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Dr Zahi Hawass believes he is on the verge of making what he calls the most important discovery of Egypt's most important queen.
Queen Nefertiti's tomb could have been found (Image: undefined)
A renowned archaeologist believes he is on the brink of discovering the elusive tomb of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti.
Dr Zahi Hawass, an esteemed Egyptologist and former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, confidently anticipates making this monumental discovery before his retirement.
"If I made this discovery, I think I would be happy to end my career with the most important discovery of the most important queen of Egypt - Queen Nefertiti," he said in a new documentary about his career titled 'The Man with the Hat'.
Unearthing Nefertiti's tomb could finally solve one of ancient Egypt's greatest enigmas - whether Hawass, 78, is correct in his belief she ascended to the throne as pharaoh following the demise of her husband Akhenaten in 1336 BC.
Nefertiti has often been portrayed performing duties typically reserved for pharaohs, including vanquishing foes.
Dr Zahi Hawass says he is close to a breakthrough (Image: GETTY)
However, her tomb has never been convincingly identified, leaving her actual role during a period of significant religious turmoil a mystery.
Hawass and his team have been conducting excavations in the eastern Valley of the Kings, near the burial site of Hatshepsut, the influential female pharaoh who reigned from 1479 to 1458 BC, reports the Mirror.
Despite lacking definitive evidence, he expressed a strong hunch that Nefertiti might be interred there.
"There is one area now that we are working in the east valley, near the tomb of Queen Hatshepsut," Hawass told Live Science.
He added: "I'm hoping that this could be the tomb of Queen Nefertiti ... this discovery could happen soon."
This could be a huge breakthrough (Image: GETTY)
The archaeologist, who has spent years working in the region, has previously unearthed two tombs, KV 65 and KV 66. He is convinced that the current excavations could assist in mapping the area and identifying the potential location of Nefertiti's final resting place.
This isn't the first occasion Hawass has been on the verge of such a discovery.
In 2022, he suggested that one of two mummies he found in the Valley of the Kings was probably Nefertiti, though this assertion was never verified, according to Artnet.
During last year's excavation led by Hawass, a significant discovery was made whilst examining a 4,400 year old ancient tomb, believed to have belonged to a previously unknown prince named Userefre. The substantial pink granite door now holds the distinction of being the largest ever discovered in Egypt.
This enigmatic door, whilst appearing to be a working door, doesn't actually open but measures an impressive 4.5 metres in height and 1.15 metres in width.
Specialists believe it formerly served as a symbolic gateway which permitted the spirits of the departed to journey to the afterlife, carrying profound spiritual importance for the ancient Egyptians.
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Dr Melanie Pitkin, from Cambridge University, has previously outlined the purpose behind these false doors: "Family members and priests would come to the tomb where the false door was standing, and they would recite the name of the deceased and his or her achievements and leave offerings.
"The ka of the deceased would then magically travel between the burial chamber and the netherworld. It would come and collect the food, drink, and offerings from the tomb to help sustain it in the afterlife."
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