Conservation: More about the work to be carried out on the tomb of Tutankhamun

Almost nine decades after its discovery the tomb of Tutankhamun is to be comprehensively restored, reports Nevine El-Aref
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Ancient Egyptian tombs are attracting more and more visitors. Their very popularity, however, threatens their future. The breath of visitors causes an increase in humidity, causing serious damage to walls, particularly painted surfaces which can be attacked by fungus.

Located in the Valley of the Kings, within the World Heritage Site of Ancient Thebes, the tomb of Tutankhamun is perhaps the most famous of Egypt's Pharaonic tombs. Although it is the smallest of the 26 known royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, the burial place of this short-lived 18th Dynasty Pharaoh shot to international attention when it was discovered, with its spectacular funerary contents virtually intact, on 4 November 1922. The tomb's extraordinary collection of artefacts, now on display at the Egyptian Museum, has fascinated all comers for decades. Because of its history and its contents, which were excavated over a 10-year period, the tomb of Tutankhamun is of great historic and cultural value. Today the tomb is among the most heavily visited sites in the Theban necropolis and the large number of visitors may be contributing to the tomb's physical deterioration.

In an attempt to prevent further damage the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) and the J. Paul Getty Trust has announced a five-year conservation and management project for the tomb. The project will formulate detailed plans for the conservation and management of the tomb and its wall paintings, with the SCA and the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) working jointly to design and implement the plan.