King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia Continue Their Historic Journey Through Luxor’s Ancient Treasures

 

On the second day of their tour among the pharaohs of ancient Egypt in Luxor, King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letizia continued their cultural journey on Friday with a visit to the Luxor Museum along the Nile Corniche, where they admired its world-class collection of antiquities.

 

The royal itinerary included a special stop at the museum’s permanent exhibition showcasing the achievements of the Spanish archaeological mission. Central to the display is the “Treasures of Vizier Amenhotep Huy” exhibition, the result of years of excavations in Luxor’s ancient necropolis from 2009 to 2021. Featuring more than 300 artifacts, the exhibition was curated under the direction of Professor Francisco Martín Valentín, Professor Teresa Bedman, and Dr. Alaa Hassan El-Menshawy, with the patronage of María Luisa Calderón Calleja and Dr. Lorenzo Espeja Gómez Lobo.

 

The King and Queen also visited two of the Spanish mission’s excavation sites on Luxor’s West Bank: the tombs at Dra Abu el-Naga and another near the Ramesseum temple. There, they viewed the latest achievement of the joint Egyptian-Spanish mission: the restoration and reopening of the tombs of Djehuty and Hery, originally discovered in 2002. Since then, the mission has carried out extensive excavations, conservation, and research, uncovering tombs, coffins, mummies, and even a funerary garden.

 

The newly opened tombs, belonging to two prominent figures from the early 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom, are classic T-shaped designs, complete with columned halls, burial shafts, and walls adorned with exquisite carvings.

 

 

 

Restoration included architectural reinforcement, cleaning, and eco-friendly solar-powered lighting. Wooden walkways were also installed to guide visitors through these remarkable monuments of Egypt’s golden age.