Finishing the packaging of Tutankhamun’s chariot and bed

CAIRO – 3 October 2017: The Grand Egyptian Museum team has finished packaging the second historic chariot and bed of Tutankhamun, in order to transport them to the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), located two kilometres from the Giza Pyramids.

The repair team used modern materials and methods in the process of packing and moving the bed. They used precise air lifters under the base of the bed, and placed it on materials that facilitate moving it from the base area without any mechanical stress to the body of the bed. Previous studies on the internal structure and wooden joints of the bed have been implemented using an X-ray device, which greatly helped identify the points of weaknesses in the bed, and determined the amount of intervention needed to maintain it during the transfer process.

The treasures of King Tutankhamun were exhibited in the Egyptian Museum located in Tahrir square, since their discovery inside the tomb of King Tutankhamun in 1922, in the Valley of Kings on the western bank of Luxor.

In earlier statements, Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anani said that 50 percent of the work needed to build the new museum has been finalized, and the first phase will be inaugurated next year. The first phase will include a room for Tutankhamun’s relics.

The museum is expected to be one of the largest museums in the world.