Ancient Tomb Uncovered in Luxor

Dr Zahi Hawass has announced that an ancient tomb has been rediscovered on the West Bank of the Nile at Luxor. The tomb is situated in the area of the West Bank known as south Assasif, and is that of a priest called Karakhamun.  The tomb was first discovered in the 19th century and was subsequently lost.

The tomb dates from the 25th dynasty and the reign of the Pharaoh Shabaka, who was the second of the Nubian pharaohs who ruled Egypt around 700BC.

The burial chamber of the tomb was discovered at the bottom of an 8ft shaft, and is beautifully painted with images of stars in the night sky and the goddess Nut. The entrance is decorated with an image of the tomb's owner Karakhamun.

The tomb is comprised of two pillared halls and a burial chamber divided into five rooms and is currently the largest tomb to ever have been discovered in the south Assasif.  The mystery is that Karakhamun is not a well known historical character and does not list any particularly important titles in his tomb. It has been suggested that Karakhamun must therefore have had close connections to the Nubian royal family, and the tomb has been dated to the 25th dynasty because of the tomb owner's Nubian name and the style of the tomb architecture.

Read on to discover more about the discovery of the tomb of Karakhamun

West Bank of Luxor - Assasif