Gobran Mohamed
CAIRO: The “Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs” exhibition is to continue its tour in Cologne, Germany, in July.
Egypt’s Cabinet has approved the continuation of the exhibition in Germany from July 13, 2024, to Jan. 6, 2025.
During a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, the Cabinet decided to return the wooden coffin of Sennedjem to Egypt. This takes the number of artifacts in the exhibition to 180.
The exhibition, which began in November 2021, toured the US cities of Houston and San Francisco, and then Paris in France.
The exposition is currently in Sydney, Australia, and will be moving to Cologne in May before arriving in Tokyo, Japan.
The exhibition features several ancient artifacts, including solid gold and silver jewelry, statues, amulets, masks, and sarcophagi.
The exhibition’s highlight is Ramses II’s coffin, which is given a place of honor.
Many of the artifacts had never left Egypt before.
King Ramses II — one of ancient Egypt’s longest-ruling pharaohs — played a crucial role in expanding the kingdom by asserting control over Nubia. He built the magnificent temple of Abu Simbel there, which still stands today as a testament to his achievements.
Egypt under his rule experienced a period of peace and prosperity which benefited its people greatly.
Almost 820,000 people visited the traveling exhibition during its stay in Paris.
The Sydney exhibition also received an overwhelming response from the public when it opened to visitors on Nov. 18.
In addition to a delegation from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, which included its secretary-general Mostafa Waziri, the official opening on Nov. 16 was attended by Australian Arts, Music, and Tourism Minister John Graham and more than 500 guests and dignitaries.
Nearly 110,000 tickets were sold for the exhibition in Sydney in November last year.