Just like they did when they were alive, many rich and famous people love being surrounded by all their stuff. Or at the very least, they like to make sure their resting place is bigger and fancier than everyone else's.
Tombs are some of history's most fascinating places, and from the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs to Napoleon Bonaparte, every ruler has their own take on what's fit for a king's grave.
Here are 23 seldom-seen pics from inside the tombs of some of history's most impactful figures.
1
The perfectly preserved Tomb of Seti I, trashed by a circus strongman.
2
The inside of Irish Warrior Queen Maebdh's tomb.
3
One of the first pictures taken inside King Tut's tomb shows what ancient Egyptian treasure really looks like.
4
Tomb of the Prussian Royal Family.
5
Conservator Lorenza D’Alessandro at work in the tomb of Nefertari, 1988.
6
The tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte.
7
Archeologists dining inside the tomb of Pharaoh Ramses XI in 1923.
8
5,000-year-old wine jugs found in the tomb of Queen Merneith of Egypt's First Dynasty.
9
The seal of Tutankhamun's tomb before it was opened in 1923, it was unbroken for over 3000 years.
11
Colorized photo of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb.
12
A Bronze age tomb that had not been disturbed for 3,500 years, discovered on Crete.
13
Inside the tomb of Ramesses VI, in the Valley of the Kings.
14
The tomb of Christopher Columbus, at Seville’s Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Sea.
15
Tomb of John Paul Jones.
16
Freshly excavated 2000 year old Terracotta Warriors still showing original color before rapid deterioration. Picture taken in 1974. Emperor Qin’s final tomb however has infamously never been opened, due to fears of boobytrapping.
17
Archaeologists open the tomb of King Tutankhamen.
19
Further photos of Tut’s exploration.
