CAIRO – 15 September 2019: Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anany held a meeting pertaining to the transfer of a number of royal mummies and coffins from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
The 22 royal mummies and 17 royal coffins to be transferred date back to the 17, 18, 19 and 20 dynasties.
The 22 royal mummies belong to 18 kings and 4 queens, including King Ramses II, Seqenenre Tao, Thutmose III, Seti I, Queen Hatshepsut, among others.
The Egyptian Museum houses a collection of other valuable artefacts such as:
1- The statue of Rahotep, high priest of Heliopolis, and his wife Nofret, whose name means "The Beautiful." A vivid feeling is conveyed by the two figures, which feature remarkable preservation of the painted surface.
2- The funerary mask of Yuya, father of Tiye, who became the Great Royal Wife of Amenhotep III. Yuya was a powerful courtier who lived in the 18th Dynasty.
3- A mannequin of Tutankhamun, a very life-like representation made of wood, covered in plaster and painted.
4- Saqqara Bird Statue, a falcon-shaped bird from the Late New Kingdom.
5- Canopic jars that were used by the ancient Egyptians during mummification to store the viscera of their owner for the afterlife. They were often carved from limestone or made of clay.
6- The funerary mask of Nekhet-iset from the Late Period. This mummy's headdress is made of cartonnage (glued layers of papyrus or linen) and covered with gilding.
7- A mural showing Ramses II grasping the enemies of Egypt by the hair.
8- The famous golden mask that was found over the royal mummy's head when King Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered. The piece is one of the museum's most iconic displays.
9- A mural showing an offering to Osiris, the god of the underworld.
10- A statue of Mitri as a scribe. Mitri was one of the prominent figures in the sixth Dynasty who served in many positions. His statue was found in his tomb at Saqqara.
11- A sculpture of a young Tutankhamun.
Sun, Sep. 15, 2019
