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Image Credit: Timothee Sassolas
Ancient Indian Visitors Left Inscriptions in the Valley of the Kings 2000 Years Ago
Archaeologists have identified dozens of ancient graffiti inscriptions left by visitors from South Asia inside tombs in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, dating to roughly 2,000 years ago during the Roman period.
Researchers documented about 30 inscriptions written in three Indian languages across six tombs in the famous royal necropolis near Luxor. Many of these inscriptions were written in Old Tamil, while others were composed in Sanskrit and related languages. The texts were recently studied and presented at an international conference on Tamil epigraphy in Chennai.
One individual, identified in the inscriptions as Cikai Korran, appears to have left his name eight times across five different tombs. His Tamil inscription translates roughly to: “Cikai Korran came here and saw.” In some cases, he carved his name high above the entrances of the tombs, including an inscription placed about 5–6 meters above the doorway of the tomb of Pharaoh Ramesses IX.
The inscriptions date between the first and third centuries AD, when Egypt was part of the Roman Empire and the Valley of the Kings had already become a destination for travelers and visitors from across the Mediterranean and beyond.
Another inscription written in Sanskrit mentions a man named Indranandin, who described himself as a messenger of a ruler from the Kshaharata dynasty in India. Scholars suggest he may have arrived at the Red Sea port of Berenike and traveled inland through Egypt, possibly continuing onward to the Roman world.
These discoveries provide rare archaeological evidence of long-distance connections between South Asia and Egypt during antiquity. They also demonstrate that visitors from India were not merely passing through the region but were actively exploring important cultural and historical sites such as the Valley of the Kings.
Researchers believe further investigation may reveal additional inscriptions in Indian languages at other Egyptian sites, including temples and ports connected to ancient trade networks.
Published on: 06-03-2026
Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie
Source: Live Science