Tutankhamun was one of Egypt’s 19th-century Pharaohs. His reign is famous for introducing many innovations, including the design of the Tutankhamun mask, the city of Luxor and the famous tomb that houses his remains. Many people travel to Egypt every year to see this famous tomb. The tomb’s fame is only matched by the mystery surrounding its illustrious occupant.
Known as King Tut because he was believed to be aged 17 when he died, this royal tomb is now one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. Its fame was cemented when Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon discovered the tomb in November 1922.
The tomb’s interior is filled with luxury items and artwork from Tut’s era- including his golden funeral chariot, ceremonial weapons and a collection of gold jewelry. The robbers who discovered the tomb were especially excited to find Queen Nefertiti’s golden jewelry in Tut’s innermost chamber.
The ancient Greeks and Romans weren’t the only groups to rediscover and loot King Tut’s tomb. In 1912, an Austrian couple named Karl and Kristina Fischer toured Egypt with their five children. During their visit to Karnak temple, they noticed a broken sun disk on the ground.
Upon closer examination, they found that this broken artifact concealed a secret chamber! The Fischer family was one of the first groups to break into King Tut’s tomb and pilfer his riches. Sadly, they didn’t have enough time to escape with all their booty before discovery. They were subsequently imprisoned inside King Tut’s own tomb!
To prevent future robberies, a new tomb was built for King Tutankhamun’s remains. This was the first step towards restoring his mummy to its original appearance. Egyptian officials also created more stringent regulations for exploring ancient tombs- meaning Carter had to work quickly to find other pharaohs’ tombs before another group saw what he’d done first.
After three months of excavation, Carter entered Tutankhamun’s sealed chamber on February 4th, 1925. He fell to his knees in prayer as he gazed upon King Tut’s royal possessions for the very first time.
Despite losing many artifacts during previous robberies, Carter managed to successfully unearth Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s famous tomb. His treasures remain some of the most famous artifacts from ancient Egypt today.
The famous masked Pharaoh is now revered as a paragon of morality in ancient Egyptian mythology. His death has spawned a host of sequels and spin-offs that continue to reveal new secrets about this beloved royal figure.
