The shocking photos of Tutankhamun's tomb: recover all their splendor after almost ten years of restoration

The bright colors of the tomb of Tutankhamun, the most famous Pharaoh of Egypt, have regained its splendor and splendor through a decade-long extended restoration project that was presented to the public today. hui.

The little tomb of the pharaoh child, one of the icons of the Valley of Kings, is now in better condition than when The archaeologist Howard Carter discovered in 1922Egyptian archaeologists and the project team badigned to Efe.

"They performed the most impressive work ever done in a tomb in the world and saved Tutankhamen, saved the grave," said Egyptologist Zahi Hawas.

The project, developed by the United States Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), aimed to improve the environmental conditions of the grave in an attempt to protect it from erosion caused by tourism, which forcefully returns to the a real necropolis excavated at the desert hills of Luxor, in the south of Egypt.

Archaeologist Neville Agnew, one of the leaders of the GCI, explained that the grave I was not in "so bad" conditions at the beginning of the project, the state of the paintings being relatively stable.

The frescoes were damaged mainly by some fungi that have caused hundreds of small brown spots it splashes the paintings, which is unique in a tomb of the Valley of the Kings, but the researchers are certain that they no longer represent a danger.

"We believe that brown spots appeared because they sealed it too fast. There was a lot of moisture and mushrooms appeared. Today, the mushrooms are dead, they have never grown since Carter opened the grave, we can compare the photographs, "said Agnew.

However, the curators did not want to remove them because they had penetrated into the paint layer, which could damage the pigments.

In addition, according to Argulle Agnew, "brown spots are part of the story of the grave".

The conservation project included the installation of a ventilation system and air filtration to dampen the humidity, as well as a new LED lighting system and improvements in the protection and presentation of the site, including the installation of new elevated wooden observation bridges. .

To improve the conservation of the tomb, the Getty Institute will propose to the Egyptian government to limit tourist visits to 25 people simultaneously, a figure much lower than that currently exposed to the tiny enclosure.

According to Agnew, 25 people is the limit that supports the ventilation system for its smooth operation, but the decision to limit the flow of tourists will depend on the Department of Antiquities, which is funded in part by tickets paid by visitors.

Agnew said that to better preserve the grave, a good management process should be put in place, although he acknowledged that "the big problem is that there is very often no budget for these purposes.

Agnew said that to better preserve the grave, a good management process should be put in place, although he acknowledged that "the big problem is that there is very often no budget for these purposes.

In the same vein, Zahi Hawas warned, in statements to reporters, that if the management model of the Valley of the Kings was not changed, "it will not last another 500 years" .

"We will soon need a management program for the entire valley, the ministry must (…) say how many people can enter Tutankhamun's grave every day, how many graves are open or closed, and 39, ie site management, to design a complete program, "said Hawas, who was also Minister of Antiquities