The Curse of the Pharaohs: Fact, Fiction, and the Legend of King Tut

Separate fact from Hollywood fiction in this deep dive into the Curse of the Pharaohs. We investigate the legendary "mummy's curse" that supposedly struck the excavators of King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922, sparked by the sudden death of Lord Carnarvon. Discover the truth behind the media frenzy, the scientific explanations involving ancient toxins and mold, and the statistical reality that proves most of the "cursed" team—including Howard Carter—lived long, healthy lives.

The Curse of the Pharaohs

The Curse of the Pharaohs has always been an interesting topic! “All who get near to, death shall perish.” Perhaps the fabled “Curse of the Pharaohs,” which obsessed many times over, is the basis for their belief in the episodes of death and devastation that impact all of their open or near-pharaonic graves.

FUN

Tomb of Tutankhamun

Tutankhamun Coffin - Egypt Fun Tours

The legend of the “Curse of the Pharaohs” is centered around the tomb of Tutankhamun. A chilling phrase was reportedly discovered carved on the tomb’s walls. It warned that death would “slay with two wings anyone who tries to allay the security and peace of the Pharaoh.” After the tomb’s opening in 1922, several deaths among the workers and archaeologists gave rise to the myth.

On the very day the tomb was opened, a powerful sandstorm is said to have erupted. Furthermore, a falcon, considered a sacred symbol of the pharaohs, was spotted soaring over the site. These events, combined with the subsequent deaths of fourteen scholars and scientists, made this tomb the primary focus of the curse.

As the story goes, death followed each person who had contact with the tomb. Remarkably, the tomb itself remained untouched by looters, surviving for thirty-three centuries.

FUN

A series of curses

The Jackal Anubis and Mummification in Ancient Egypt

The Curse of Tutankhamun’s Tomb

Many believe a mysterious curse plagued those who disturbed the tomb of Tutankhamun. The tragic deaths began with Lord Carnarvon, the excavation team’s financial backer. He was present when they unveiled the tomb on February 29, 1922. A mosquito bit him, and he died from the illness on April 5, 1923, just over four months later.

The deaths continued to mount. The curse’s first victim was George Jay Gould I, who died from a fever on May 16, 1923, shortly after visiting a tomb on the French Riviera. Less than two months later, Egyptian Prince Ali Kamel Fahmy’s wife assassinated him on July 10.

Ancient Egyptian Economy

The existence of the Nile River, which was one of the factors of the ancient...

Related post
FUN

A Trail of Tragedies

More deaths followed in rapid succession. On September 26, 1923, Honorable Colonel Aubrey Herbert, a Member of Parliament and Lord Carnarvon’s half-brother, died from blood poisoning. A dental procedure, which he had hoped would restore his sight, caused the poisoning. Then, on November 13, blackmailer Baron Kurt von Veltheim shot and killed South African billionaire Wolf Joel, who had also visited the tomb.

The following year brought more tragedy. On January 15, 1924, Sir Archibald Douglas-Reid, the physician who x-rayed Tutankhamun’s mummy, died from an unknown illness. Later that year, on November 19, an assailant killed Sir Lee Stack, the Governor-General of Sudan, while he was driving in Cairo.

Heb-Sed Festival: A Journey to Rejuvenation

The Heb-Sed Festival was an ancient Egyptian jubilee that celebrated the pharaoh's reign. This ceremony...
Related post
FUN

The Curse Persists

The list of tragedies kept growing. Arthur Cruttenden Mace, a member of Howard Carter’s excavation team, died from arsenic poisoning in 1928. On May 25, 1929, reports claimed that another of Carnarvon’s half-brothers, Honorable Mervyn Herbert, died from “malaria pneumonia.” Just a few months later, on November 15, they found Carter’s secretary, Honorable Commander Richard Bethell, smothered in his bed. His father, Richard Lecharle Pilkington Bathall, the 3rd Baron of Westbury, tragically died on February 20, 1930, after allegedly jumping from his seventh-floor apartment.

Avaris Hyksos Capital: Unveiling the Forgotten City of the Hebrews

Discover the lost history of Avaris, the powerful Hyksos capital that once dominated the Nile...
Related post
FUN

An Exception to the Rule?

Interestingly, Howard Carter, who first entered the tomb on February 16, 1923, lived for over a decade longer, until his death on March 2, 1939. Still, some people claim the curse also caused his death.

Deluxe tours

Weather in Egypt

Witness the best attractions of Cairo, Luxor, & Hurghada....
Explore the Pyramids, Abu Simbel, and more....
hani ahmed 1

Hani Was our Awesome Tour Guide!

We had an 11-hour layover in Cairo on 12/15/2011. We wanted to go to see the Pyramids, Tahrir Square, and possibly the museum. We were so lucky to have a guide, Hani from Egypt Fun Tour, who made it possible to see all the above, plus the Bazaar, and time

More »

The best holiday ever!

The Nile cruise, Luxor, and Aswan were amazing sites to see, especially when you have the best tour guide in Egypt. Hamada was absolutely fantastic, lots of information, and some of it not spoken by others. This guy was not only a simple tour guide for us, but he also

More »

Amazing one day tour

Fantastic tour. We were picked up at the airport early in the morning (6 am), and were dropped off in the evening after discovering amazing Cairo. The guide was knowledgeable and took us to many hidden places, which we wouldn’t have found without him. Thank you!

More »
Ancient Egyptian Sarcophagus - Egypt Fun Tours

Unforgettable experience with Fun Tours – Highly recommended!

Hello everyone! We would like to share our extremely positive experience with Fun Tours. Our tour was a complete success thanks to our guide, Osama, and our driver Hassan. Osama proved to be an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide who answered all of our questions and catered to our individual wishes

More »

HANDS DOWN, the best cultural experience I’ve ever had

Thank you, Egypt Fun Tour, for a most memorable trip. I admit I didn’t do any of the planning (it was all done by my boyfriend), but as you can read in the reviews below, Hani (the owner of Egypt Fun Tours) is superbly organized and accommodating with scheduling. My

More »
Isis with wings

Top-rated Tour Packages

Isis with wings