At team of archaeologists are diligently working on restoring Tutankhamun's sarcophagus, putting their work-in-progress on display in Cairo. It's the first restoration of the coffin since it was discovered in 1922.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo
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Egypt put the famed coffin of King Tutankhamun on display in Cairo on Sunday, showing off the first-ever restoration of the gold-covered sarcophagus.
"We are showing you a unique historical artifact, not just for Egypt but for the world," Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Enany told a press conference at the new Grand Egyptian Museum.
Restoration work on the young pharaoh's three-layered coffin began in mid-July and is expected to take around eight months to complete.
The minister said the process to restore the outermost gilded wooden coffin will take the longest because "the state of conservation is very fragile, as it was never restored."
In the last 100 years, the gilded layers of plaster on the lid and the base of the coffin began to crack.
Restoration of King Tut's coffin on display
It's the first time that the gold-covered sarcophagus is being restored since King Tutankhamun's tomb was found in 1922.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/H. Mohamed
Work on famous and 'fragile' coffin begins
The first-ever restoration work on King Tutankhamun's multi-layered sarcophagus has started in Cairo, Egypt. Archaeologists are diligently working to repair the famous artifact, with the restoration expected to take eight months to complete.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/H. Mohamed
Plastic protection for pharoah
The gilded outer layer of the coffin is being protected in a plastic tent during the restoration. The coffin, which is made of wood and covered in gold, is 2.23 meters (7.3 feet) long. It is decorated with a depiction of the young king holding the pharaonic symbols of a crook and flail.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo
Inspecting the king himself
While his coffin is being worked on, King Tutankhamun's mummy is also being examined. The young pharaoh is believed to have ascended the throne when he was 9-years-old, dying around age 18 or 19. Although scientists have been studying his remains for years since the tomb was discovered in 1922, the ruler's death remains a mystery.
Image: AFP/Getty Images
Delicate process
An archaeologist restores one of the inner layers of the coffin using a careful touch and a paintbrush. Although Tutankhamun's tomb is one of the most well-preserved Ancient Egyptian burial chambers ever discovered, some artifacts have suffered cracks and other damage in recent years.
Image: AFP/Getty Images
King Tut's treasures on display
The pharaoh's throne — a wooden chair overlaid with gold, precious stones and colored glass — is also being worked on during the restoration. The treasures found in the Valley of the Kings tomb will also be on display in the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is due to open soon.
Image: AFP/Getty Images
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Prized artifact of new museum
The sarcophagus was transferred to the museum after being removed from the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, in southern Egypt.
British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamun's tomb in near Luxor in 1922. It remains one of the most well-preserved relics from the Ancient Egyptian era.
The sarcophagus will be displayed along with other treasures and artifacts in the tomb at the Grand Egyptian Museum, which overlooks the famous Giza Pyramids.
Tutankhamun ascended the throne when he was 9-years-old and ruled until his death at age 18 or 19.
