After more than two decades of meticulous restoration, Egypt has thrown open the doors to one of its greatest ancient treasures: the tomb of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. The reopening, which took place on October 4, 2025, marks a significant milestone in the ongoing effort to preserve and showcase the country’s rich pharaonic heritage. Nestled on the western side of Luxor’s famed Valley of the Kings, the tomb is considered among the largest and most architecturally impressive in the region—a fitting tribute to a ruler often remembered as Amenhotep the Great.
The journey to this moment has been long and, at times, uncertain. The tomb was first discovered in 1799 by two French engineers dispatched to Egypt by Napoleon. By the time they arrived, however, the tomb’s original contents—including the king’s sarcophagus—had already been looted, leaving behind only the architectural frame and faded wall paintings. Formal excavations didn’t begin until the early 1900s, but it wasn’t until the early 21st century that a major restoration effort was launched.
According to the Associated Press, the restoration was spearheaded by a team from Waseda University in Tokyo, who oversaw a three-phased project spanning more than 20 years. Mohamed Ismail, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, told the AP, “It’s a very fascinating tomb,” emphasizing the unique features that set it apart from other royal burial sites in the Valley of the Kings. The restoration included painstaking work on the tomb’s paintings, which depict Amenhotep III alongside a pantheon of ancient Egyptian gods and his wives, Queens Tiye and Sitamun.
Despite the grandeur of the site, visitors will notice that the tomb is not fully decorated—a rarity among the Valley’s royal burials. Ismail noted that while the structural frame of the looted sarcophagus box remains, the lid is positioned where it would have originally rested. The tomb’s most striking feature is a 36-meter (118-foot) long, 14-meter (45-foot) deep, downward-sloping passageway that leads beneath the valley to the main burial chamber. Here, elaborate wall paintings and inscriptions from the Book of the Dead—a collection of spells meant to guide the deceased through the afterlife—adorn the chamber, offering a glimpse into the religious beliefs that shaped ancient Egyptian funerary practices.
The tomb also contains two additional chambers for Amenhotep III’s wives, a testament to the king’s prominence and the reverence afforded to his family. Amenhotep III himself ruled for approximately 38 years during the 14th century BC—between 1390 and 1350 BC—ascending the throne as a teenager and overseeing a period of remarkable prosperity and artistic achievement. The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization describes him as one of the most prominent pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty, which spanned from 1550 BC to 1292 BC.
Yet, the story of Amenhotep III’s mummy is as dramatic as the tomb itself. Ancient priests, in an effort to protect the royal remains from grave robbers, relocated the pharaoh’s mummy to the tomb of his grandfather, Amenhotep II, also situated in the Valley of the Kings. Today, the severely damaged mummy is displayed at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, alongside 16 other mummies of kings and queens from ancient Egypt. This move, according to museum officials, was part of a broader tradition of safeguarding royal mummies during periods of instability.
The reopening of the tomb comes at a pivotal moment for Egypt’s tourism sector, which has faced significant challenges since the political turmoil and violence that followed the 2011 uprising. The country’s rich pharaonic heritage has long been a magnet for foreign visitors, and officials hope that the restoration of Amenhotep III’s tomb—alongside the imminent full opening of Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum—will help revive this vital industry. The Grand Egyptian Museum, located near the iconic Giza Pyramids, is set to officially open its doors on November 1, 2025, housing more than 100,000 artifacts that span the breadth of Egypt’s ancient history.
Plans for the Grand Egyptian Museum were first announced in 1992, with construction beginning a decade later in 2002. In October 2024, a dozen of the museum’s main galleries opened to the public, offering a tantalizing preview of what’s to come. The full opening, originally slated for July 2025, was delayed to November 1, but officials now say the new date is final. The timing of the tomb’s reopening—just weeks before the museum’s grand inauguration—was no accident. As authorities see it, these twin events are part of a coordinated strategy to draw tourists back to Egypt by offering unparalleled access to its most storied sites.
Tourists arriving in Cairo for the museum’s opening will have even more incentive to venture 400 miles south to Luxor, where the newly restored tomb awaits. The hope is that the combination of world-class museum exhibits and direct access to ancient sites like the tomb of Amenhotep III will create a compelling narrative for visitors, linking the artifacts on display in Cairo to the places where history unfolded.
“The reopening of Amenhotep III’s tomb is a testament to Egypt’s commitment to preserving its heritage and sharing it with the world,” said Mohamed Ismail at the reopening ceremony. “We invite everyone to come and experience the wonders of ancient Egypt, both in our museums and at our historic sites.”
The restoration of the tomb was no small feat. According to Egyptian antiquities authorities, the Japanese-led team faced numerous challenges, from stabilizing weakened structures to delicately cleaning and restoring centuries-old paintings. The project was divided into three phases, each focusing on a different aspect of the tomb’s preservation. The result is a site that, while not fully restored to its original splendor, offers visitors a rare and intimate look at the artistry and spirituality of ancient Egypt.
For many, the tomb’s most evocative feature remains its wall paintings, which show Amenhotep III in the company of gods and goddesses—a visual reminder of the close relationship between Egypt’s rulers and the divine. The inclusion of spells from the Book of the Dead further underscores the importance of the afterlife in Egyptian culture, offering a poignant counterpoint to the tomb’s long history of looting and loss.
As Egypt prepares to welcome visitors from around the globe, the reopening of Amenhotep III’s tomb stands as both a triumph of preservation and a symbol of resilience. The country’s ancient wonders have weathered centuries of upheaval, yet they continue to inspire awe and curiosity in all who encounter them.
