Pharaoh Ramses the Great's coffin opens Paris exhibition

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1 年前

STORY: Officials unveiled the wooden coffin to a crowd of reporters and cameras at the Grande Halle of La Villette exhibition centre.

"It's not the mummy but the coffin of Ramses II, a wooden case which has protected it for 2,900 years. So this is a very intimate object and is in fact, Ramses II's last resting place," said Egyptologist Benedicte Lhoyer

Ramses II is one of the most famous pharaohs. He governed Egypt for 67 years, the longest reign for a pharaoh, played a key role in securing and expanding the Egyptian Kingdom, and brought peace and prosperity.

The coffin of Ramses II, made of cedar, was not originally designed for him.

Probably dating from the end of the 18th dynasty, it must have been covered with gold and inlays in gems or glass. The surface was then scraped and painted in yellow, with some details enhanced with bright colours and the eyes underlined in black.