Ancient tombs featuring magnificent wall paintings open to public in Israel

A worker touches up an ancient wall painting of Greek goddess Demeter (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP)

Two nearly 2,000-year-old tombs with magnificent wall paintings will be open to the public for the first time in southern Israel after a painstaking conservation process.

British archaeologists discovered the sand-filled tombs in the 1930s and were amazed by the colourful paintings on the wall depicting vibrant grape vines twining their way around birds, animals and mythological characters.