The Shanghai Museum has inaugurated its latest exhibition, themed “On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt,” attracting 12,000 visitors on the first day.
The Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mohamed Ismail Khaled inaugurated the exhibition on 19 July. He highlighted that although this is not the first exhibition in China, it is considered the largest since 2003 in terms of the number of artifacts on display.
“From the very first hours of the exhibition’s opening, it has received unprecedented public interest in China. All tickets for the first day were sold out, and 250,000 tickets have been sold so far,” he stated.
The exhibition, which will run until August 2025, aims to boost tourism and foster cultural collaboration between Cairo and Shanghai while introducing Chinese tourists to Egypt’s rich heritage.
With Shanghai being one of China’s most populous and visited cities, often serving as a transit hub for travelers heading to China or other Asian destinations, this initiative is meant to further enhance global awareness of ancient Egyptian civilization.
The exhibition is a part of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities’ policy, Law No. 117 of 1983, to organize numerous temporary archaeological exhibitions abroad, aimed at providing a window for people around the world to learn about the ancient Egyptians’ contributions in science, engineering, art, and other fields.
“Many global museums organize exhibitions with ancient Egyptian artifacts,” the former secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt in 2011, Mohamed Abd el-Maksoud, told Asharq Al-Awsat. “It is better to organize these exhibitions ourselves, displaying some artifacts, while keeping some exclusively in Egypt.”
In a grand display of Egypt’s rich heritage, the new exhibition at People’s Square in Shanghai showcases the statue of King Merneptah as well as the head of ‘God Amun.’ This collection encompasses over 780 cultural artifacts from various periods of ancient Egyptian civilization. Artifacts have been meticulously selected from esteemed institutions including the Manial Palace, Ismailia, Suez, and Luxor museums.
“On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt” features an array of artifacts unearthed by an Egyptian mission in Saqqara, the country’s most expansive necropolis. Its collection showcases a range of significant finds, including vibrantly hued coffins, mummified animal remains, and an array of Old Kingdom statues crafted from colored limestone.
There are several artifacts showcased in the exhibition such as the statue of King Tutankhamun, another of King Amenemhat III, a statue depicting the triad of King Ramses II flanked by the goddesses Isis and Hathor, and a kneeling statue of Queen Hatshepsut.
Divided into three thematic halls: ‘Land of the Pharaohs,’ ‘Secrets of Saqqara,’ and ‘The Era of Tutankhamun,’ the exhibition celebrates the past, highlighting the grandeur of ancient Egypt, while bringing cultures together.
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