heritage

On April 18th, which coincides with World Heritage Day, Egypt’s heritage proved itself to be a gift that never stops giving as we celebrated the discovery of a new tomb at the Draa Abul Naga necropolis in Luxor’s West Bank.

The discovery was announced yesterday in the presence of Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli, Minister of Antiquities Khaled Anani, and Minister of Tourism Rania al-Mashat. In addition to several Parliament members, lawmakers, 30 diplomats, a group of celebrities, and a huge number of reporters.

Sounds like a big deal, ha?

Well, it is! This newly-discovered tomb dates back to the 18th Dynasty [1549/1550 to 1292 BC]! And according to the Minister of Antiquities, it is one of the largest ever discovered tombs in its archaeological site!

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

The findings found in the tomb make this discovery all the more interesting. They included a number of Ushabti statues, which are the respondent statues Ancient Egyptians used to place in the tombs to serve the deceased in the afterlife.

What this means for Egypt?

This tomb inauguration serves as another step in Egypt’s road towards earning back its rightful place as a leading cultural, historical, and tourist destination.

At the inauguration of the tomb, the Minister of Tourism stated that inbound tourism has been increasing in Egypt lately, and the number of tourists coming to explore our “Beautiful Egypt” has been on the rise.

Another Milestone?

It seems as though this is not the only discovery Egypt gave to the world on World Heritage Day!

After the inauguration of the tomb, the Minister of Antiques was reportedly set to unveil a new statue of Ramses II [1279-1213 BCE] after being restored and re-installed at the Luxor Temple!

All of these beautiful milestones in Egypt’s never-ending legacy serve as proof that this country will never stop giving, and that what we have up our sleeves can and will continue to surprise the world.