Tutankhamun’s Tomb (also known as the Tutankhamun Tomb)

Beginning in 1332 BC, a young boy king rose to power and became Pharaoh of Egypt during the 18th Dynasty, an era of Egyptian history known as the New Kingdom.

In the Egyptian language, the name Tutankhamun means ‘Living Image of Amun,’ which translates as “Living Image of Amun.”

In 1922, the then well-known British archeologist Howard Carter and his crew discovered the virtually entire Tomb and Burial chamber of Tutankhamun, which drew international attention owing to the sheer beauty and awe of the magnificent tombs and items found there.

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Location

Luxor in Upper Egypt is just a short one-hour flight away from Cairo, or it may be reached by taking the night sleeper train from Cairo (which takes roughly ten hours).

There are two ways to get there from Hurghada: by plane (30 minutes) or by car (about 4 hours). There are two options: a vehicle trip from Aswan (3 hours) or a Nile cruise over a few days of sailing.

History

With its location on the West Bank of Luxor and its view of the Nile, the Tomb of Tutankhamun is unquestionably one of the best-preserved royal tombs ever unearthed.

This tomb, which has been hidden for more than 3000 years, has somehow withstood both floods from the Nile and attacks by tomb robbers, who were prevalent throughout history.

While it was Howard Carter who was ultimately responsible for the discovery of the Tomb, it was an American businessman named Mr. Theodore Davis who was the first to find artifacts that pointed to the tomb’s location.

Mr. Carter was persuaded to assume that there was a massive find nearby after discovering these objects and then doing more digs in the surrounding area.

A tiny trench near the Tomb area was unearthed, including a variety of artifacts including embalming materials, gold foil linen bundles, and pieces of shattered crockery.

Carter was joined by various dignitaries, including Lady Evelyn Herbert, Lord Carnarvon, and Calendar, his assistant, when the Tomb was found for the first time in April 1831.

They had earlier discovered a workman’s cottage adjacent to Ramses IV’s Tomb, which they had dug up while working nearby.

When this cottage was taken down, it exposed a step that would later prove to be crucial in the finding of the main entryway to the Tomb.

First, Carter used candlelight to peek through a little hole he had made. The sight that Carter witnessed completely took his breath away.

Reflections of vivid gold flashed back at him in a dazzling display. Extremely fast, they increased the depth of the drilling until they had created a gap large enough to fit through.

When they first entered, they were taken away by the exquisitely crafted golden furniture and items, which led to other chambers and antiques beyond their expectations.

The Tomb had previously been plundered, but thankfully, the bulk of the precious objects was still there and could be found.

Now on display at the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities in Cairo, the Sarcophagus and Golden figured Head of the Boy King was notably visited and photographed with Princess Diana just before her death in 1997.

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