The Parade of the Pharaohs - 16th April 2021

Ancient Egyptian pharaohs were paraded through the country’s capital city, Cairo, in a grand ceremony to mark the opening of a new museum: the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation, or NMEC.

The event centred around the mummies of 22 pharaohs. King Ramesses II, who ruled Egypt for 67 years, was one of the stars of the show.

Each monarch’s name labelled the vehicle they travelled in, which were specially designed to prevent any damage to the mummies.

The pharaohs were taken to their new home is the NMEC. This is a huge, low-rise structure, with a pyramid shape on the roof.

Historians will spend the next 15 days inspecting and restoring the mummies. The pharaohs will then go on public display in temperature controlled glass cases. The museum has already proved popular with visitors.

Sara: "The yesterday we watched the parade on the television, and so we came today to the museum and it's really, really beautiful, really exceptional. We are so happy to be able to see all of the Egyptian products and statues here now."

Historian Asmaa Said is responsible for the exhibits.

Asmaa: "Why it is called the civilisation museum is because the most important thing here is the concept of civilisation, not a specific time or era. Every showcase tells a story or a different concept of civilisation. We connect all civilisations here."