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In the age of pyramids, only the highest officials were allowed to take their final rest in monumental tombs called ‘mastabas’.

This was the case for Akhethotep, a high-ranking figure of the Old Kingdom, close to the pharaoh. Brought to the Louvre in 1903, the chapel of his mastaba, some 4,000 years old, is one of the centrepieces of the Department of Egyptian Antiquities, both for the virtuosity manifest in the sculpted decor and the lavishness and vitality of its designs representing flourishing nature, fieldwork, banquets, dances and offering processions.

A century later, the Louvre identified the original location of the chapel and the remarkable architectural structure to which it belonged, now buried in sand. With these discoveries, the Louvre is proud to propose a new presentation of the chapel at the heart of its collection, offering a revelatory look at one of the most stunning monuments of ancient Egypt.

Thanks to the generosity of more than 3,700 donors, the Musée du Louvre raised €670,000 to help restore the chapel of the mastaba of Akhethotep.