"Paris will be the only city in Europe to host this exhibition and, above all, the only one to show the sarcophagus of Ramses II thanks to an unprecedented cooperation between France and Egypt," she told AFP.

In 2019, more than 1.4 million visitors visited the exhibition dedicated to Tutankhamun. Now it's time for the life and work of the man who is often referred to as "king of kings", and sometimes even "Sun King": Ramses II, pharaoh of the 19th dynasty.

The enthusiasm is already evident: the organizers announced Thursday that more than 145,000 tickets had already been sold, more than for Tutankhamun before the opening to the public.

"It is the pharaoh who reigned the longest (66 years), who married - among others - the most beautiful woman in the world (Nefertari, literally +the most beautiful+), who had the largest family (at least 50 sons, 60 daughters)... In short, he was an extraordinary king," says Ms. Lhoyer.

Phot of the coffin of Ramses II taken during the exhibition "Ramses and the gold of the pharaohs" at the Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris on April 3, 2023 © Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP

The last "visit" of the pharaoh in France was in 1976. That year, the French scientific community was entrusted with a mission: to save the mummy, eaten away by mold. Since this rescue, the ties between the two countries have been strengthened, insists the Egyptologist.

"Indescribable emotion"

After a passage through the United States - before Australia -, place in Paris where the organizers did not skimp on the means: background music, careful scenography, abundance of objects (statues, jewelry) ... The exhibition offers a dive into more than three thousand years of history.

In total, more than 180 original pieces, some of which have never been released from Egypt, are shown to the public.

Everything is done to capture the life of this pharaoh. A 3D animation even transports the visitor to one of the king's greatest battles: that of Qadesh (in present-day southern Syria), which pitted Egypt against the Hittite Empire.

Photo taken on April 2 in Paris on the occasion of the exhibition "Ramses II, the gold of the pharaohs" at the Grande Halle de La Villette © STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP

The salt of the project is none other than the visit of the mortuary chamber of this king builder. Unlike the Tutankhamun exhibition, the organizers had to use their imagination for the exhibition of Ramses II, which was some 820 m2 and was completely looted under Ramses IX.

To do this, they went to look for precious objects (masks, jewelry ...) discovered in other burial chambers, including those of Egyptian princesses.

Among them, the imposing mask of the coffin of King Amenemope.

Still, THE star of the event is none other than the magnificent painted wooden coffin (without the mummy) of Ramses II.

"This is an extraordinary opportunity for the children but also for the public of all ages. It is an indescribable emotion," Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak told AFPTV on Monday at the unveiling of the coffin, in the presence of the Egyptian ambassador.

This sarcophagus featuring the king - arms crossed over his chest, holding the heqa scepter and the nekhakha whip, and wearing a nemes decorated with the erect cobra and a hairpiece beard braided under his chin - is actually not the original sarcophagus of Ramses II.

"When the looting of the tomb was proven, it was urgent to shelter the mummy. It remained nearly a century in the tomb of Pharaoh Seti I (the father of Ramses II, Editor's note)," says the Egyptologist.

It was only much later that it was installed in the sarcophagus shown in the exhibition, where it remained for more than 2,800 years. "Ramses II has beaten time. He has, like Tutankhamun, become immortal," says Ms. Lhoyer.

© 2023 AFP