A - entrance steps with passage B - 1st corridor (scenes from the Litany of Re and the king before Re-Horakhty) C - steps (scenes from the Amduat and Litany of Re) D - 2nd corridor (scenes from the Amduat) E - deep well shaft (scenes of the king before various deities) F - four-pillared hall (decorated with Osiris shrine and scenes from the Book of Gates) G - lower passage ('opening of the mouth' ceremony) H - two-pillared side room (scenes from the Amduat; pillars show the king before various deities) I - antechamber (scenes of the king before various deities) J - southern chamber K - northern chamber L - 6-pillared burial chamber (Book of Gates, the Amduat and the Book of the Divine Cow; images of the king before various deities) M - chamber for canopic jars (?) N - crypt (scenes from the Amduat; astronomical ceiling) O - north-west...

An Unexpected Tunnel In tomb KV17, researchers found a weird and unexpected tunnel which sinks deep underground beneath the burial chamber. This is one of the major puzzles related to Sety I’s tomb today. Could it lead to another burial chamber? An interesting feature found in the tomb’s decoration are cenotaphs, which can be translated to read “empty tomb.” The writing was likely seen as way to protect the pharaoh’s remains. This was a very important part of ancient Egyptian religion, as the deceased’s body had to be saved, otherwise, the person wouldn't be able to stay alive in the afterlife.   the tunnel, it was probably meant to reach groundwater - creating a symbolic link between the pharaoh’s burial and the myth of the tomb of Osiris. In royal tombs, the cenotaph was placed on a false sarcophagus on an ''island'' surrounded by water. It was associated with the original forces of creation and the myth of Osiris. But for Sety I, his most famous ceno...

The funerary equipment was still inside the tomb when Belzoni entered it. Of course, the precious metals and stones were soon pocketed, but many other things, like the wooden furniture and other objects which didn’t catch his eye, were left inside the tomb. As the wood was corroded and the other items were unlikely to fetch a good price, Belzoni took little interest in them. Little funerary equipment was found within this tomb. Besides the anthropoid sarcophagus, other finds included: The carcass of a bull embalmed by asphaltum A large number of small figures of shabtis in wood and faience A number of wooden statues A painting brush along with paint pot or jar found at the entrance to the tomb a number of broken jars A corner fragment of the king's canopic chest Other pieces from the tomb have been found widely scattered throughout the Valley of the Kings.

When Belzoni entered the tomb, he had no idea what he had discovered. His confusion overcame him as a human mummy was nowhere to be found. He did, however, discover a mummified bull - so he decided that the tomb must have been created to honor Apis, a holy bull in Ancient Egypt. It’s important to remember that Belzoni wasn't a professional Egyptologist - the scientific field called Egyptology wasn’t even created until thirteen years later.  Belzoni didn't write anything about the tomb being blocked off or any closed doors, so it is impossible to guess what its state of preservation was when he entered it. It is known, however, that the tomb was looted and the mummy only survived thanks to priests who lived during the Third Intermediate Period.

The King Reveals His Face The mummified face of Pharaoh Sety I (Seti I) still shows that he was not only extremely powerful but also very handsome during his lifetime. Sety’s tomb was brought back to the world on October 16, 1817 by the rebellious researcher Giovanni Battista Belzoni. It was an amazing find, but when the door was opened, destruction and confusion soon followed. It all began with the mystery of the missing mummy… Sety I’s mummy was eventually discovered in the famous cache DB320. The pharaoh’s body had been taken out of his tomb and located in a hidden place to protect his remains. He was buried once again with several other famous rulers of Kemet (an ancient name of Egypt). His mummified body was neatly prepared and the mummy was covered with a yellow shroud. However, tomb looters had messed with his bandages and smashed his abdomen. Worse still, Sety’s head was separated from the rest of his battered body. Fortunately, his face remained ...

