It took eight hours for a replica of the 125- tonne red granite statue of Ramses II to make its overnight journey from Tahrir Square to the planned Grand Egyptian Museum overlooking the Giza plateau. The move was a rehearsal run for the move later this month of the real statue, which is still at Cairo's main train station. Nevine El-Aref joined the accompanying motorcade. In the central plaza of Tahrir Square two gigantic red vehicles decorated with four Egyptian flags and carrying the replica of Ramses II's statue were ready to leave. At 2:15 sharp, the 64-year old driver Am Ahmed El-Gharabawi took the fake Ramses on a 30-km ride to what will be its new home at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) overlooking Giza plateau. Police officers cleared the way for the 'royal' cavalcade to pass as hundreds of thousands of people crowded the square to watch and photograph the rehearsal. Heavy security was in force and police stood on both sides of the truck, leading some of the onlookers to think it was the actual colossus that was being moved. Buses transporting engineers and archaeologists accompanied the truck to study the possible risks that might be encountered when the authentic statue is transported. There were other buses for journalists and photographers. With a speed that varied between five- and 15 km-per-hour, the truck made its way along Qasr Al-Aini Street to the Nile Corniche and then over the Monib Bridge to the Mansouriya road and on to the GEM. On bridges and near trees the truck reduced its speed to three km-per-hour to guarantee the safety of the statue. The truck made two stops during the journey to cool the engine. In spite of its successful completion, the trial run highlighted some important steps that may have to be taken before the real event. Abdel-Hamid Quttub, the engineer responsible for the project department of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA,) said some trees would have to be cut along the Mansouriya road and some pavements along the centre of Qasr Al-Aini Street and the Corniche might have to be removed in order to facilitate Ramses II's progress on 25 August. This is the third rehearsal to be implemented by the SCA and the Arab Contractors Company, but the first with a replica statue. The other two took place using limestone blocks to experience the weight of the statue on the vehicles, the bridge and the roads. Arab Contractors Company Chairman Ibrahim Mahlab said the trial was necessary in order to train the engineers and workmen sociologically and technically to prepare for handling the real statue. The rehearsal did not start from Ramses Square because the truck transporting the real statue would have had to be driven on the wrong side of the road owing to the fact that the statue will not be taken on Sixth of October Bridge. To do so would have meant removing a part of the pedestrian bridge linking the train station and Ramses Street. Electricity and water would have been consequently cut off in that part of Cairo. The idea of removing the statue from its current location at Ramses Station was mooted in early 1994 in order to rescue it from the corrosive atmosphere of the busy intersection. Several possible locations were suggested. At first it was thought of taking it to the statue's original home at Mit-Rahina, 30km from the Giza Plateau, but the small Mit-Rahina bridge would not have held the weight of the statue. It was also suggested that it be placed in Giza's Al-Rimayah Square or at the entrance to the Cairo Opera House, but it was feared that in time these sites would provide little better protection from traffic fumes and congestion than Ramses Square. The replica has been offered to the North Sinai governorate to be placed on display at the Al-Arish Museum, which will open in October.
