These tombs were rediscovered by the Egyptian archaeologist Ahmed Fakri in 1971 and some have since been restored, including the tomb of Oziri (Petosiris) and Badi Baset (Petubastis), the only ones open to the public. Featuring spectacular colours and zodiac ceilings, they are particularly interesting for their crossover between Graeco-Roman and Pharaonic styles.
More than 200 mummies were found here, but it seems the 19th-century travellers were quite happy to take them away as souvenirs.