Respecting your dead Kings is an important thing, but giving respect to your ancient Kings in a way that chilled the spines of an audience of several million across the world is a monumental task. And Egypt just did that recently, like the way they built the jaw-dropping Pyramids using unimaginable advanced technologies in the past, the modern-day Egypt created a multi-million-dollar spectacular show of respect to some of their best-known Pharaohs from ancient Egypt.
These mummies are undoubtedly national treasures and they were given such a lavish parade with all honours when they were so carefully transported to a new resting place, a state-of-the-art ‘National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation’ in Old Cairo, an ancient city as during the 2013 unrest many museums were damaged and looted by the extremist Muslim brotherhood until the Egyptian military came to save the nation.
Millions watch
The Golden Parade was watched by millions of people across the world in absolute awe when these Monarchs were transported inside Nitrogen filled boxes in specially built shock-absorbing chariot-like vehicles to avoid even the minimum damage during the short journey.
The modern vehicles have been built duplicating ancient golden winged ships that once transported them along the Nile for burials with lavish golden encrusted symbols and decorations and braided with each of their names in English, Arabic and Hieroglyphs. World’s most famous medias from BBC, Reuters, CBS, ET, Russian TV, French TV, Canadian channels, Australian channels Bloomberg to far away China, Japan and Indonesia, almost all the nations dedicated many minutes in each of their news segments, some broadcasting the entire event live parallel from Egyptian national television channels.
Respect of the President
They were received by Egyptian President Gen. Al Sisi, standing to attention as respect for the dead Kings while 21- gun salute fired for the ancient Kings giving goosebumps to any spectator watching live or by video. Some of the roads were re-paved to keep these rulers’ journey so smooth although it lasted less than one hour along the Nile river, making almost everyone from Egypt gather along the Nile to see this amazing event while overseas correspondents continuously narrated every second of it in amazement.
An orchestra comprising hundreds of musicians and famous Egyptian singers played powerful and heroic themed music while hundreds of beautifully dressed dancers danced to themes of pride and history. When the 22 Pharaohs left their usual resting place, the world-famous Cairo museum at Tahrir Square in these Chariot vehicles, thousands of actors dressed as ancient servants and soldiers lined up their entire way of three miles holding lights and flowers and offering them along the way as the Pharaohs arrived slowly in their beautiful vehicles.
The streets were lit up with thousands of lights while the bone-chilling music from the final place was broadcast along the way loudly. The entire city was brought to a standstill during the event, roads being closed for any other vehicles for over two hours, with only the shining new Police and Military motorbikes and Jeeps, groomed beautiful high-stepping Police horses with officers dressed in their ceremonial clothes and thousands of extras dressed in ancient clothing and dancers decorating every meter of the streets till the event finished which was attended by many important dignitaries including the Director General of UNESCO.
Twenty two kings and queens
The Golden Parade of Pharaohs included 18 Kings and four Queens from the 17th to the 20th dynasties of ancient Egypt, approximately 3,600 to 3,100 years ago.
Most of the 22 kings and queens were discovered in two archaeological ‘caches’ in Luxor in the late 1800s. The most famous Pharaoh was King Ramses II, the world-renowned warrior King of the New Kingdom, who ruled for 67 years and is remembered for signing the first-known peace treaty.
Another was Queen Hatshepsut, who ruled Egypt for a long-time bringing peace, prosperity and famous art and architectural structures to ancient Egypt, became the ruler even though the customs of her time were that women did not become pharaohs, therefore, it is said that she wore a false beard like the other Pharaohs, to show that her power was equal to that of a man.
It was a prideful moment to all Egypt enthusiasts around the world, not just for the crowds gathered, even those who watched online cheered with tears of joy when the Parade was headed by King Seqenenre Tao II’s Chariot vehicle, who died so painfully in the battlefield fighting for unity of Egypt against invaders.
His face was brutally broken by his enemies and body left to rot unceremoniously in battlefield but he would have never dreamt that a day would come, 3,600 years after his tragic death that his mummy would be leading a Royal parade when the world would watch in amazement.
These mummies will be carefully unwrapped from their vehicles and will go on display to the public from today, April 18.
These great rulers who shed their blood and fought in the deserts for the sake of Egypt wished to be immortal and modern-day Egypt has given them the chance to be seen and loved by the whole world.
Pictures: Courtesy of The Pharaohs’ Golden Parade