Dahshur (Egypt) (AFP)
The Egyptian authorities reopened Saturday access to tourists to two pyramids in Dahshur, south of Cairo, and unveiled a collection of sarcophagi, some with mummies in good condition.
A pyramid built for Pharaoh Snefru, founder of the fourth dynasty of the pharaohs of Egypt, and another neighbor have been open to the public for the first time since 1965, said Saturday in a statement the Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anani.
Sarcophagi were found during archaeological excavations in Dahshur, the minister said.
"Several stone, clay and wood sarcophagi have been discovered, some containing mummies in good condition," he said.
The Dahshur site, an hour's drive from Cairo, on the western bank of the Nile, includes several pyramids.
An old wall, 60 meters long, south of another pyramid, that of Pharaoh Amenemhat II, has also been revealed, according to the minister.
Nearby, excavations have also uncovered funerary masks and stone-cutting tools, dating back to the Late Egyptian period, from 750 BC to 332 BC
For several years, the Egyptian authorities have regularly announced archaeological discoveries, with the aim, among other things, of boosting tourism, undermined by political instability and attacks in the country since the 2011 revolution. The sector has seen a relative improvement in 2018.
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