Egypt on Saturday opened a tomb of a Pharaoh for visitors after more than two decades of renovation in the southern city of Luxor.

The tomb of Amenhotep III, who ruled ancient Egypt between 1390 B.C. and 1350 B.C., is located in the western side of the famed Valley of Kings. It has been under a Japanese-led, three-phased restoration project for the past two decades.

The tomb, the biggest in the Valley of Kings, was found in 1799, according to Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. Its contents were stolen, including the sarcophagus, he said.

The restoration work that started in 2001 is a collaboration between Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities along with UNESCO and the Japanese mission.

The work included the restoration of the lid of the sarcophagus, as well as paintings, walls, pillars and architecture.

Egypt has made a years-long effort to revive its battered tourism industry.

In recent years, the government has touted its ancient history as a major selling point.

It has publicized pharaonic discoveries, building and renovating museums and tourist sites across the country.

AP video shot by Ahmed Hatem and Amr Nabil