The world tuned in on Saturday to watch with fascination the procession of 22 mummies through Cairo on climate-controlled floats decorated with wings and symbols associated with ancient Egypt's pharaohs.
The preserved remains of 18 kings and four queens made their way through Egypt's capital, moving in order of the oldest first, in a multimillion-dollar event intended to draw attention to the country's ancient heritage.
It also showed Egypt's world-leading tourist potential to a global audience, with the coronavirus pandemic causing losses to the industry of about $1 billion a month.
The mummies were relocated from Cairo's Egyptian Museum to the new National Egyptian Museum of Civilisation (NMEC) in the historic city of Al Fustat, now part of Cairo, built after the Muslim conquest of Egypt in 641.
The procession for the five-kilometre journey was accompanied by artistic performances staged at Egypt's ancient landmarks, from where pharaohs had ruled from their thrones in magnificent temples.
Here are the top five landmarks in Egypt that should be on any traveller's list:
Hatshepsut's Temple of Deir El Bahri
The Deir El Bahri Temple Complex includes one of the most beautiful temples in the world, built by the architects of the New Kingdom ruler Pharaoh Hatshepsut, in the 15th century BC.
Three colonnaded terraces were built within a steep half-circle of cliffs on the west bank of the Nile River, guarding the entrance to the great Valley of the Kings.
The walls of the temple are illustrated with Hatshepsut's autobiography, including stories of her fabled trip to the land of Punt, considered by some scholars to have been in the modern countries of Eritrea or Somalia.
Hatshepsut's temple was damaged after her reign ended, when her successor, Thutmose III, had her name and images chiselled off the walls.
Additional damage was done to the temple at the orders of the 18th Dynasty heretic Akhenaten, whose faith tolerated only images of the Sun god Aten.
Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara
Saqqara, south of Cairo, was the necropolis of ancient Memphis. It contains the remains of several pyramids from the 5th and 6th Dynasties and the famous Step Pyramid, the earliest true pyramid in Egypt, built for King Djoser of the 3rd Dynasty, in about 2630BC, by his prime minister Imhotep.
The entire structure was originally covered with a casing of fine white limestone and had a granite burial vault beneath the pyramid's centre.
When discovered, the vault was sealed with a granite plug weighing about 3.5 tonnes, but ancient looters had been able to enter the tomb, making off with the king's treasures.
Mummy fragments were found in the vault in modern times, but carbon-dating indicated that they were from a much later date than the reign of Djoser.
Giza pyramids and the Sphinx
Constructed between 2589 and 2504BC, the pyramids of pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure are a testament to ancient planning and architecture.
The pyramids were originally encased in white limestone, most of which has been lost.
Despite differences in size and mass, the south-east tips of each pyramid align together almost precisely.
Each pyramid had a mortuary and valley temple, with a causeway connecting them.
They also had smaller pyramids referred to as satellite or queens' pyramids.
In the case of Khafre's pyramid, near his valley temple is an enigmatic reclining limestone monumental statue, the Great Sphinx of Giza, with an uncompleted temple dedicated to it.
The face of the Sphinx, a mythical creature, is generally believed to represent the pharaoh Khafre. It is the oldest-known monumental sculpture in Egypt and is commonly believed to have been designed, sculpted and constructed during Khafre's reign, between about 2558BC and 2532 BC.
The National Egyptian Museum of Civilisation
This is the new home to the 22 mummies that were the stars of the procession of pharaohs. The NMEC opened its doors to visitors on April 4. Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced that tickets will be sold at half price for a month.
The Gallery of Royal Mummies, however, will open on April 18.
The NMEC is the first museum to be devoted to the entirety of Egyptian civilisation.
Designed by Egyptian architect El Ghazzali Kosseiba, the NMEC displays Egyptian civilisation from prehistoric times to the present day, with its core permanent exhibition devoted to the achievements of Egyptian civilisation.
It features six thematic galleries covering: the Dawn of Civilisation, The Nile, Writing, State and Society, Material Culture, Beliefs and Thinking and the Gallery of Royal Mummies.
The Grand Egyptian Museum
Egypt will inaugurate the Grand Egyptian Museum (Gem) near the Giza pyramids in the coming months, which may house the mummy of the most famous pharaoh, Tutankhamun.
Located only two kilometres from the pyramids, Gem will be the largest archaeological museum complex in the world and home to more than 100,000 artefacts. For the first time, King Tut's entire treasure collection will be on display, alongside artefacts from pre-historic times, through Egypt's thousands of years of pharaonic civilisation and ancient Greek and Roman periods of Egyptian history.
Egypt open to visitors
Egypt is open to tourism and the government is now issuing visas. Travellers from 46 countries can quickly obtain their eVisa to enter Egyptian territory.
Visitors should check they meet all the Egypt eVisa requirements before proceeding with the application.
The International Air Transport Association has stated that everyone who arrives at the Egyptian border must have a health declaration form completed and signed. This form will be given to visitors upon arrival to be completed and submitted to immigration.
Most travellers to Egypt must have a negative PCR test certificate for Covid-17, taken a maximum of 72 hours before their flight departure.
Exceptions are people travelling from Japan, China, Thailand, North America, South America, Canada, plus London Heathrow, Paris and Frankfurt airports. They are allowed to provide a PCR certificate obtained up to 96 hours prior to flight departure, due to long travel times and transit periods.
Travellers must present paper copies of the PCR test results; digital copies will not be accepted.
Those arriving directly at Hurghada, Sharm Al Sheikh and Marsa Al Alam airports without a printed PCR test will be tested upon their arrival, at their own expense.
All children under the age of six are exempt from PCR testing requirements.
Incoming tourists must show proof of health insurance upon arrival.
Read more about Ancient Egypt:
You can now take virtual tours of historic Egyptian archaeological sites
Curse of the pharaohs in the time of Covid: should Egypt be unearthing mummies?
Brewery thought to be the world's oldest discovered in Egypt
Huge archaeological find in Egypt includes 50 mummies and a temple
Egyptology isn't just about what we find, but who finds it – and why
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The Breadwinner
Director: Nora Twomey
Starring: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Laara Sadiq
Three stars
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
The specs: 2019 Mini Cooper
Price, base: Dh141,740 (three-door) / Dh165,900 (five-door)
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder (Cooper) / 2.0-litre four-cylinder (Cooper S)
Power: 136hp @ 4,500rpm (Cooper) / 192hp @ 5,000rpm (Cooper S)
Torque: 220Nm @ 1,480rpm (Cooper) / 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (Cooper S)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 4.8L to 5.4L / 100km
GYAN’S ASIAN OUTPUT
2011-2015: Al Ain – 123 apps, 128 goals
2015-2017: Shanghai SIPG – 20 apps, 7 goals
2016-2017: Al Ahli (loan) – 25 apps, 11 goals
Defending champions
World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
All Black 39-12 British & Irish Lions
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
Palestine and Israel - live updates
Second ODI
England 322-7 (50 ovs)
India 236 (50 ovs)
England win by 86 runs
Next match: Tuesday, July 17, Headingley
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
More on Palestine-Israeli relations
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Norway v Spain, Saturday, 10.45pm, UAE
Related
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets