Why Egypt Paraded 22 Ancient Pharaohs Through the Streets of Cairo

Last Saturday, 22 Egyptian mummies joined the living for an extravagant celebration in downtown Cairo. Dubbed the Pharaohs’ Golden Parade, the livestreamed procession featured the relocation of 18 ancient kings and 4 queens from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square to the newly opened National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC). …

The decorated carriages were designed to resemble the boats used to transport ancient Egyptian pharaohs to their tombs upon their deaths. Per the New York Times’ Mona El-Naggar, the 45-minute procession—a “made-for-TV spectacle” organized in hopes of revitalizing the country’s tourism industry—sought to highlight Egypt’s rich history, with hundreds of participants wearing traditional outfits and some performers even riding on horse-drawn chariots.

By Gia Yetikyel, smithsonianmag.com