May 24, 2011
CAIRO (AFP) - Minister of state Zahi Hawass on Monday opened to the public six ancient Egyptian tombs dating back to the Tutankhamun era, following their restoration.
Hawass unveiled the tombs of Saqqara, south of Cairo, to the press saying they had been "meticulously" restored and that glass plates were used to protect the funerary frescoes.
Two of the tombs, which are over 3,000 years old, were built as the final resting place for the treasurer of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, Maia, and the commander in chief of his army, Horenheb.
Horenheb succeeded Tutankhamun as pharaoh, becoming the last ruler of the 18th dynasty. His wife is buried in his tomb as when general Horenheb reached power he erected a tomb for himself in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor.
Hawass, who was named minister of antiquities last month and was head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and later minister of state under ousted president Hosni Mubarak, was sentenced on April 17 to serve a year in jail.
But the sentence over his refusal to implement a court decision in a land dispute has been suspended until an appeal ruling.
Egypt says it has lost 13.5 billion pounds (2.27 billion dollars) in crucial tourism revenues in the three months since the uprising and deadly street protests which overthrew Mubarak.
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