CAIRO: A tourist guide is planning to launch a campaign to send back all the Egyptian mummies exhibited in museums to their original tombs. Targeting local cultural and antiquities authorities, guide Bassam El Shammaa is presently waiting for the response of the religious authorities to his proposal. His suggestion includes returning mummies to their original tombs in Luxor amid a venerable procession similar to that which marked the transportation of the statue of King Ramses II from Ramses Square to Remaya Square. Such a procession would, he suggests, serve as a major tourist event. "Each mummy should be wrapped in a proper coffin again and placed in the glove case that's equipped with the gadget necessary for controlling air and humidity. The mummy of King Tutankhamun has been preserved in like manner within its tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Visitors enter the tomb and watch the king's face from behind a glass barrier. "Why don't we do the same with the rest of the kings to safeguard the future of these mummies? Some tombs are closed simply because there is nothing to show in them. We can revive them by returning the mummies to them, he argued. A devoted Egyptology researcher, El Shammaa began to think seriously about the campaign when he noticed the reactions of tourists after their visits to the mummies' room at the Egyptian Museum. "Some were deeply saddened by their visit, while others came out and burst into tears, said El Shammaa. "While many refuse to enter the room, others who insist on entering came out mocking [what they saw] because it didn't meet their expectations, he said. El Shammaa argues that in Western museums the mummies are carefully wrapped and maintained in a manner consistent with their sanctity, while in Egypt we appear to have disregarded basic preservation procedures. He also said that displaying the mummies outside their tombs is disgraceful to ancient Egyptian culture. "That the mummies are now part of some museum exhibits worldwide simply contradicts ancient Egyptian beliefs relating to the sanctity and integrity of the dead, he noted. "The ancient Egyptians climbed mountains, cleaved rocks, dug tombs that could be only accessed through a labyrinth of alleys and passages and cursed in his holy texts all those who try to disturb his eternal slumber so that the dead should remain intact and rest in peace, he explained. Those who dare to disturb the dead will be devoured by a hippo, a lion or a crocodile, warned one holy text that was recovered from the tomb which sheltered the builders of the Pyramids. According to El Shammaa, throughout history Egyptian mummies have undergone a series of degradations when they were sold to farmers to grind and use as a fertilizer or to sorcerers for black magic. "If we take pride in kings like Ramses II, Ahmos I, or Queen Hatshepsut and their contributions to humanity, we shouldn't degrade their memory and their glorious image by displaying them as dry mummies, elaborated El Shammaa. He added that from an Islamic perspective the practice is bound to be prohibited in line with Islamic teachings that preach the sanctity of the dead. "Think about it from a scientific viewpoint: what have we gained by examining these mummies? Besides being subject to decay as a result of getting exposed to climactic changes, the current advanced technology has failed to fully identify some of them or establish the blood relations among some of the royals through the testing of the mummies, he added. In the 1970s the mummies' rooms in all museums were closed to the public on religious grounds. The decision was reversed following President Anwar El Sadat's death on account of the revenue generated through entrance fees. The current fee is LE 100 per visitor. "Revenue-wise, the funereal festivities that would mark the return of these mummies to their final abodes would make up for what many believe to be a big loss, said the tourist guide. "And even if we lose revenue, this is nothing compared to the immeasurable loss if these mummies decay in museums. The subject of exhibiting the royal mummies to the public has been out of the limelight for some years. Religious objections were hardly heard of. But today, El Shammaa hopes to get numerous religious officials - led by the Grand Mufti - on his side of the argument before launching the campaign. However, whether these religious scholars would agree to a funeral procession reminiscent of pagan traditions remains to be seen.
