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Egypt Reopens Amenhotep III’s Vast Valley of the Kings Tomb After Two-Decade Restoration

The unveiling serves as a showcase for conservation as Egypt courts visitors ahead of next month’s Grand Egyptian Museum opening.

Visitors view the tomb of Amenhotep III, who ruled ancient Egypt between 1390 B.C. and 1350 B.C., in the Valley of Kings in the southern city of Luxor, Egypt, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, as it opened to visitors for the first time in more than two decades. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
A visitor looks at the tomb of Amenhotep III, who ruled ancient Egypt between 1390 B.C. and 1350 B.C., in the Valley of Kings in the southern city of Luxor, Egypt, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, as it opened to visitors for the first time in more than two decades. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Marzena A. Ozarek, President of mummy research center, films the sarcophagus of King Amenhotep III, who ruled ancient Egypt between 1390 B.C. and 1350 B.C., at his tomb in the Valley of Kings in the southern city of Luxor, Egypt, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, as it opened to visitors for the first time in more than two decades. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Restored artifacts seen at the tomb of Amenhotep III, who ruled ancient Egypt between 1390 B.C. and 1350 B.C., in the Valley of Kings in the southern city of Luxor, Egypt, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, as it opened to visitors for the first time in more than two decades. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Overview

  • Egypt’s tourism and antiquities minister, Sherif Fathy, opened the site to reporters in Luxor on Saturday after more than 20 years of work.
  • Supreme Council of Antiquities chief Mohamed Ismail Khaled said the rescue involved over two decades of delicate stabilization led by Japanese partners with UNESCO support and more than 260 specialists.
  • Visitors now view floor-to-ceiling paintings with vivid blues and the massive granite sarcophagus lid etched with hieroglyphics inside the sprawling complex.
  • The tomb descends through a 36‑meter, downward-sloping corridor to the king’s burial chamber, with adjoining rooms for Queens Tiye and Sitamun.
  • Officials are positioning the reopening as part of a tourism push, noting that many original objects were removed long ago to institutions including the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum and Highclere Castle.