Four years after an exhibition in Paris on Tut on Amun , the French capital is witnessing a new cultural event linked to ancient Egypt, through a huge exhibition that will be the highlight of the sarcophagus of Ramesses II, one of the most prominent pharaonic faces.

This exhibition, which opens Friday and continues until the sixth of September at "La Grande Hall de la Villette", is, according to what his scientific advisor, Egyptologist Benedict Loayer, describes as an "extraordinary", "extremely rare" and "amazing" event. Paris "will be the only European city to host this exhibition, and most importantly, it will be the only city to display the sarcophagus of Ramses II, thanks to the unprecedented cooperation between France and Egypt," she told AFP.

An exhibition on Tutankhamun in Paris in 2019 attracted more than 1.4 million visitors, and it is expected that the interest will be similar to the new exhibition dealing with the life of Ramesses II, who is often called the “King of Kings” and sometimes the “King of the Sun”: he is one of the pharaohs of the family. Nineteen.

She explained to Waye that he was "the pharaoh who ruled for the longest period (66 years), and one of whose wives was the most beautiful woman in the world (Nefertari, which literally means 'the most beautiful'), and his family was the largest (the number of his sons was at least 50 and his daughters 60)." "In short, he was an extraordinary king," she added.

The last "visit" of Ramesses II to France dates back to 1976. On that day, French scientists were assigned the task of saving the mummy, which was invaded by mold and fungus. The Egyptologist indicated that the relations between the two countries have been strengthened since then.

The exhibition will be held in Paris after two stops in the United States and Australia, and the organizers in the French capital have provided all means for it, from background music, elegant scenography, and an abundance of pieces such as statues and ornaments... and thus allow an immersion in more than three thousand years of history.

Visitors will be able to view a total of more than 180 original pieces, some of which have never been shown outside Egypt.

Even a three-dimensional animated show transports the visitor to one of the greatest battles that Ramses II was capable of, which is the Battle of Kadesh (in present-day southern Syria) between Egypt and the Hittite Empire.

The visit to the tomb of Ramesses II constitutes the most important aspect of the exhibition, bearing in mind that the area of the original tomb was 820 square meters and was completely looted during the reign of Ramses IX.

The organizers of the exhibition equipped the pavilion in which the tomb was held with valuable pieces (such as masks, ornaments, etc.) belonging to other tombs, especially those that were reserved for Egyptian princesses, including, for example, a mask from the coffin of King Amenmobi.

The most important piece is the painted wooden sarcophagus of Ramesses II, but it is empty, as the law prohibits the removal of royal mummies from Egypt.

"This represents an exceptional opportunity for children, as well as for audiences of all ages. It is an indescribable impact," French Culture Minister Rima Abdel Malek told AFP on Monday, during the unveiling of the coffin in the presence of the Egyptian ambassador.

The coffin lid, which is not the original, depicts the king with his arms crossed, holding a scepter and whip, and with a braided false beard.
The Egyptologist said, "When the tomb was confirmed to have been looted, it seemed urgent to put the mummy in safety. It remained for nearly a century in the tomb of Pharaoh Seti I," who is the father of Ramesses II.
The mummy was not placed until after a long time in the displayed coffin, in which it remained for more than 2,800 years. "Ramses II conquered time. He, like Tutankhamun, became immortal," Loayer said.