Egyptian Mummies hit the road for Cairos Golden Parade
- 3 years ago
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Egyptians and people around the world witnessed what was called the “Golden Parade” Saturday evening, as 22 of the country’s ancient rulers rolled through the streets of Cairo in a lavish, multi-million dollar extravaganza.
Eighteen former kings and four queens were transported from the historic Museum of Egyptian Antiquities to their new home in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization about three miles away.
Included in the parade was King Ramses II, the superstar pharaoh of the New Kingdom, who ruled for 67 years.
Cairo closed down roads along the Nile for the parade, aimed at bringing attention to Egypt’s rich collections of antiquities at a time when COVID-19 restrictions have almost obliterated tourism.
Each mummy was placed in a nitrogen-filled capsule and borne along in climate-controlled carts fitted with special shock absorbers. They were accompanied by replicas of horse-drawn war chariots.
The mummies were moved so they could benefit from a more sophisticated display at the new museum.
The mummies were discovered by archeologists in two batches at the mortuary temples of Deir Al Bahari in Luxor and at the nearby Valley of the Kings beginning in 1871.
Uprooting the mummies — again — sparked talk of “pharaoh’s curse” on Twitter, according to reports. Some cited the ship stuck in the Suez Canal last week as evidence.
The oldest of the royal mummies is that of Seqenenre Tao, the last king of the 17th Dynasty, who reigned in the 16th century BC and is thought to have met a violent death.
The parade also included the mummies of Seti I, and Ahmose-Nefertari.
“By doing it like this, with great pomp and circumstance, the mummies are getting their due,” said Salima Ikram, an Egyptologist at the American University in Cairo.
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Egyptians and people around the world witnessed what was called the “Golden Parade” Saturday evening, as 22 of the country’s ancient rulers rolled through the streets of Cairo in a lavish, multi-million dollar extravaganza.
Eighteen former kings and four queens were transported from the historic Museum of Egyptian Antiquities to their new home in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization about three miles away.
Included in the parade was King Ramses II, the superstar pharaoh of the New Kingdom, who ruled for 67 years.
Cairo closed down roads along the Nile for the parade, aimed at bringing attention to Egypt’s rich collections of antiquities at a time when COVID-19 restrictions have almost obliterated tourism.
Each mummy was placed in a nitrogen-filled capsule and borne along in climate-controlled carts fitted with special shock absorbers. They were accompanied by replicas of horse-drawn war chariots.
The mummies were moved so they could benefit from a more sophisticated display at the new museum.
The mummies were discovered by archeologists in two batches at the mortuary temples of Deir Al Bahari in Luxor and at the nearby Valley of the Kings beginning in 1871.
Uprooting the mummies — again — sparked talk of “pharaoh’s curse” on Twitter, according to reports. Some cited the ship stuck in the Suez Canal last week as evidence.
The oldest of the royal mummies is that of Seqenenre Tao, the last king of the 17th Dynasty, who reigned in the 16th century BC and is thought to have met a violent death.
The parade also included the mummies of Seti I, and Ahmose-Nefertari.
“By doing it like this, with great pomp and circumstance, the mummies are getting their due,” said Salima Ikram, an Egyptologist at the American University in Cairo.
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Find VESA Channel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VesaChannel