A procession of 22 ancient Egyptian royal mummies passed through central Cairo on Saturday on their way to a new museum three miles away as part of a lavish ceremony celebrating Egypt’s history.
The procession of 18 kings and four queens, called the Pharaohs’ Golden Parade, left the Egyptian Museum near Tahrir Square around 8 p.m. and headed for the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, the Washington Post reports. Each of the mummies rode gold-and-blue vehicles that resembled boats, with each vehicle bearing the name of the mummy carrying it.
The whole event tried to mimic the trappings of ancient Egypt, with horse-drawn chariots dressed like ancient Egyptians. The procession circled around Tahrir Square, the center of the 2011 Egyptian revolution.
The route the vehicles traveled was freshly paved, the boxes were filled with nitrogen and the vehicles were fitted with special shock absorbers to preserve the old remains.
The event had been promoted for months, the Post notes, with Egyptian authorities hoping that the transfer of mummies will lure tourists to the country whose economy has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic and political chaos.
The event also served as a nationalist event to highlight Egypt’s place in history, the Post notes, with President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi presiding over the ceremony. He himself is often referred to as ‘a new pharaoh’ because of his authoritarian rule and ambitious projects.
The majority of Egyptians saw the event on television, the Post reports, and the entire route was closed for security reasons. Some parts of the event were also pre-recorded with orchestras and singers playing patriotic music and segments dedicated to Egypt’s famous temples, mosques and churches.