Egyptian pharaohs parade across Cairo

Ancient Egyptian pharaohs processed through the streets of Egypt's capital city in honour of Cairo's new National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation, or NMEC.

The procession of floats contained the mummified remains of 18 kings and 4 queens. Famed rulers Queen Hatshepsut and King Ramesses II, who governed Egypt for nearly 7 decades, were among them.

Each carriage was inscribed with the sovereign's name and fitted with shock absorbers to safeguard their precious passengers from unexpected bumps in the road.

The pharaohs have now reached their new resting place at the NMEC, a series of low rise buildings topped by a pyramid. Archaeologists will first release the mummies from the nitrogen bubbles in which they were transported. The pharaohs will then undergo 15 days of restoration work before being displayed individually in special cases with high tech temperature and humidity controls.

Until then, visitors are welcome to peruse the museum's wide array of other ancient Egyptian artefacts.

Sara: "The yesterday we watched the parade on the television, and so we came today to the museum and it's really, really beautiful, really exceptional. We are so happy to be able to see all of the Egyptian products and statues here now."

Asmaa Said is the curator of the NMEC.

Asmaa: "Why it is called the civilisation museum is because the most important thing here is the concept of civilisation, not a specific time or era. Every showcase tells a story or a different concept of civilisation. We connect all civilisations here."

View Less