter was doing some excavation works in the tunnel leading to the tomb of Ramses IV in the Valley of the Kings, he noticed that there was a large cellar. Carter went on with his excavation until he entered the tomb of Tutankhamun.

This discovery was considered among the most important scientific discoveries in the 20th century due to the fact that the mummy of the king Tutankhamun was found instinct and in a fairly good condition with all its wonderful necklaces, rings, sticks, and crowns that are made out of gold and the purest types of wood.

Source: MENA