Tourists Can Now Visit This 4,000-Year-Old Egyptian Tomb

Image: PHOTO: Pyramid of Djoser in the Saqqara necropolis, Egypt. (photo via Boyce Fitzgerald/iStock/Getty Images Plus)
Image: PHOTO: Pyramid of Djoser in the Saqqara necropolis, Egypt. (photo via Boyce Fitzgerald/iStock/Getty Images Plus)
Patrick Clarke
by Patrick Clarke
Last updated: 11:58 AM ET, Fri September 14, 2018

The 4,000-year-old Tomb of Mehu has opened to the public for the first time near Giza, Egypt, CNN reported.

Originally discovered by Egyptologist Zaki Saad in 1940, the tomb had been closed for decades until the recent completion of important restoration work.

The Tomb of Mehu belonged to a high-ranking official who lived during the reign of King Titi in the Sixth dynasty of Egypt and features colorful wall decorations depicting how Egyptians lived as far back as before the pyramids.

The vibrant scenes include activities such as hunting, fishing, cooking, and dancing.

The secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, described the tomb as being among the most beautiful in the Saqqara necropolis, an ancient burial ground near Cairo.

Officials have strengthened the colors and installed a lighting system inside of the six-chamber tomb in an effort to enhance the visitor experience.

Egypt was the fastest-growing tourist destination in 2017, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization's (UNWTO) 2018 Tourism Highlights Report, reporting 55.1 percent growth in international arrivals last year.

The rise is encouraging for the country's tourism officials as the industry is in the midst of a recovery after being dealt a major blow in wake of political turmoil at the start of the decade.

The Tomb of Mehu's highly anticipated opening comes less than a year after officials opened Egypt's "cursed tombs" to the public for the first time. Meanwhile, three new tombs were also discovered about 125 miles south of Cairo last year.


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Patrick Clarke

Patrick Clarke

Senior Editor

A Maryland native and wanderer who has lived across the U.S. from North Carolina to SoCal, Patrick Clarke graduated from Towson University with a B.S. in journalism. He previously worked for Bleacher

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