Tutankhamen was a ruler who ruled during Egypt’s New Kingdom and is considered one of the most famous pharaohs in Egyptian history. The opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb and the events that followed have remained a source of mystery and fear for years. This mysterious chain of events, which started with the discovery of the tomb in 1922, continues to confuse and arouse curiosity for many people. However, it is still debated whether the curse has a real effect or is just a myth.
Some of them are deaths and deaths that occurred after the opening of the tomb. strange events He believes there is a connection between There are those who think that this is a curse and that the opening of the tomb disrupts some kind of sacred balance. Some argue that these events are coincidental and that the curse is not real.
Scientifically, there is no conclusive evidence to prove the existence of the curse. Researchers state that the deaths were random and that it is difficult to directly associate the exhumation with these deaths. However, it seems that such events and legends will always continue to trigger people’s curiosity and imagination.
Discovery of Child Pharaoh Tutankhamun and His Tomb
Tutankhamen, who reigned between 1332 and 1323 BC, was generally referred to as “Child PharaohIt is referred to as “. Tutankhamen’s tomb was found by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922 and became one of the most famous archaeological discoveries in the world with its treasures. Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tombIt was discovered filled with many items and treasures that were considered symbols of wealth and power in ancient Egypt.
of Egypt Luxor near the city Valley of the KingsThe tombs and the treasures inside are considered one of the most epic finds of archaeology. When Tutankhamen’s tomb was discovered, it had not been robbed in any way and its treasures remained in their original places. Although this was an important feature that made Tutankhamun different from other pharaohs, it was not the most remarkable quality. What really attracted attention and was important were the curse rumors that emerged with the opening of his grave.
Archaeologist Howard CarterIt was known that a snake ate his canary the day he opened his tomb. Some Egyptian employees interpreted this event as a sign from the spirit of the pharaoh. During the excavation, when people from Carter’s team began to die, rumors began to circulate that the mummy had released his curse. As the years passed, more members of Carter’s team died, and scientists began to wonder if there was a more mundane reason behind these deaths.
Deaths Associated with the Curse
With the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, mysterious events It started to come one after another. Howard Carter’s favorite canary was eaten by a cobra snake of unknown origin. The cobra snake is considered a symbol of the Egyptian rulers.
provided financial support for the excavations a few weeks after the discovery of the tomb. English Lord Carnavron‘s health condition began to deteriorate. Explained as blood poisoning, Lord passed away a short time later. Simultaneously, Lord’s dog, Susie, was said to have started howling and died. With the Lord’s death, rumors of the curse grew stronger.
The main basis behind these rumors was the hieroglyphic writing in the Pharaoh’s tomb. The article was as follows: “Anyone who touches Pharaoh’s tomb will fall under the wings of death.”
American billionaire George Jay Goulddied suddenly of fever after visiting the grave.
AC Mace, was one of Archaeologist Carter’s assistants. He quit his job when he started having fever attacks and died in 1928.
Richard Bethellwas one of Carter’s other aides and died of circulatory failure at the age of 45.
radiologist Archibald ReidHe was working with X-rays on the mummy to determine Tutankhamun’s age. He died shortly after returning to England.
Lord Carnavron‘s friend died of high fever in Egypt, where he went to see the tomb of the pharaoh, and 12 hours after attending the funeral. It was speculated after these deaths that there may have been a poison-producing bacteria associated with the graves, but it was never proven.
Rumors of a curse on Tutankhamen’s tomb increased interest even more. Tutankhamen’s tomb remains were exhibited in London and later in America in 1972, and mysterious deaths occurred in the process.
Director of the Egyptian Antiquities Department, Dr. Gamaleddin MehrezHe stated that all these mysterious deaths may worry people, but the curse should definitely not be believed. Four weeks after Mehrez’s words, he died at the age of 52.
Explanation on the Curse of Tutankhamun’s Tomb
The number of death cases described as “curse” in the newspapers varied between 9 and 20. While some sources accepted 20 deaths, including those who visited the tomb and relatives of the excavation team, others counted only those who worked on the excavation.
The various causes of death associated with the curse included car accidents, gunfights, house fires, and suicides. While Western media showed great interest in this concept of the mummy curse, Egyptians generally did not associate their deaths with the curse.
However, in reality, dozens of Egyptian workers also worked on the excavation. Carter did not name most of these people in his memos, and they rarely appeared in the press. Therefore, it was unknown what impact cleaning up millennia-old dust and debris had on the health of these people.
Perhaps the most prosaic explanation of the curse came from Frank McClanahan, a doctor who treated one of the patients involved in the excavation. “The deaths were actually associated with a small fraction of those who visited the tomb,” McClanahan says.
In an interview in 1972, the Doctor said, “There were archaeologists here constantly coming and going from all over the world. “If you take any large group of people and check back later, you’ll find a certain death rate among them.” He spoke as follows. With this statement, McClanahan emphasizes that the statistics do not constitute an unusual situation regarding deaths in the region and that the numbers were misinterpreted due to curse rumors.
As a result, whether the curse associated with Tutankhamen’s tomb is real or just a myth still remains a mystery.
