(HRWN) – The sarcophagus of Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II went on display in Paris on Friday in a rare international loan. It’s the star attraction in a blockbuster new exhibition that features nearly 200 ancient artefacts, some of which have never before left Egypt.
The Ramses II exhibition is on a tour that includes the United States and Australia, but only France is receiving the sarcophagus.
The loan was granted in recognition of the assistance from French scientists who helped save the mummy from decay following a previous visit to Paris in 1976.
The mummy itself has stayed behind this time, since Egyptian law now forbids transporting royal mummies abroad.
Benedicte Lhoyer, scientific advisor to the exhibition, told French news agency AFP that the “exceptional” loan was thanks to “unprecedented cooperation between France and Egypt”.