Egypt's antiquities ministry says that Czech archaeologists have unearthed the 4,500-year-old tomb of a Pharaonic princess south of Cairo.

Ministry official Mohammed El-Bialy told The Associated Press on Saturday that Princess Shert Nebti's burial site is surrounded by the tombs of four high officials from the Fifth Dynasty dating to around 2,500 BC in the Abu Sir complex near the famed step pyramid of Saqqara. El-Bialy says further excavation is needed before the tomb can be opened to the public.

Antiquities minister Mohammed Ibrahim said in a statement Friday that the antechamber to the tomb of the princess includes four limestone columns and hieroglyphic inscriptions.

Egypt's vital tourism industry has suffered from the country's internal unrest in the wake of the 2011 uprising that toppled autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak.