Egyptian authorities on May 14 (local time) displayed a plaster wall of the tomb of pharaoh Tutankhamun in Luxor, and announced 2 ancient tombs that have been restored on the west bank of the city. The two tombs date back to the New Kingdom and contain images depicting daily life and funeral rituals.
General Director of the Luxor Antiquities Agency Abdelghaffar Wagdy said that this wall is a unique artifact that has never been recreated in Egypt or anywhere else in the world, because most of the Egyptian pharaohs' tombs have been looted.
“Therefore, this is a unique artifact, currently the only artifact on display more than 100 years after the tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered. This is the only remaining artifact of Tutankhamun that the world has never seen before. Recently, a group of Egyptian experts have restored it,” he said at an exhibition in Luxor.
The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities informed that the original plaster barrier at pharaoh Tutankhamun's tomb is considered one of the prominent factors associated with sealing the tomb. Pharaoh Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922.
This wall was first publicly displayed at the Luxor Museum, once used to protect the entrance to the burial chamber and bear official seals reflecting funeral rituals as well as administrative power related to the burial of the pharaoh, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Mr. Wagdy said that on the wall there are seals of pharaoh Tutankhamun and seals of the royal cemetery guards - those responsible for protecting tombs from theft.
The West Bank of the Nile in Luxor is home to the Valley of Kings - the burial area of pharaohs and nobles of the New Kingdom in tombs drilled into rocky mountains.
Among the many New Kingdom pharaohs buried here is Tutankhamun - often called King Tut. This tomb existed from the 14th century BC and the treasure inside was excavated in 1922.
The two tombs that have just been opened belong to Rabuya and his son Samut, of the 18th Dynasty - the first dynasty of the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt. According to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Rabuya and Samut used to guard the gates for the god Amun.
Today we opened 2 very important tombs, discovered by chance in 2015" - Mr. Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, said.
These two tombs contain images depicting activities such as agriculture, harvesting, handicrafts, baking, pottery making and winemaking.
