Who was Tutankhamun?
Tutankhamun was a young pharaoh of ancient Egypt who ruled from about 1332 to 1323 BC. He became world-famous after his nearly intact tomb, full of treasures, was discovered in 1922.
Tutankhamun became king at about age nine and died at about 18 or 19. He ruled during Egypt's New Kingdom, in the 18th Dynasty. His father was probably Akhenaten, who had tried to replace Egypt's many gods with the worship of one sun god, the Aten. Tutankhamun's reign restored the traditional religion.
The cause of his early death is still debated. Studies of his mummy show he had a broken leg and possibly malaria, as well as other health problems. He was buried in a relatively small tomb in the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor, which was soon hidden and forgotten.
The treasures
His tomb contained more than 5,000 objects, including his famous gold death mask, gilded shrines, chariots, jewelry and nested coffins, one of solid gold. Since November 2025, the complete collection has been displayed together for the first time at the Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza pyramids.
Did You Know?
Tutankhamun is often called King Tut, a nickname that became popular in newspapers after the tomb's discovery.