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Egypt calls Luxor coffins 'greatest discovery of century'

The 30 uniquely well preserved coffins recently found in Egypt's southern city of Luxor are a godsend to Egyptian tourism.

Painted ancient coffins are seen at Al-Asasif necropolis, unveiled by Egyptian antiquities officials in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt October 19, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany - RC14A1CA7620
Ancient painted coffins are seen at the necropolis of Al-Asasif, unveiled by Egyptian antiquities officials in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt, Oct. 19, 2019. — REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Egypt's Minister of Antiquities Khaled el-Anani called the discovery of 30 finely painted wooden coffins in the southern city of Luxor “the greatest discovery in the nation’s modern history.”

The 30 coffins, which contained the mummies of men, women and children, were discovered in the area of Al-Assassif, a necropolis on the Nile's west bank. Unlike most of the coffins discovered in the last few years, they were unopened.

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