A man is seen in a symbolic burial room of Osiris in Sohag, Egypt, on April 5, 2019. Egypt's Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anany opened on Friday a symbolic burial room of Osiris, ruler of the afterlife, after lowering the level of ground water. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
SOHAG, Egypt, April 6 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anany opened on Friday a symbolic burial room of Osiris, ruler of the afterlife, after lowering the level of ground water.
"For the first time in 80 years, the room that was believed to be used in the burial process of Osiris was opened for visitors," al-Anany said.
Lowering the level of the ground water is part of a large project for developing Abydos archaeological area in Sohag province south of the capital Cairo.
Developing Abydos area cost nearly 2.43 million U.S. dollars, for building visitors' services center, administrative rooms, cafeteria, wash rooms, parking areas and gates to protect the archeological site, al-Anany said.
The fund also covered lowering the groundwater level in the Great Temple of Abydos, of Seti I, and the Osireion, he added.
The Osireion, formerly concealed within a West Bank Nile terrace, in Abydos, is thought to have been an important religious building for the ancient Egyptians.
Osiris was the main god of the Abydos, which became cult center of this god, burial site of kings of Dynasty I and II and high court dignitaries in Pharaonic times, Ashraf Okasha, head of Abydos archeological area, told Xinhua.
The Ministry of Archeology managed to lower the level of ground water in the Osireion by 120 centimeters, Okasha said.
"The paintings and inscriptions inside Osiris burial room details the journey in the afterlife, the Sunset and the Sunrise" he added.
He deemed the room as the oldest and most beautiful building in ancient Egypt. "It's unique with no identical."
He added it was a secretive building that has been built 13 meter lower than the surface of desert.
It will be opened for tourists in two months, he added.
That tomb when formally opened is expected to attract many tourists and will put Sohag at the world tourism map, for the important religious role of Osiris, Okasha explained.
