Egypt displays treasures of recently discovered ancient tombs

Egyptian mummies transported in lavish parade

Cairo — Egypt has put on display recently discovered, well-decorated ancient tombs at a Pharaonic necropolis just outside the capital Cairo.

The five tombs were unearthed earlier this month and date back to the Old Kingdom — a period spanning roughly from around 2700 BC to 2200 BC, as well as to the First Intermediate Period, which lasted for over a century after the Old Kingdom collapsed, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Archaeologist Mostafa Waziri shows a statue found in an ancient tomb uncovered at the Saqqara archaeological sites southwest of Cairo, Egypt, on March 19, 2022. Ahmed Gomaa/Xinhua via Getty Images

Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said Egyptian archeologists started excavating the site in September. The tombs, he said, were for senior officials including regional rulers and palace supervisors in ancient Egypt.

"All of those five tombs are well-painted, well-decorated. Excavations did not stop. We are planning to continue our excavations. We believe that we can find more tombs in this area," he told reporters at the site.

Archaeologist Mostafa Wazir with the mural painting in an ancient tomb uncovered at Saqqara archaeological sites, southwest of Cairo, Egypt, on March 19, 2022. Ahmed Gomaa/Xinhua via Getty Images

The tombs were found near the Step Pyramid of Djoser, in the Saqqara Necropolis, 24 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Cairo.

Footage shared on the ministry's social media pages showed burial shafts leading to the tombs. Walls were seen decorated with hieroglyphic inscriptions and images of sacred animals and after-life items used by ancient Egyptians.

Hieroglyphics at the site of the five ancient Pharaonic tombs recently discovered at the Saqqara archaeological site, south of Cairo, Egypt, on March 19, 2022. Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The Saqqara site is part of a a sprawling necropolis at Egypt's ancient capital of Memphis that includes the famed Giza Pyramids as well as smaller pyramids at Abu Sir, Dahshur and Abu Ruwaysh. The ruins of Memphis were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1970s.

In recent years, Egypt has heavily promoted new archaeological finds to international media and diplomats in the hope of attracting more tourists to the country.

A view of the site of the five ancient Pharaonic tombs recently discovered at the Saqqara archaeological site, south of Cairo, Egypt, on March 19, 2022. Saqqara is a vast necropolis of the ancient Egyptian capital Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The vital tourism sector, a major source of foreign currency for Egypt, suffered from years of political turmoil and violence that followed a 2011 uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

The sector has recently started to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, but was hit again by the effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Along with Russia, Ukraine is a major source of tourists visiting the Middle Eastern nation.

Egypt