All Facts About The Tomb of Tutankhamun

All Facts About The Tomb of Tutankhamun

By Hesham Elgammal on 08 Feb 2025

Who was Tutankhamun?

Tutankhamun, commonly known as Kind Tut, was the last and the greatest pharaoh of the Royal Egyptian family to rule the Egyptian Kingdom. He ruled during the 18th dynasty in Egypt, and there were no successors to the throne after his death.

King Tut was the greatest of the monarchs, and his coronation happened when he was 8 years old. He was succeeded to the throne under the leadership of his penultimate pharaoh, Ay, who must have been his relative. The Tomb of King Tutankhamun is so widely famous among people because of the mystery and myths it holds within it. It is believed that anyone who tried to enter the TombTomb, and touch or open the sarcophagus died untimely, including the great excavators and archaeologists George Herbert and Howard Carter.

Tutankhamun’s TombTomb was buried under debris for several years until it was rediscovered in 1914 by Theodore Davis from the Valley of the Kings. The rediscovery alone took 9 years, starting in 1905 and ending in 1914.

These facts combined make this TombTomb an obvious addition to the Egypt tour packages. Also, the name Tutankhamun used in several movies gave this TombTomb the value it has today among visitors.

The Tutankhamun Tomb –

The Tutankhamun Tomb is widely famous because of several reasons. Let us read some facts that highlight the Tomb of King Tut and why you should not miss this destination when you book your Egypt Tour package.

1. The TombTomb was first excavated in the year 1922 by Howard Carter. During the excavation process, his mentor and patron, George Herbert, died mysteriously, flaming the fuel that the TombTomb was cursed, and whoever tried to enter or tamper with it shall die. All other excavators and archaeologists died sometime after the trial to excavate the TombTomb and open the casket.
2. Secondly, several attempts were made to raid and rob the TombTomb, but not a single one succeeded. All the attempts to steal the belongings of King Tut from the TombTomb failed, and the robbers died too.
3. Thirdly, the TombTomb has 4 chambers, an entrance staircase, and a corridor, which are pretty small and less decorated than they were supposed to be. This is assumed because King Tut died untimely before even constructing his burial place, so he had to be buried in a smaller tomb.
4. The low elevation and positioning of the TombTomb saved King Tut’s sarcophagus from several floods and debris; not a single piece of debris could enter his sarcophagus. His sarcophagus got buried until it was revived and rediscovered years later.
5. Lastly, King Tut was recognized as the most prominent and influential pharaoh of Egypt, and some artifacts from his TombTomb are considered antique, like the golden funerary mask.

Embellishments in the Tutankhamun Tomb –

1. King Tut’s Tomb is marked with seals inscribed with Egyptian hieroglyphic texts indicating King Tut’s services towards God. It is believed that this helped the deceased on his journey toward heaven.
2. The burial place in the TombTomb is surrounded by walls painted with several images on a yellow background. The image on the East wall displays Tutankhamun’s funeral procession, and the North wall shows Ay’s coronation of King Tut as the successor to the Egyptian throne.
3. The South wall displays King Anubis, Hathor, and Isis and the West wall depicts 12 baboons that were believed to carry the KIng’s soul to the netherworld.
4. All these paintings and scriptures are inspired by the Amarna period during which King Tut ruled Egypt.

Where to find the TombTomb?

The Tomb of King Tut, commonly known as The Tomb of Tutankhamun or Tomb number KV62 is located in the East Valley of the Kings in Thebes (modern-day Luxor). The TombTomb is slightly cut into limestone bedrock and lies quite low-hill. However, the TombTomb was once open to visitors, but their regular onset and the effect of flooding was deteriorating the TombTomb, so a replica was established for the tourists and the actual TombTomb was placed beneath it.

Valley of the Kings – Nile Cruise

Entering the Tomb –

The entrance of the TombTomb starts with 16-stepped stairs decent just beneath an overhang. The entering corridor is almost 26 feet long and 5 feet wide in breadth, followed by a wide antechamber almost 26 feet long. The treasury placed with the TombTomb is 16 feet long and is placed below the antechamber along with the annex and the coffin.

The most exciting part is that the antechamber has a tiny hole in its walls which was utilized as the only source of light to the burial place for maneuvering the casket through the room.

The burial chamber is the most exciting place to see because it is surrounded by ‘magic bricks’ which are inscribed with ancient protective Egyptian spells that were supposed to protect the King’s soul from any disturbance and to protect the people from the King’s soul as well.

Visiting The Tomb –

If you have booked an Egypt tour package before your arrival, it will have a guide instructing you on how to reach the TombTomb. But, if you want to explore it on your own without assistance from a guide, you can do that as well. Let us see how to visit the Tomb of Tutankhamun –

1. The Egypt tour packages do not include the fee to enter the Tomb of Tutankhamun. If you want to see it, you might have to pay a little extra money.
2. You start at the Visitors Centre and take a ticket to enter the Valley of the Kings. From there, you will ride a 3-minute tram that will take you directly to KV-62.
3. However, if you want to explore the whole area on foot, you might have to walk a lot uphill to get to the entrances of the TombTomb.
4. The cost to enter the Tomb of Tutankhamun KV62 is 300 EGP per person, which is quite nominal.
5. If you are new to Egypt and want to know the history of the pyramids and pharaohs, then you must include a guide in your Egypt tour package.

Check out more about tour packages that include a visit to the Tomb of Tutankhamun

This article was updated and re-written in part by Hesham El Gammal; on February 8th, 2025 + fact-checked.