After being closed for 15 years, it has been opened for the visitors, following extensive restorations of the site.

Egypt’s vast history and culture have always attracted various travellers from all over the world and amidst all the prominent historical sites, King Djoser’s tomb is one of them. However, the tomb of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh was closed for the last 15 years.

Now, after being closed for 15 years, it has been opened for the visitors, following extensive restorations of the site. The tomb structure belonged to King Djoser, a pharaoh who lived more than 4,500 years ago.

Located at Saqqara, the tomb known as the Southern Tomb is largely underground and includes a maze of corridors, decorated with hieroglyphic carvings and tiles. More internal corridors lead on to burial spaces and murals decorated with Egyptian blue faience.

The opening of the site, which took place on Tuesday, was marked with a special ceremony in Saqqara which was attended by the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El-Anany and a group of invited guests.

Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism said with the opening this week of the tomb structure, marked the completion of restoration work that started in 2006 and included reinforcing of the underground corridors, refurbishing the carvings and the tiled walls, and installing lighting.

The restoration work that began in 2006 included engineering, geotechnical, geo-environmental, and archaeological studies. The work also included strengthening the walls and ceilings, repairing cracks, and installing faience tiles.

One of the country’s richest archaeological sites, the Saqqara plateau near Cairo hosts at least 11 pyramids, including the Step Pyramid, as well as hundreds of tombs of ancient officials and other sites that range from the 1st Dynasty (2920 B.C.-2770 B.C.) to the Coptic period (395-642).

Over the past few years, Egypt has publicised a chain of recent archaeological finds and has been emphasising the region’s tourism development. The reopening of the tomb aims to boost the sector.