Sadly, the tomb was heavily damaged by researchers during the 19th century.   The sarcophagus was removed on behalf of the British consul Henry Salt is since 1824 in the Sir John Soane's Museum in London. Priceless decorations gracing the walls, ceilings, pillars, etc. were also damaged by Jean-Francois Champollion, the translator of the Rosetta stone who explored the tomb during 1828-1829. He removed a wall panel in one of the tomb's corridors.  Other wall paintings were taken by a German research team in 1845  Rosellini . The beautiful images that were stolen from the tomb’s walls are now parts of elite museum collections in Berlin, Paris, and Florence, amongst other locations.  A number of walls in the tomb have collapsed or cracked due to excavations in the late 1950s and early 1960s causing significant changes in the moisture levels in the surrounding rocks

This is the face of the first female vizier (chief minister), Ankhnespepi II, the wife of the 6th-Dynasty’s Pepi I (2331 BC ).enjoyed strong female role models in her life. Elegant wooden head with its slender neck and large, disc-shaped earrings, the head seems to fit a modern date in style  😍 😃

This is the face of Ankhnespepi II, the wife of the 6th-Dynasty’s Pepi I (2331 BC ).enjoyed strong female role models in her life. Elegant wooden head with its slender neck and large, disc-shaped earrings, the head seems to fit a modern date in style  😍 😃

This is the face of   the first female vizier (chief minister), Ankhnespepi II, the wife of the 6th-Dynasty’s Pepi I (2331 BC ).enjoyed strong female role models in her life. Elegant wooden head with its slender neck and large, disc-shaped earrings, the head seems to fit a modern date in style  😍 😃

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Camel Market  of Birqash , visit one of Egypt’s most extraordinary places , Camels are annually herded up the Darb al-Arba’in, the famous 40 Day Road. This ancient caravan route starts in Sudan and ends in Birqash. The camels are herded through Sudan, Eritrea, and Somalia to southern Egypt. From there, most camels are shipped to  Birqash Camel Market  via several oases in the back of large trucks. They travel over 700 miles and spend, in total around three months on the road. By the time they get to Birqash, many camels are emaciated due to the poor travelling conditions and from extended periods of time spent packed in the back of trucks. The traders here are skilled negotiators and watching this animated process take place is one of the highlights of visiting the market. When to go? The market lasts from dawn until mid afternoon every Friday but is busiest between the other  6am and 8.30am . After lunch it is comparatively subdued. The market is heav...

  First row: "Life given by the Horus Strong Bull. Taken from "Ka nakht kha em Waset sankh tawy" - His Horus name, which means "The Strong bull who appeared in Thebes and sustains the Two Lands". Second Row: Life for he of the sedge and the bee (Nswt-bity), the Son of Ra.

The wooden piece, probably depicting sixth-dynasty queen Ankhnespepy II, has been unearthed near her pyramid .  the head is of almost-human proportions, and is around 30cm high. The ears are decorated with wooden earrings. It    was found in a disturbed layer to the east of the queen's pyramid near the area where the pyramidion was uncovered early this week. Over the last two weeks , the mission has uncovered the upper part of a granite obelisk that may belong to the queen's funerary temple, as well as the pyramidion of what may be an undiscovered satellite pyramid.  the head is not in good condition and will be subjected to restoration and documentation. "It is a promising area that could reveal more of its secrets soon," Waziri told Ahram Online, adding that the mission is to continue its excavations in an attempt to discover the satellite pyramid and the rest of her funerary complex and collection. Get an unforgettable Tour near by this discovery area with Egyptra...

The Egyptian-Czech Archaeological Mission uncovered remains of King Ramses II Temple during the excavation works carried out at Abusir South of Cairo !  the discovery comes after the mission had found in 2012 archaeological evidences that shows the existence of a temple in this area, a fact that encourages the mission to resume its excavations in this area and the neighborhood along the last four years. the  temple is 32 x 51 meters wide and consists of mud brick foundations of one of its pylons, a large forecourt that leads to the pillars hall which parts of its halls are painted in blue. At the rear end of the court, the mission found a staircase or a ramp leading to a sanctuary whose back part is divided into three parallel chambers. The remains of this building were covered with by huge deposits of sand and chips of stones of which may bore fragments of polychrome reliefs. the different titles of King Ramses II were found engraved on a relief fragments which is connected t...

In a two-day visit to the Vatican, which kicked off on Tuesday, Egypt's Tourism Minister Yahya Rashid announced that Pope Francis has approved Egypt's proposed path for T he Flight into Egypt, which will allow tourists to, quite literally, follow in the footsteps of the holy family's journey from Sinai to Asyut in Upper Egypt, as they fled the Roman Republic's murderous King Herod The Great. The voyage has been glorified by devout believers and depicted in artistic masterpieces over the past millennia. The announcement comes as a much awaited development, as following in the steps of the holy family's journey in Egypt has long been a dream of Christian pilgrims and history enthusiasts everywhere. However, due to the ongoing Islamist insurgency, the Flight into Egypt 's starting point in Northern Sinai will be postponed to the program's final phase. The focus is now on the project's first phase, which is the holy family's journey from Ca...