The tomb of Neferhotep, the scribe of Amun-Re, located in the Khokha area of Luxor’s West Bank, has been inaugurated by the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Ambassador of Argentina to Cairo after the completion of its restoration project. This inauguration marks the addition of a new and important tourist destination to Luxor’s West Bank monuments amidst the significant influx of tourists during the winter tourism season. Featuring a multitude of beautifully painted scenes and inscriptions, the tomb offers visitors a captivating and detailed glimpse into ancient Egyptian history.

Specifically, the Argentinian Ambassador to Cairo and a number of representatives of Argentina’s Embassy in Cairo visited the Neferhotep Tomb in the Khokha area on the western coast of Luxor, following the completion of its restoration work. The work was undertaken by an Argentinian delegation affiliated with the University of Buenos Aires, headed by Dr. Violeta Pereyra and under the supervision of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. Dr. Mustafa Waziri explained that the opening of the tomb today adds a new tourist attraction of great importance and uniqueness to the sites of Luxor’s West Bank , given the large influx of tourists the area witnesses during the winter tourist season, especially since the cemetery contains a large number of scenes and inscriptions of great beauty and precision.

Professor Mohamed Abdel Badie, head of the Central Administration of Antiquities of Upper Egypt, stated that the tomb dates back to the Eighteenth Dynasty during the reign of Pharaoh Ay (1327-1323 BC), and it belongs to one of the senior statesmen of that time, Neferhotep. The deceased’s many titles include the Great Scribe of Amun and the Supervisor of the Beautiful Textile Workers of the god Amun, indicating his high status and great social standing. The importance of the tomb lies in its pictorial decoration and inscriptions, which illustrate the changes in funerary practices that occurred after the Amarna period, in addition to the presence of a statue of the owner of the tomb and his wife, Merit-Amun, who held the position of chanter of the god Amun.

Dr. Fathi Yassin, Director-General of Antiquities of Upper Egypt, mentioned that the project to restore and maintain the cemetery began in 2000 when the University of Buenos Aires recorded and studied the texts in the cemetery before commencing its restoration. However, the actual restoration work began in 2013 when a team of German restorers carried out the maintenance, including cleaning the wall paintings, treating dismantled stone parts and cracks, and applying separate mortar and layers of colors on the inscriptions.

Dr. Violeta Pereyra expressed her happiness with the completion of the restoration of the cemetery and its opening after years of restoration work, praising the great cooperation with the Supreme Council of Antiquities during the restoration period of the cemetery.

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