Egypt opens massive new museum to visitors

CAIRO: Egypt on Sunday allowed visitors at a newly opened massive museum in Cairo, a day after it received 22 of the country's prized royal mummies in a made-for-TV parade.

Visitors were seen touring the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in the Fustat neighbourhood, where Egypt's first Islamic capital was located.

"We had to come to see and enjoy this beauty, it is an impressive show," one visitor said.

Most of the mummies that were transported Saturday are from the New Kingdom, which ruled Egypt between 1539 B.C. to 1075 B.C., according to the Ministry of Antiquities.

They include Ramses II, one of the most famous pharaohs, and Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt's only female pharaoh - who is said to have worn a false beard to overcome tradition requiring women to play only secondary roles in the royal hierarchy.

The mummies - 18 pharaohs and four other royals - were originally buried around 3,000 years ago in secret tombs in the Valley of Kings and the nearby Deir el-Bahri site. Both areas are near the southern city of Luxor.

Egypt's tourism industry has been reeling from political turmoil following the 2011 popular uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, and more recently the coronavirus pandemic.