Margaux Fodéré 06h13, 07 April 2023

The coffin of Ramses II, famous Egyptian pharaoh, will be exhibited at the great Halle de la Villette "Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs". Egypt agreed to lend the coffin of the former pharaoh to the France. The France will be the only European country to host the loan.

This is the first time in 47 years that he has returned to France. The coffin of Ramses II, 3,000 years old, is lent to us by Egypt for an exhibition at La Villette on this pharaoh with an exceptional aura. Of course, the mummy is not in the coffin, Egyptian law forbids it. An exceptional loan that requires an exceptional convoy. Ramses II is back in France for several months. Egypt agreed to lend the coffin of the former pharaoh to the France.

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The sarcophagus traveled in a wooden chest, wrapped in plastic and clad in ropes. A package of 412 kilos, three meters long by one meter wide, and one meter 50 high, as described by Rami Goldstein of Air France Cargo. Leaving the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, under heavy protection, he arrived at the airport of the Egyptian capital on March 22 in the middle of the afternoon.

It was taken care of by Air France Cargo teams, accustomed to transporting the most precious works of art. He was placed in the hold, surrounded by the luggage of the approximately 300 passengers who were going to fly that night on board flight AF 567.

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Almost five hours later, in the early morning, the Airbus landed at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, on a wet runway. Flashing lights, the gendarmes of the GTA, the gendarmerie of air transport, secured the arrival of the sarcophagus. The multi-millennial coffin was then transferred under escort to the capital.