Ancient Indian Tourists to Egypt's Valley of the Kings Revealed by Graffiti

One of eight inscriptions left by a man named Cikai Korran in the Valley of the Kings.

March

/ 2026

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Archaeologists have uncovered a remarkable testament to ancient global connections in Egypt's famed Valley of the Kings. Around 30 inscriptions written in ancient Indian languages have been identified on the walls of several royal tombs, providing compelling evidence of Indian visitors to the heart of ancient Egypt nearly 2,000 years ago. The discovery, which includes numerous instances of a single traveler's name carved across multiple tombs, sheds new light on the extent of ancient tourism and the far-reaching trade networks of the Roman era.

Ancient Visitors to the Valley of the Kings

During the first to third centuries AD, when Egypt was a province of the Roman Empire, the Valley of the Kings had already transitioned from a sacred burial ground to a popular tourist destination. Visitors from across the Roman world would explore the magnificent tombs of the pharaohs, often leaving behind graffiti to commemorate their visit. While over 2,000 such inscriptions in Greek and Latin have been documented since French scholar Jules Baillet catalogued them in 1926, the recent identification of graffiti in Indian languages reveals a previously underappreciated diversity among these ancient tourists.

Researchers Ingo Strauch, a professor in the Department of Slavic and South Asian Studies at the University of Lausanne, and Charlotte Schmid of the French School of Asian Studies in Paris, presented their findings at the International Conference on Tamil Epigraphy in Chennai in February 2026. Their study, carried out in 2024 and 2025, identified inscriptions across six different tombs in several ancient Indian scripts, including Sanskrit, Prakrit, and, most prominently, Old Tamil. This indicates that travelers from various parts of the Indian subcontinent made the long journey to Egypt and were actively interested in its monumental history.

One of eight inscriptions left by a man named Cikai Korran in the Valley of the Kings. (Ingo Strauch)

'Cikai Korran Came Here and Saw'

Among the Indian visitors, one man named Cikai Korran was particularly keen to leave his mark. His name appears at least eight times in five different tombs, written in Old Tamil. The inscription translates to "Cikai Korran came here and saw" - a phrase that echoes the sentiments of countless travelers throughout history, not unlike a modern tourist snapping photos at a famous landmark. His profession and social status remain uncertain, with scholars suggesting he could have been a merchant traveling along trade routes, a mercenary, a diplomat, or even a member of a regional elite from southern India.

One of Cikai Korran's inscriptions is particularly striking, located 5 to 6 meters (16 to 20 feet) above the entrance to the tomb of Pharaoh Ramesses IX, who reigned circa 1126 to 1108 B.C. How he managed to carve his name at such a height remains a mystery. Charlotte Schmid, who presented on Korran's inscriptions at the conference, noted that his tendency to write high up was unusual. "It's weird, to be frank," she remarked. In the tomb of pharaohs Tausert and Setnakhte, Korran's inscription is the only graffiti found, suggesting the interior was closed off at the time of his visit, yet he still managed to locate the entrance and leave his mark.

Other Indian Travelers in Ancient Egypt

Cikai Korran was not the only South Asian visitor to leave inscriptions in the Valley of the Kings. One Sanskrit text was written by a man named Indranandin, who identified himself as a "messenger of King Kshaharata," a dynasty that ruled parts of India during the first century AD. Strauch noted in an email to Live Science that it is possible Indranandin arrived by ship at Berenike, the ancient port on Egypt's Red Sea coast, and from there continued inland to the Valley of the Kings, perhaps even continuing on to Rome. Of the 30 inscriptions identified, 20 are in Tamil, reflecting the dominant role of Tamil traders in the Indian Ocean trade network.

Inscription in Tamil found at the Valley of the Kings

Another inscription, written in Tamil, left by another tourist from India. (Ingo Strauch and Charlotte Schmid)

The significance of these finds extends beyond the novelty of the discovery. Kasper Grønlund Evers, an independent scholar who has studied ancient long-distance trade, told Live Science that these new discoveries are "exactly the kind of evidence of visiting Tamil and Western Indian merchants that we would hope to find — but have never previously been able to document on this scale." Similarly, Alexandra von Lieven, an Egyptology professor at the University of Münster, noted that the texts "prove not just the mere presence of Indians in Egypt, but also their active interest in the culture of the land." Egyptologist Steve Harvey added that "until this discovery we never had any solid proof of visitors from India to the Nile Valley in this early period."

Evidence of Ancient Global Connections

The inscriptions add to a growing body of evidence for a sustained Indian presence in Egypt during the Roman period. Trade routes across the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea connected India with Egypt and the Roman Empire, with ships regularly carrying spices, textiles, gemstones, and other luxury goods between the regions. Ports such as Berenike and Myos Hormos served as key entry points for merchants and travelers arriving from India. A Buddha statue found at Berenike and other Indian religious artifacts already attested to a sustained Indian presence on the Red Sea coast; these new inscriptions now extend that presence deep into the Nile Valley.

Charlotte Schmid emphasized that what is most important about the discovery is "a form of awareness of Indian identity that is manifested in these inscriptions, engraved in four languages and four scripts that all originate from India." In one tomb, Tamil and Sanskrit inscriptions were found alongside Greek graffiti, with the Indian texts making reference to the Greek content, suggesting these travelers could read multiple languages. Rather than simply appearing in trade records or historical texts, travelers like Cikai Korran literally carved their presence into the stone walls of history - a vivid reminder that ancient tourism and cross-cultural curiosity are far older than we might imagine.

Top image: One of eight inscriptions left by a man named Cikai Korran in the Valley of the Kings. Source: Ingo Strauch

By Gary Manners