In total, 22 mummies were on the move, including 18 kings and four queens. They mainly belong to the New Kingdom and are believed to be about 3,000 years old.
There are many well-known parades, but most have probably never heard of a mummy parade. After months of planning, there was recently an elaborate parade to move 22 mummies from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir to the National Egyptian Museum of Civilisation in Fustat.
The Pharaoh’s Golden Parade was an elaborate way to move the mummies, and it was a sight to behold. The mummies were each delicately placed in a capsule with nitrogen to protect them, and were also displayed in prestigious carts designed just for them.
In total, 22 mummies were on the move, including 18 kings and four queens. They mainly belong to the New Kingdom and are believed to be about 3,000 years old.
The convoy included the last king of the 17th dynasty, whose CT scan confirmed he had a violent death. The parade also included the mummies of Ramses II, Seti I, and Ahmose-Nefertari.
Salima Ikram, a distinguished Egyptology professor at America University in Cairo, explains the event's significance. She states, “It is a poignant moment to think of so many of Egypt's royalty going through the streets of this modern capital, and in fact, they are going back to an ancient capital, Al-Fustat. So it will be, I think, a very moving event.”
“These are the kings of Egypt, These are the pharaohs, and it is a way of showing respect.”
The parade also serves another purpose too. The hope is that the attraction will revive interest in tourism to the region. As with many destinations, Egypt was greatly affected by the pandemic. The number of visitors dropped down from 13.1 million in 2019 to just 3.5 million.
Salima Ikram explains, “On one level, I think it's for all of the Egyptians so that there is a sense of pride and understanding, and a way for greater engagement with their own past. People should understand that these pharaohs are incredibly important historically, and also important now because this is part of Egypt's economy.”
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