Egypt Stages Elaborate Parade of Its Most Prized Royal Mummies
Egypt staged a golden parade of 22 of its most prized royal mummies composed of kings and queens of Ancient Egypt. The Pharaoh’s Golden Parade transported the royal mummies from the Egyptian Museum in Tahir to their new resting place at the National Egyptian Museum of Civilization in Fustat on April 3, 2021. The carriages moved in chronological order of their reigns.
Preview of the Pharaoh’s Golden Parade
The Most Powerful Pharaoh
The elaborate parade included mummies of four queens and 18 kings who lived 3,000 years ago. Each mummy’s sarcophagus was mounted on a golden carriage bearing the name of the person it was transporting.
Among them was King Rameses II, also known as Rameses the Great, regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh who ever lived. His renown was such that succeeding kings and queens of Egypt referred to him as “The Great Ancestor.” He was also the ruler of Egypt during the Exodus.
A Chant from the Book of the Dead
The unprecedented parade took months of preparation involving thousands of people, including Egyptian celebrities, security forces, musicians, health workers, historians, and conservators.
A live performance by the United Philharmonic Orchestra included a chant in the Ancient Egyptian language titled “A Reverence for Isis,” sung by Egyptian soprano Amira Selim. The words of the chant, which could be heard throughout the parade, were taken from the Book of the Dead and the hieroglyphs on the walls of Deir el-Shelwit, an ancient Egyptian temple.
Hieroglyphs on the Wall of Deir el-Shelwit
Watch the full video of the Egyptian parade below, courtesy of the Egyptian government.
