King Tut's Tomb Reopens After Being Closed for 9 Years of Renovations

The tomb of Egypt's King Tutankhamun has reopened in Luxor after undergoing a nine-year renovation.

The redone resting site of the ancient boy king was revealed Thursday. Twelve historians led by a team from the Los Angeles-based Getty Conservation Institute conducted the exacting process of removing old lights, ramps and floors damaged by nearly a century of tourists walking the site since its discovery by British archaeologist Howard Carter.

The tomb has previously been renovated, but visitors, dust and weather necessitated a nine-year reconstruction plan.

Over time, visitors had scrawled graffiti inside the tomb and items had gone missing.

The project was stalled during Egypt's tumultuous year of political revolution in 2011 and has continued sporadically since then.

New lighting, wooden floors, a ventilation system and painting restoration were part of the meticulous face lift. The Getty team said the most dangerous part of the work entailed moving the 551-pound case containing Tut's mummified remains so the floors could be redone.  

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