Pharaoh Ramses II’s Sarcophagus On Display For The First Time In 50 Years

Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com - For the first time in nearly 50 years, the sarcophagus of Pharaoh Ramses II will go on display and can be admired by the public.

"The long-awaited and dazzling exhibition dedicated to one of Egyptian most important ancient kings, Ramses II, has made its way to Paris, where it has captured the attention of the French and European press," the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities announced. The sarcophagus of Pharaoh Ramses II arrived in Paris and was unveiled on Monday, and it will now be displayed in the French capital.

Millions can now view the coffin of the great Pharaoh Ramses II. Image Credit: Sortiaparis - Facebook

During an international press conference, representatives of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities explained that the sarcophagus would be joining the international touring exhibition titled “Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs” for a five-month stay in Paris until September 17th.

"On display will be more than 180 dazzling artifacts from the Kingdom of Pharaoh Ramses II including the restored funerary mask of Egyptian Pharaoh Amenemope, exceptional jewelry, and furniture from the untouched tombs of the city of Tanis.

Some of the objects are over 3,000 years old and are being exhibited for the first time outside Egypt.

The exhibition will also offer a virtual reality experience to allowing visitors to tour the fabulous Temple of Abu Simbel and the Tomb of Nefertari.

The La Villette exhibition center in northeast Paris, where the exhibition will be hosted, drew 1.4 million visitors in 2019 during a previous exhibition about Tutankhamun.

Egypt's Ambassador to Paris Alaa Youssef delivered a speech at the unveiling event to French and international media expressing his happiness.

Image Credit: Sortiaparis - Facebook

“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,” Youssef explained, in a reference to the last time the sarcophagus was in Paris.

“It also reflects the outstanding historical relations between the two countries in various fields,” he added.

The ambassador also invited the French people to visit Egypt to get a closer look at its rich civilization, as well as to learn about its comprehensive development and promising future.

Ramses II reigned for 63 years between 1276 and 1213 BC, establishing the Pharaohs’ domination over Nubia and building the Temple of Abu Simbel.

On January, the Egyptian cabinet approved allowing Ramses II’s wooden coffin to be displayed  in Paris.

The exhibition was first inaugurated in November 2021 in Houston before moving to San Francisco in August 2022. Its next stop will be in Sydney, Australia," Ahram Online reports.

Image Credit: Sortiaparis - Facebook

As previously discussed in Ancient Pages, having a high opinion of himself and believing he was destined to become a great ruler, Pharaoh Ramesses II wanted the world to remember him long after his death. His wish was fulfilled, and Ramesses II is today widely recognized as the greatest and most powerful Pharaoh in the history of ancient Egypt. The “Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition is expected to be viewed by millions, which certainly will help the long-gone Pharaoh not to be forgotten for a long time.

Written by Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com Staff Writer