ラムセス２世のひつぎ、パリ展覧会で特別公開

【パリＡＦＰ＝時事】フランス・パリでの展覧会に特別貸与される古代エジプト王（ファラオ）ラムセス２世のひつぎが６日、報道陣に公開された。同展覧会は、エジプト国外でラムセス２世のひつぎを見られる貴重な機会となる。（写真はフランス・パリの展覧会に展示されたラムセス２世のひつぎ。）
　このラムセス２世展は米国やオーストラリアも巡回するが、ひつぎが展示されるのはフランス展のみ。ラムセス２世のミイラが１９７６年にパリで展示された際に、仏科学者らがミイラの保存処置を施したことに感謝の意を込め、特別に貸し出された。
　現在のエジプトの法律では王族のミイラを国外に持ち出すことを禁じているため、ミイラ自体はエジプトに残されている。
　展示されているスギ製のひつぎは、ラムセス２世の遺体が最初に納められたひつぎとは別の物となる。
　ひつぎの側面には、ルクソールの王家の谷にあった墓が盗掘に遭ったため、紀元前１０７０年以降、３回遺体を動かした時の詳細が記されている。
　最後の墓は約３０００年後の１８８１年に発見された。
　パリの展覧会には、ラムセス２世の時代の彫像や仮面、宝飾品など１８０点以上が展示される。
　主催者によると、初日の７日までの入場券の販売数は１４万５０００枚に上っている。会期は９月６日まで。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/04/12-16:43）

The sarcophagus of ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II was unveiled to reporters in Paris on Thursday following its rare journey outside of Egypt.
The ornate coffin will be on show to the public in the French capital from April 7 to September 6.
Benedicte Lhoyer, scientific advisor to the exhibition, told AFP the exceptional loan was thanks to an unprecedented cooperation between France and Egypt.
The Ramses II exhibition is on a tour that includes the United States and Australia, but only France is receiving the sarcophagus, 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.
Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, ruled for more than 60 years during the 13th century BC and oversaw major military conquests and monumental construction projects, while also finding time to father more than 100 children.
In short, he was an extraordinary king, said Lhoyer.
France has 54 antiquities teams working in Egypt, an official said -- the most of the 25 countries who currently have research teams there.
The yellow-painted cedar-wood sarcophagus, which depicts the recumbent king in bright colours with his arms crossed on his chest holding a sceptre and whip, was not actually Ramses II's original coffin.
Inscriptions on the sarcophagus' sides detail how his body was moved three times from 1070 BC, after his tomb in Luxor's Valley of the Kings was raided by grave-robbers.
Its final resting place was discovered almost three millenia later in 1881, just as it too was being pillaged.
The immersive exhibition in Paris also features an abundance of statues, masks and jewellery from the period -- more than 180 objects in total -- as well as a 3D recreation of one of the king's battles against the Hittite empire.
Egyptian relics have proved a hit in the past -- some 1.4 million people came to see an exhibition about Tutankhamun in Paris four years ago.
The new exhibition at the Grande Halle de la Villette promises to be even more popular, organisers said Thursday, with 145,000 tickets already sold, significantly higher than the pre-opening numbers for Tutankhamun.
Ramses II defeated time. Like Tutankhamun, he has become immortal, said Lhoyer.