General view of the tomb of an Old Kingdom priestess on the Giza plateau on the southern outskirts of Cairo (Picture: EPA)

A 4,400-year-old tomb has just been discovered in Egypt.

Archaeologists found the crypt near the pyramids at Giza’s western necropolis, just outside Cairo.

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The tomb is thought to belong to a priestess known as Hetpet, who was apparenlty close to ancient Egyptian royals of the 5th Dynasty.

The enclosure, which is made of mud brick, is decorated with paintings of Hetpet observing different hunting and fishing scenes.


There are also drawings of a monkey that may have been her pet.

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A woman takes a photo inside the tomb (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

A guide from the Ministry of Antiquities stands inside the tomb (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

A general view of wall paintings inside the tomb (Picture: EPA)

The tomb was unveiled to the media yesterday and officials hope it will give a boost to Egypt’s faltering tourism industry.



It is situated in an area that is home to several tombs from the Old Kingdom.

The archaeological mission behind the discovery started excavation work last October.

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A general view shows well-preserved and rare wall paintings inside the tomb (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

Rare carvings are seen inside of a 4,400-year-old Tomb (Picture: Getty Images)

Another image from inside Picture: Getty Images)

Discoveries have been made near the site since the 19th century and archaeologist Mostafa al-Waziri, who led the mission, thinks there is more to be found, including another Hetpet tomb.

He said: ‘This is a very promising area. We expect to find more.

‘We have removed between 250-300 cubic meters of layers of earth to find the tomb.

‘What we see above the earth’s surface in Egypt doesn’t exceed 40 percent of what the core holds.’

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Egyptian excavation workers labor outside the tomb (Picture: EPA)

The discovery of an Old Kingdom tomb from Egypt (Picture: Reuters)

Egyptians look at well-preserved and rare wall paintings (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

A museum is currently under construction in Giza and will feature many precious artefacts, including some belonging to the legendary king Tutankhamun.

The first phase of Grand Egyptian museum is expected to be opened later this year while the grand opening is planned for 2022.

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