The golden sarcophagus of Tutankhamun

The Egyptian boy king Tutankhamun’s sinister gold-plated coffin and thousands of artefacts are being restored by archaeologists for a new museum exhibit.

Tut’s sarcophagus and the treasured collection of his tomb are expected to be the centrepiece of the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) that Egypt will open next year near the Pyramids of Giza.

King Tutankhamun’s gold death mask. Credit: Getty Images, Supplied/The Egyptian Museum, Cairo

But according to The Sun, many believe Tut’s remains are cursed as the opening of his tomb was followed by a string of deaths of people involved with the discovery.

Archaeologists, and even their family members, died from horrible illnesses or in strange accidents — and some say the deaths weren’t a coincidence.

Antechamber inside tomb of King Tutankhamen in Luxor, Egypt. Numerous people connected to the tomb’s discovery died in mysterious circumstances. Credit: News Limited, Supplied

British archaeologist Haward Carter discovered the tomb of the 18th dynasty king in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor in 1922.

The tomb was untouched and included about 5,000 artefacts.

Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities said the coffin was transported from Tut’s tomb in southern Egypt to the GEM last week “in order to be restored for the first time since the tomb’s discovery”.

The coffin of Tutankhamun. Credit: Supplied

The face of Pharaoh Tutankhamen who died in mysterious circumstances more than 3,000 years ago. Credit: News Corp Australia

“The coffin has suffered a lot of damage, including cracks in the golden layers of plaster and a general weakness in all golden layers,” said GEM expert Eissa Zidan.

Restoration work on the coffin, which is made of wood and covered with gold, will take about eight months, he added.

It was the only sarcophagus left in Tut’s tomb after the two other coffins of Tutankhamun were moved to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo’s Tahrir square in 1922.

Computer illustration showing the layout of the tomb of Tutankhamun (1341-1323 BC), in Luxor, along with two further possible undiscovered chambers (shadowed). Credit: Getty Images, Supplied

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Egypt has previously announced that the GEM, which has been under construction for about 15 years and is partially funded by Japan, will officially open by the end of 2020.

Tutankhamun, a pharaoh of the 18th Egyptian dynasty, ruled Egypt from 1332 to 1323 B.C.

He is most famous for his age — experts believe the boy was just 10 years old when he took the reigns of the world’s most powerful empire.

His death aged just 19 has puzzled experts for decades. Some believe he died of a broken leg or other accident, while others suspect he was assassinated.

Archaeologist Howard Carter examining King Tutankhamen’s mummy, 1922. Credit: News Limited, Supplied

Egyptologist Lord Carnarvon headed the expedition that discovered King Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922. Within a few years of opening the tomb, 10 people had died. Credit: News Corp Australia, Supplied