The sarcophagus of Pharaoh Ramses II arrived in Paris to be displayed for the first time in 50 years.
The sarcophagus will join the international touring exhibition Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs for a five months stay in Paris.
Along with the sarcophagus are 180 artifacts from the Kingdom of Pharaoh Ramses II, which include the restored funerary mask of Pharaoh Amenemope. In addition to jewelry and furniture from the untouched tombs of Tanis.
Some of these artifacts are showcased for the first time outside of Egypt and are over 3,000 years old.
The exhibition will also include a virtual reality tour of the Temple of Abu Simbel and the Tomb of Nefertari.
The exhibition will be held in La Villette exhibition centre in northeast Paris. The centre drew around 1.4 million visitors in 2019’s exhibition of Tutankhamun.
La Villette tweeted on Monday:
“This morning from the opening of the Sarcophagus of Ramses II in the presence of the Egyptian ambassador to France Youssef Alaa and the Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak.
Your guide to Ramses Expo https://www.expo-ramses.com/“
Ce matin a eu lieu l’ouverture de la caisse du sarcophage de Ramses II en présence de l'ambassadeur d'Égypte en France Youssef Alaa et la Ministre de la Culture @RimaAbdulMalak.
Cc @AmbEgyenFrance @MinistereCCVos places pour @RamsesExpo 🎟️ https://t.co/dSaNf6K6iS #ExpoRamses pic.twitter.com/FbdWsPhAjQ
— La Villette (@LaVillette) April 3, 2023
“The display of this sarcophagus is exceptional and is a tribute to the French scientists who restored and treated the mummy of King Ramses II in 1976” said Alaa Youssef, the Egyptian Ambassador to France.
He also said “it also reflects the outstanding historical relations between the two countries in various fields,”
The ambassador invited the French to visit Egypt to be able to have a closer look at its rich history.
Ramses II reigned from 1276 BC to 1213 BC for almost 63 years, where he built the famous Temple of Abu Simbel.
