Egypt displays recently discovered ancient tombs in Saqqara

Egypt on Saturday displayed recently discovered, well-decorated ancient tombs at a Pharaonic necropolis just outside the capital Cairo.

An archaeologist shines a flashlight on a wall covered in hieroglyphic etchings, March 19, 2022.

The five tombs were unearthed earlier this month and date back to the Old Kingdom – a period spanning roughly from around 2700 B.C. to 2200 B.C., 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.

A view of tombs at the Saqqara area near Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022.

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.

Tourists visit the main hall of King Djoser's Step Pyramid, also known as the Saqqara pyramid, in Saqqara area, Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022.

“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.

Figurines stand inside the tomb of a man named Henu at the Saqqara area, in Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022.

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

An Egyptian archaeological worker is lowered inside tombs at the Saqqara area near Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022.

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.

A view inside the tomb of Pepi Nefhany, who was the supervisor of the great house, at the Saqqara area, in Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022.

The Saqqara site is part of 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.

An Egyptian archaeologist speaks inside the tomb of a woman named Petty, who was responsible for the King's beautification, and the priest of Hathor, at a recently discovered tomb at the Saqqara area, in Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022.

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.

An Egyptian camel owner waits for tourists at King Djoser's Step Pyramid, also known as the Saqqara pyramid, in Saqqara area, Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022.

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.

An archaeologist looks on after working outside a newly discovered tombs at the Saqqara area, in Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022.

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.

Reporters prepare to enter a recently discovered tomb at the Saqqara area, in Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022.

Figurines stand inside the tomb of a man named Henu at the Saqqara area, in Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, views hieroglyphics inside a recently discovered tomb near the famed Step Pyramid, in Saqqara, south of Cairo, Egypt, March 19, 2022.

A statuette and other artifacts are pictured on March 19, 2022, inside one of the five ancient Pharaonic tombs recently discovered at the Saqqara archaeological site, south of the Egyptian capital Cairo.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, displays a small statue at a tomb decorated with hieroglyphic inscriptions near the famed Step Pyramid, in Saqqara, south of Cairo, Egypt, March 19, 2022.

Walls decorated with hieroglyphic inscriptions and images of sacred animals are seen at a recently discovered tomb near the famed Step Pyramid, in Saqqara, south of Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, March 19, 2022.

An archaeologist shines a flashlight on a wall covered in hieroglyphic etchings, March 19, 2022, inside one of the five ancient Pharaonic tombs recently discovered at the Saqqara archaeological site, south of the capital Cairo.

A figurine stands inside the tomb of a woman named Petty, who was responsible for the king's beautification, and the priest of Hathor, at the Saqqara area near Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022.

Members of the media gather on March 19, 2022, in the area where five ancient Pharaonic tombs were recently discovered at the Saqqara archaeological site, south of the Egyptian capital Cairo.

Egyptian archaeologist speaks inside the tomb of a woman named Petty, who was responsible for the King's beautification, and the priest of Hathor, at a recently discovered tomb at the Saqqara area, in Giza, Egypt, March 19, 2022.

A member of the media is lowered on March 19, 2022, into one of five ancient Pharaonic tombs recently discovered at the Saqqara archaeological site, south of the Egyptian capital Cairo.

Figurines are seen inside the tomb of a man named Henu near the famed Step Pyramid, in Saqqara, south of Cairo, Egypt, March 19, 2022.

The interior of one of the five ancient Pharaonic tombs recently discovered at the Saqqara archaeological site, south of the Egyptian capital Cairo, March 19, 2022.