Waziry, Abbas follow up on work progress of King Tutankhamun halls in Grand Egyptian Museum

CAIRO – 28 March 2021: Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziry and Assistant Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for Archaeological Affairs at the Grand Egyptian Museum Al-Tayeb Abbas, followed up on the progress of work in the exhibition halls of the treasures of King Tutankhamun and placing the artifacts inside their show-cases according to the set museum display scenario.

They also followed up on the restoration and installation work of the small shrine of King Tutankhamun inside its display case. 

The Grand Egyptian Museum received this shrine last month from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir.

Waziry explained that the process of assembling the small shrine inside its show case took more than ten hours of continuous work, where restorers and archaeologists in the Grand Egyptian Museum followed the same method and technique of industry that the ancient Egyptians followed in terms of jawing into parts before transporting and installing them in the same way inside its hall in the Grand Egyptian Museum.

He added that until now, 51 vases have been placed inside the halls of King Tutankhamun, and a number of ushabti statues, wooden boxes and three funeral beds for the king have been installed inside their own cases.

Director of the Restoration Center Hussein Kamal confirmed that acid-free materials were used during the restoration process of the small shrine, and all scientific measures necessary to strengthen and maintain the weak parts of it were taken to ensure the safety of the shrine.

He pointed out that the small shrine is distinguished by a vaulted ceiling, and on its sides there are scenes of deities associated with the re-birth of the king and his resurrection in the afterlife, in addition to chapter 17 of the Book of the Dead.

Director General of the Executive Affairs for Restoration and Transfer of Antiquities at the Grand Egyptian Museum Issa Zidan explained that to display this shrine and other of the young king's booths, two special showcases were designed for them with high dynamism so that the whole floor of the shrine is pulled out of its glass frame to fix it and is inserted completely. 

He pointed out that this cabin is one of the four compartments of the golden king, which will be transferred in succession, and all of them will be displayed in their new headquarters in the Grand Egyptian Museum, according to the latest museum display methods.

It is worth noting that this cabin was found disassembled among the king’s holdings in his tomb on the western mainland in Luxor, which was discovered in November 1922, and then it was transferred with the rest of the pieces to the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, where they were collected and displayed.

Although this shrine is considered the smallest of King Tutankhamun's tomb, it is considered one of the largest artifacts that have been transferred from the king's treasures so far to the GEM.