Egypt opens 4000 year old tomb for tourists

Tomb of Mehu

Egypt has allowed the public to visit a 4000-year old tomb in the Saqqara necropolis near Giza on Sunday, 9th September, for the first time, as part of tourism promotion.

The tomb was discovered in 1940 by Egyptologist Zaki Saad, which is said to be belongs to an ancient Egypt high-ranking official named Mehu who was related to the first king of the 6th dynasty.

“It is a beautiful tomb, and it was discovered in 1940. We are making sure to persistently to showcase our cultural contents for tourists. This is why we open tombs for visitors and in the past two or three years, we opened a large number of museums such as Sohag’s museum after 30 years of works. Today we opened this previously discovered tomb to invite ambassadors and show the media that Egypt is safe,” said Khaled El Anany, Minister of Antiquities.

Wall inscriptions inside the tomb of Mehu

The tomb included two chambers both with wall inscriptions of the owner of the tomb as well as drawings showing aspects of Ancient Egyptian lives such as hunting and acrobatic dancing.

As per the inscriptions, Mehu lived during the reign of King Pepi and held 48 titles. “He was a vizier, the chief of judges and the director of the palace at the time of the King Titi, the first king of the 6th dynasty,” said, Zahi Hawass, Egytpian Archaeologist and Egyptology.

Egypt is hoping these discoveries will enhance its image abroad and restore interest among travelers who once flocked to its iconic pharaonic temples and pyramids but turned back from the country since its political instabilities in 2011.