The tomb of legendary boy pharaoh Tutankhamun in Egypt's Valley of the Kings will close from October for restorations, the antiquities ministry said Sunday.

The pharaoh, who died aged 19 in 1324 BC after a reign of nine years, is best known for the treasures found in his burial chamber, which include an 11-kilogram solid gold funerary mask incrusted with lapis lazuli and semi-precious stones.

The authorities have decided to restore the tomb, discovered near the southern city of Luxor in 1922 by British archeologist Howard Carter, to "preserve it and protect it" as it is "one of Egypt's most important archeological sites," Antiquities Minister Mamduh al-Damati said in a statement.

It was not clear how long the restoration would last.

In January, Tutankhamun's golden mask made headlines after a "botched" repair that left a crust of dried glue on the relic at Cairo's Egyptian Museum.