What a spectacle!! 22 Pharaohs (18 ancient kings and 4 ancient queens) were relocated in a dazzling parade from The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Fustat on Sat and I've watched the entire parade twice.
Most of the pharaohs were from the ancient New Kingdom, and transported in vehicles built to resemble boats carrying deceased pharaohs to their resting places.
It was so many many moons ago that I was at The Egyptian Museum and I could have seen with my own eyes some of the pharaohs. Unfortunately, the tour guide allowed us only a miserly 90 minutes in such an awesome place but insisted on spending the next 2.5hrs at a papyrus shop where he could receive commissions if we bought something there.
It was strange to see the streets of Cairo emptied of its usual life for the parade, and I do wonder where all the people went.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization to receive the convoy, and I can't help thinking that he had to walk a long way to where the concert was, and later to the exterior of the Museum.
The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization was not built the last time I was in Egypt, and I am hoping to be able to visit it and more when borders are finally opened.
Now that my gushing over the Parade has tempered down a little, I wonder if the pharaohs themselves expected to be relocated once from their ancient resting places to The Egyptian Museum and again to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. And to be displayed, and to endure the excited chatters or whispers of fascinated visitors.
I wonder, if they might feel comforted knowing that despite the relocation, they are still in their lands, compared to mummies and artefacts in the British Museum and other museums that continue to take pride in their ancient Egyptian collections. When the day comes that Egypt is more than capable to preserve and restore their ancient history in good condition, what would stop museums (and private collectors) outside Egypt from returning the artefacts to their land of origin?
No comments:
Post a Comment