A show fit for kings: The spectacular Pharaohs’ Golden Parade in Egypt
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Ruhi Gilder- 9 minutes read
Ruhi Gilder
Power, prestige and the pharaohs, a glittering tribute to the kings of the past stuns viewers all over the world. Royalty roams the streets of Cairo, as part of ‘The Pharaohs’ Golden Parade’. On April 3, Egypt celebrated the ceremony of moving 22 mummies from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir to the new National Museum of Egyptian Civilization with much fanfare.
The convoy travelled 5 kms to escort 18 kings and 4 queens to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, which opened on 3 April, 2021. The ancient rulers were paraded in chronological order of their reigns, the 17th Dynasty ruler, Seqenenre Taa II, leads the way, ending with Ramses IX, ruler in the 12th Century BC. To offer protection against external conditions, the mummies were placed in special nitrogen-filled boxes.
Ramesses the Great, one of the most influential pharaohs of the New Kingdom, who was originally buried in the Valley of the Kings, was one of the main attractions of the parade. Queen Hatshepsut, a powerful female ruler, who had almost been erased from history by subsequent pharaohs was also part of the journey. The vehicles that took to the streets were designed to resemble boats that were originally used to carry pharaohs to their tombs.
In Egypt mummification has long been a part of the rituals for the dead, since about 2800 BC. The civilisation saw the preservation of the body after death as an important step to living well in the afterlife. As the people became more prosperous, the tombs and burials became a symbol of status, leading to lavish chambers of rest for pharaohs and ancient noblemen.
