Egypt is preparing for a royal procession of mummies from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Fustat.
The procession features 22 mummies, 18 of which are mummies of kings and four are of queens from the 17th to the 20th dynasties of ancient Egypt — approximately 3,500 to 3,100 years ago. On Saturday, 22 royal mummies will be paraded through the streets of downtown Cairo. As the sun sets, the ancient monarchs will depart the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square in a grandiose parade, each of them on their own decorated vehicle surrounded by a festival-like motorcade, complete with music, lights, costumes and horses. The “Pharaohs’ Golden Parade” will move along the River Nile to Egypt’s first Islamic capital, Al-Fustat, in old Cairo, until it reaches the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC). The aim was to preserve the integrity of the mummies and ensure that the celebration was carried out in line with the greatness of ancient Egyptian civilization. These were discovered in two archaeological “caches” in Luxor in the late 1800s.
It is expected that the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization will be one of the most important tourist attractions in the country. It is located near the Babylon Fortress and overlooks Ain Al Sira in the heart of the historic city of Fustat. The foundation stone for the museum was laid in 2002.
