A procession of 22 ancient Egyptian royal mummies passed through downtown Cairo on Saturday on their way to a new museum three miles away as part of a lavish ceremony to celebrate Egypt’s history.
The procession of 18 kings and four queens, called the Golden Parade of the Pharaohs, left the Egyptian Museum near Tahrir Square around 20:00 and went to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, reports Washington Post. Each of the mummies rode on golden, blue boat-like vehicles, each vehicle bearing the name of the mummy it bore.
The whole event tried to recreate the traps of ancient Egypt, with horse-drawn chariot interpreters dressed like the ancient Egyptians. The procession circled around Tahrir Square, the center of the 2011 Egyptian revolution.
The route of the vehicles was freshly paved, the crates were filled with nitrogen and the vehicles were equipped with special shock absorbers to preserve the ancient remains.
The event has been promoted for months, the Post notes, with Egyptian authorities hoping that the transfer of the mummies will attract tourists to the country whose economy has been hit hard 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 was often called “a new pharaoh” for his authoritarian rule and ambitious plans.
Most Egyptians saw the event on television, Post reports, and the entire route was closed for security reasons. 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.