Pictured
KHAMUN OUT
Tutankhamun’s ‘cursed’ golden sarcophagus pictured outside tomb for first time ever – as experts race to save ‘cracking coffin’
KING Tutankhamun's sarcophagus has been pictured outside his tomb for the first time since its discovery 100 years ago.
The Egyptian boy king's gold-plated coffin – believed by some to be cursed – is being urgently restored along with thousands of other artefacts for a new museum exhibit.
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Archaeologists are racing to repair the damaged sarcophagus, which is now weak and cracking apart.
"Preliminary examination carried out on the outer coffin inside the tomb revealed that it was suffered from general weakness," said Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities in a statement.
"It had also developed cracks in its gilded layers of plaster, especially those of the lid and base.
"An immediate intervention to restore the coffin inside a suitable environment is now required."
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It's the first time that the coffin has ever been worked on by archaeologists since discovery.
British archaeologist Haward Carter discovered the tomb of the 18th dynasty king in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor in 1922. The tomb was untouched and included about 5,000 artefacts.
Many believe Tut's remains are cursed as the opening of his tomb was followed by a string of deaths of people involved with the discovery.
Archaeologists, and even their family members, died from horrible illnesses or in strange accidents – and some say the deaths weren't a coincidence.
Tut's sarcophagus and the treasured collection of his tomb are expected to be the centrepiece of the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) that Egypt will open next year near the Pyramids of Giza.
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Who was King Tutankhamun?
Here's everything you need to know...
- King Tutankhamun is the most famous of Egypt's ancient pharaohs
- He ruled Egypt more than 3,000 years ago from 1332 to 1323 BC
- Tut is known as the "boy king" as he was just 10 years old when he took the thrown
- When he became the king he married his half-sister Ankhesenpaaten. They had two daughters together but both were stillborn.
- Tut died aged just 19 under mysterious circumstances
- Some believe that King Tut was assassinated but most believe that his death was an accident
- The pharaoh is also famous for the suposed curse that haunts his tomb
- After the tomb's discovery in 1922, archaeologists, and even their family members, died from horrible illnesses or in strange accidents – and some say the deaths weren't a coincidence
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Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities said the coffin was transported from Tut's tomb in southern Egypt to the GEM last month "in order to be restored for the first time since the tomb’s discovery".
"The coffin has suffered a lot of damage, including cracks in the golden layers of plaster and a general weakness in all golden layers,” said GEM expert Eissa Zidan.
Restoration work on the coffin, which is made of wood and covered with gold, will take about eight months, he added.
It was the only sarcophagus left in Tut's tomb after the two other coffins of Tutankhamun were moved to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo's Tahrir square in 1922.
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Egypt has previously announced that the GEM, which has been under construction for about 15 years and is partially funded by Japan, will officially open by the end of 2020.
Tutankhamun, a pharaoh of the 18th Egyptian dynasty, ruled Egypt from 1332 to 1323 B.C.
He is most famous for his age – experts believe the boy was 10 when he took the reigns of the world's most powerful empire.
His death aged just 19 has puzzled experts for decades. Some believe he died of a broken leg or other accident, while others suspect he was assassinated.
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Curse of the Pharaohs – who died after King Tutankhamun's tomb was opened?
Tutankhamun's tomb was opened on November 29, 1922. These are the deaths that followed...
- Lord Carnarvon (died April 5, 1923) – a financial backer of the excavation, he died from an infected mosquito bite
- George Jay Gould I (died May 16, 1923) – a tomb visitor who died from a fever following his visit
- Prince Ali Kamel Fahmy Bey (died July 10, 1923) – an Egyptian prince who was shot and killed by his wife
- Colonel The Hon. Aubrey Herbert, MP (died September 26, 1923) – the half-brother of Lord Cardnarvon, he died from blood poisoning related to dental work
- Sir Archibald Douglas-Reid (died January 15, 1924) – the radiologist who X-Ray Tut's tomb died from a mysterious illness
- Sir Lee Stack (died November 19, 1924) – the Governer-General of Sudan was assassinated driving through Egypt's capital, Cairo
- A. C. Mace (died April 6, 1928) – a member of Howard Carter's excavation team, he died from arsenic poisoning
- The Hon. Mervyn Herbert (died May 26, 1929) – another half-brother of Lord Carnarvon, he died from malarial pneumonia
- Captain The Hon. Richard Bethell (died November 15, 1929) – Howard Carter's personal secretary, he died from a suspected smothering in a Mayfair club
- Richard Luttrell Pilkington Bethell (died February 20, 1930) – father of Richard Bethell, he supposedly threw himself off his seventh floor apartment
- Howard Carter (died March 2, 1939) – Carter opened Tut's tomb, and died aged 64 from Hodgkin's disease. His older brother William died the same year
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The news follows the dramatic opening last year of a mysterious 2,000-year-old sarcophagus hidden inside a buried tomb in Egypt.
The coffin's discovery at the beginning of July caused a stir in the archaeology community after worried onlookers warned over an ancient curse.
Despite concerns over an evil jinx, archaeologists broke open the sinister stone coffin and live-streamed the operation for the world to see.
While they didn't find any banshees or demons inside, they did discover three decomposed mummies submerged in rancid sewer water.
Inside King Tutankhamun’s lavishly decorated tomb
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Do you believe King Tut's tomb is cursed? Let us know in the comments...
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