Catherine Ashton to attend anniversary of Pharaonic tomb discovery

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton is set to attend the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the discovery of King Tut Ankh Amon's tomb - one of the kings from the Pharaonic 18th ruling dynasty. According to the celebration programme, Ashton will inaugurate a replica of the tomb donated to Egypt by Switzerland, at the aim of decreasing the pressure of heavy visits to the original tombs that could affect the quality of its wall paintings. Ashton will arrive in Luxor on Wednesday and will stay in the historic Winter Palace Hotel for 48 hours, before heading to Djibouti. During his visit to Luxor, Ashton will tour the temples and monuments of the ancient city, accompanied by Luxor's governor Ezzat Saad. Several artistic and cultural events will be organised in Luxor throughout November to celebrate the event. The 1922 discovery by Howard Carter and George Herbert of Tut Ankh Amon's nearly intact tomb received worldwide press coverage. It sparked a renewed public interest in ancient Egypt, for which King Tut's burial mask remains the popular symbol. Exhibits of artefacts from his tomb have toured the world.