The tomb of Amenhotep III has been opened to the public after undergoing 20 years of renovation with support from the Japanese government and UNESCO.

The tomb of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, ruler of ancient Egypt between 1390 B.C.E. and 1350 B.C.E., was opened on Saturday to the public in Luxor.

The tomb is one of the largest in the  Valley of the Kings and has been undergoing two decades of renovation work under a Japanese-led, three-phased restoration project.

Tomb over 3,000 years old

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Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy unveiled the refurbished site, which dates back more than 3,000 years.

Mohamed Ismail Khaled, who heads up the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the 20 years of restoration work involved "incredibly delicate work, because the tomb was suffering severe deterioration."

Antiquities authorities said the site was first found in 1799 and its contents were looted, including the sarcophagus.

What is known about Pharaoh Amenhotep III's tomb

The tomb has a 36-meter-long (118-foot), 14-meter-deep, downward-sloping passageway beneath the Valley of the Kings.

There is a main burial chamber for the king, and two other chambers for Queens Tiye and Sitamun.

The tomb is situated in a hillside on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the city of Luxor and is "decorated with wall paintings that are among the most exquisite of those surviving in the royal tombs of the Eighteenth Dynasty," according to Japan's UNESCO mission.

Work to save the site involved more than 260 specialists, including restorers, researchers and highly trained technicians.

UNESCO regional director Nuria Sanz said their work was of the "super highest level of international standards for integrated conservation."

Kieran Burke  with AFP, AP

Edited by: Sean Sinico