Egyptian
archaeologists have unearthed the tomb of a nobleman from more than 3,000 years
ago.
This discovery is the
latest in a series of major discoveries of ancient relics that Egypt hopes will
revive a tourist business that has been hit by political instability.
The find near the Nile
city of Luxor, is the tomb of Userhat, a judge from the New Kingdom.
It consists of an open
court leading into a rectangular hall, a corridor and inner chamber, the
Ministry of Antiquities said.
In one of the rooms in
the tomb, archaeologists found a collection of figurines, wooden masks and a
handle of a sarcophagus lid.
Excavation is
continuing in a second chamber.
Earlier this year,
Swedish archaeologists discovered 12 ancient Egyptian cemeteries near the
southern city of Aswan that date back almost 3,500 years.
In March, Egypt unearthed
an eight-metre statue in a Cairo slum that is believed to be King Psammetich I,
who ruled from 664 to 610 BC.
Hisham El Demery, chief
of Egypt’s Tourism Development Authority, said tourism was picking up and
discoveries like the one at Luxor would encourage the sector.
“These discoveries are
positive news from Egypt’s tourism industry, which is something we all really
need,” he said.
Tourism in Egypt has
suffered in the aftermath of the mass protests that toppled former president
Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
Militant bomb attacks
have also deterred foreign visitors.
NAN
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