- A once-in-a-lifetime spectacle was seen by Cairo residents on Saturday, as a parade of ancient mummies wound its way through the streets of Cairo.
- The mummies, all ancient rulers, were being transported from the Egyptian Museum to their new resting place, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
- Museum promoters were staging The Pharaohs’ Golden Parade, with the mummies being placed upon individually decorated trucks for the move to a new museum.
CAIRO, Egypt: A once-in-a-lifetime spectacle was seen by Cairo residents as a parade of ancient mummies wound its way through the streets of Cairo.
The mummies, all ancient rulers, were being transported from the Egyptian Museum to their new resting place, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
Museum promoters were staging The Pharaohs’ Golden Parade, with the mummies being placed upon individually decorated trucks for the move to the new museum.
The multimillion-dollar parade included 22 mummies – 18 kings and four queens -all transported in the order of their reigns.
Organizers noted that one of the most anticipated sights will be the truck carrying King Ramses II, the most famous pharaoh, who ruled for 67 years.
Each mummy wastransported atop decorated vehicles fitted with special shock-absorbers and protected by a motorcade.
Museum officials said that during the move, the mummies were placed inside nitrogen-filled boxes to protect them from the environment.
Also, to ensure smooth rides, the roads along the route had been repaved.
“The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has done its best to make sure that the mummies have been stabilised, conserved, and are packed in a climate-controlled environment,” said Salima Ikram, professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo, as quoted by the BBC.
In 1881 and 1898 the mummies were unearthed in the ruins of Thebes, Egypt’s ancient capital.
For over 100 years, tourists from throughout the world came to Cairo’s Egyptian Museum to view the ancient rulers of Egypt.
The new exhibit of ancient mummies will go on display beginning 18 April.
Additionally, a new Grand Egyptian Museum will display the famous Tutankhamun collection, to open next year close to the Great Pyramids at Giza.
