Ancient royal mummies moved to new home in Cairo during opulent parade

During the lavish Golden Pharaoh Parade, 22 ancient Egyptian royal mummies made their way across Cairo on Saturday night, traveling from the Egyptian Museum to their new home at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.

The 18 kings and four queens — including Seqenenre Tao, Ramses II, Seti I, and Ahmose-Nefertari — were carefully packed inside special vehicles and capsules filled with nitrogen to keep them protected. Musicians and performers dressed in ancient Egyptian clothing also participated in the parade, which was televised to audiences across the country. After much fanfare, the mummies arrived at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, where cannons fired a 21-gun salute.

"By doing it like this, with great pomp and circumstance, the mummies are getting their due," Salima Ikram, an Egyptologist at the American University in Cairo, told Reuters. "These are the kings of Egypt, these are the pharaohs. And so, it is a way of showing respect."

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The mummies were found in 1871 in Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, with the oldest being King Seqenenre, who ruled during the 17th Dynasty. Learn more about the history of the mummies at BBC News. Catherine Garcia