Egypt reopens ancient King Djoser's southern tomb to tourists

Egypt reopens ancient King Djoser's southern tomb to tourists
Sarcophaguses that are around 2500 years old, from the newly discovered burial site near Egypt's Saqqara necropolis, are seen during a presentation in Giza, Egypt on Nov 14, 2020.
PHOTO: Reuters file

CAIRO - Egypt on Tuesday (Sept 14) reopened to tourists the 4,700-year-old southern tomb of King Djoser at the pyramid of Saqqara after a 15-year renovation.

The tomb, south of Cairo, lies near the Third Dynasty pharoah's famous Step Pyramid, Egypt's earliest large scale stone structure, which itself was closed for restoration until March 2020.

The southern tomb, built between 2667 BC and 2648 BC, is thought to have been built for symbolic reasons, or perhaps to hold Djoser's internal organs, said Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Egypt is keen to reinvigorate tourism following the coronavirus pandemic and has unveiled a series of new discoveries and a new museum in recent months.

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