With well-deserved attention, the world’s attention turned today to Tahrir Square, where the majestic royal procession ceremonies to transport 22 royal mummies from the Egyptian Museum to the Museum of Civilization in Fustat.
Man fears time; time fears the pyramids – 12th century Arab proverb.
At 6:30pm Cairo time on April 4th, 2021 The Golden Parade of the Pharaohs began which saw the transference of the royal mummy collection from The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities commonly known as the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square to their new home at The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in the ancient Islamic city of Fustat. This new museum is one of the largest international museums in the world – and the largest of its kind in all of the Middle East and Africa – exhibiting not only Ancient Egyptian antiquities but that of Islamic, Coptic, Roman, Greek and African as well.
22 royal mummies – 18 kings and 4 queens – and 17 royal coffins dating from the 17th-20th dynasties, known as the New Kingdom, experienced a modern procession of such extravagance worthy of their ancient ancestors. Among them were the greatest Kings of Egypt – Thutmose III, Seti I, Hatshepsut, Queen Ahmose Nefertari, and the most famous King of all, Ramses II.
Maestro Nader Abbasi conducted Egypt’s United Philharmonic Orchestra – 120 musicians and 100 singers to a composition by Egyptian composer Hesham Nazih. The majestic and spectacular piece brought the ancient world to life. In addition to that, singers Reham Abdel Hakim, Amira Selim, and Nesma Mahjoub sang so beautifully the Hymn to Isis in the native Ancient Egyptian language.
This parade was orchestrated, designed, and executed solely by Egyptians and served as a profound reclamation of cultural heritage. We hope this trend continues throughout the Middle East and North Africa, all of our countries have profound cultural heritage that deserves our respect – they are us, we are them!
Interesting fact: Did you know we are closer in time to Cleopatra than she was the pyramids of Giza?
