Live Science website recommends virtual tours of Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities

Cairo - 8 April 2020: Live Science website shed light on the virtual tours of some of Egypt's archaeological masterpieces, launched by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

The virtual tours launched by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities came as a precautionary measure to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak, where the ministry made available virtual tours inside the tomb of Queen Meresankh III, the Red Monastery of the fourth century, the tomb of Minina, the Ben Ezra Jewish Synagogue and the Mosque and Madrasa of Sultan Barquq.

The site sent to all the people of the world a message, saying: “If you are looking for a great way to 'explore' while staying at home due to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic, this may be the ideal option.”

3D tours display ancient Egyptian sites in stunning detail, allowing viewers to "walk through" various parts of the ruins.

Moreover, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced that the tours will be available online, as a way to share these wonders with people staying at home to help "flatten the curve" of the infections/deaths during the coronavirus pandemic.

Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities wrote that the virtual tours include a tomb of Minina from the Eighteenth Dynasty (1549 BC to 1292 BC). The tomb is located in Thebes Tomb (modern Luxor) and is well known for its well-preserved paintings, according to the American Research Center in Egypt.

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Not much is known about Minina, but his tomb provides clues about his life. The titles in his grave indicate that he was a writer, who also supervised the fields of the Pharaoh and the Temple of Amun.

The virtual tour of Queen Meresankh III tomb, which was launched on April 4, shows the Queen's Rest. She was the granddaughter of the Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops), who commissioned the construction of the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Her husband was either Khafre or Menkaure, who both built the other two pyramids in Giza.

This tomb shows carved and painted scenes of Queen Meresankh III and her royal family, as well as funerary servants, craftsmen, and priests.