Nubi Hussein Abdel-Rasoul says the Grand Egyptian Museum is finally giving long-overdue recognition to his father, the boy whose sharp eye led to the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb more than a century ago.
Tutankhamun's tomb, found in 1922 in the Valley of the Kings, is considered the most intact royal burial ever uncovered in Egypt. The chamber contained thousands of objects, including the gold funerary mask that later became a symbol of ancient Egypt. The staircase revealed by the young Hussein Abdel-Rasoul led directly to the sealed doorway of the tomb.
Abdel-Rasoul, now 84 and living in Luxor, said his father, Hussein Abdel-Rasoul, was only 12 years old when he drew British archaeologist Howard Carter's attention to a tilted stone on the West Bank of Luxor in November 1922.
According to an account, the boy had dropped a water jug, which revealed an opening beneath the sand. He removed the loose stone and uncovered the first steps of the staircase that led to the most famous tomb in modern archaeology.
Abdel-Rasoul added that his family has never forgotten the boy's role. Tourists still visit their home to view old photographs and listen to the story. He said he meets weekly tour groups and has appeared on foreign television networks, including Japanese channels, to recount what happened that day.
Abdel-Rasoul said the new recognition at the Grand Egyptian Museum is not just personal, but national. He explained that honoring his father also restores dignity to the Egyptian workers who dug, hauled, and carried objects during major excavations, yet rarely received credit.
"Egyptian discoveries should remain in Egyptian hands," he said, urging young Egyptians to join archaeological missions and revive local participation in heritage work.
The Abdel-Rasoul family has stayed connected to excavation projects ever since 1922. Al-Masry Al-Youm reported that they still keep a rare photograph showing the elder Hussein wearing a necklace found in Tutankhamun's tomb, a reminder of the brief moment when he stood at the doorway of history.
Abdel-Rasoul said he is satisfied that the museum in Cairo now includes a dedicated section about his father's role in the discovery. He said the display means future generations will learn that the find did not belong to foreign explorers alone, but to Egyptians who lived beside the Valley of the Kings and understood its land more than anyone else.