King Tut's tomb, which some believe suffers from a "Curse of the Pharaoh," is indeed cursed, experts have decided. It's too popular.
One of Egypt's top tourist attractions, the tomb in southern Egypt's Valley of the Kings has been off-limits to visitors since November.Antiquities officials say it will remain closed until they decide how to mix the magic of Tutankhamun's name with the reality of trying to keep his burial place intact.
"It's the tourists. They're the problem," said Shawky Nakhla, head of restoration and conservation for the Egyptian Antiquities Organization. "The tomb is safe as long as people don't visit it."
Tut's tomb has been a headliner since British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered it seven decades ago. Looted at least twice in antiquity, the tomb still contained incredible treasures, now displayed in Cairo's Egyptian Museum.
But a chilling series of events, including violent or unusual deaths of people connected with the tomb's opening, evoked speculation about a "Curse of the Pharaoh" on those who violate the tomb.
Tut's name and tomb became household words, but the real curse turned out to be on the tomb itself - from its visitors.
The tomb was closed initially so experts could study bacteria and fungi first isolated in the burial chamber in 1988. The infestation remained dormant after treatment, but there were growing worries that the tomb and its contents could be destroyed if the growth was triggered again.
The experts now say they know what caused the bacteria.
Nakhla, the antiquities official, said tourists stir up dust that covers the walls. They also sweat, releasing salt into the air and onto the walls. "Even by breathing they release organisms that stay trapped inside the tomb," he said.
The hillsides of the Valley of the Kings opposite present-day Luxor house scores of royal tombs. Many suffer similar symptoms, but Tut's is particularly vulnerable because it is small and its four-chamber design leaves few escape routes for bacteria.
As many as 4,000 visitors were crowding into Tut's tomb daily in 1988, when the condition of the chamber's wall paintings and high humidity levels first alarmed officials. Spots and blotches marred the brightly colored paintings behind the sarcophogus with Tut's mummy.
Nakhla said experiments made it evident tourists weren't just one cause of Tut's troubles, but the main cause.
"When you have a lot of people, the amount of bacteria is fantastically high," he said.