Expo 2020 Dubai: ancient pharaoh’s coffin arrives at Egypt’s pavilion

Modern replicas of King Tutankhamun, who became a ruler when he was just 9 years old, will also be on display

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  The coffin of priest Psamtik will take centre stage in the Egypt pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Egypt Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020

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  It is made of coloured wood and was recently discovered in Saqqara, a village in Giza, known for its vast, ancient burial ground of Egyptian pharaohs and royals.

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  The coffin's central part is decorated with religious incantations.

An ancient pharaoh’s coffin has arrived for display at Egypt’s pavilion.

The coffin of priest Psamtik, the son of Pediosir, will be one of the centrepieces of the pavilion when Expo 2020 Dubai opens on October 1.

The coffin is made of coloured wood and was recently discovered in Saqqara, an Egyptian village in Giza Governorate, known for its vast, ancient burial ground of Egyptian pharaohs and royals.

The coffin is decorated with a large necklace that has the head of a falcon. Nut, the goddess of the sky appears, spreading her wings, carrying the two feathers of Maat, the goddess of truth and justice.

The centre part of the coffin is decorated with religious incantations.

On the lower part of the coffin, two figures of Anubis, the god of the afterlife, appear above his cottage standing in front of the dead.

Modern replicas of King Tutankhamun have also arrived to be displayed at Egypt’s pavilion.

He became king when he was 9 and ruled the country as a pharaoh for 10 years until his death at the age of 19, around 1324BC.

He is known for reversing the tumultuous religious reforms of his father, Pharaoh Akhenaten.

The collection of King Tutankhamun replicas include his golden mask and his own sarcophagus, a stone coffin.

The “Ka” guardian statue of the king and his throne will also be featured.

“Ka” meant spirit in ancient Egypt and the statue was a resting place for the person after death.

Other pavilions at the expo will also display ancient artefacts and masterpieces from their countries.

The 3D-printed copy of Michelangelo's David statue for Italy's Expo 2020 pavilion will be on display.

The statue, a replica of the masterpiece at the Academy Gallery in Florence, was created through a sophisticated digitising process that involved scanning the statue to create a three-dimensional digital twin.

Engineers in Florence used high-tech cameras and mounted laser scanners on stairs to capture microscopic details of the 16th-century marble statue.

The Spanish pavilion at Expo 2020 will exhibit the Z01, a six-metre hyperloop carriage model, that will give visitors a glimpse into what they might be travelling in once the high-speed technology is perfected.

The display model, developed by Spanish start-up Zeleros, was delivered to the Expo site in July.

3D-printed copy of Michelangelo's David statue for Expo 2020 — in pictures

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  Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan the UAE’s minister of tolerance, Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and other guests were also present during the unveiling ceremony. Pawan Singh/The National

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  Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan the UAE’s minister of tolerance, Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and other guests were also present during the unveiling ceremony. Pawan Singh/The National

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  Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Cecilie Hollberg, director of the Galleria dell’Accademia Di Firenze, the museum that is home to the original of Michelangelo’s David during the unveiling ceremony of David statue at the Italy pavilion at EXPO 2020 site in Dubai. Pawan Singh/The National

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  Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan the UAE’s minister of tolerance, Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and other guests were also present during the unveiling ceremony. Pawan Singh/The National)

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  Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan the UAE’s minister of tolerance, Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and other guests were also present during the unveiling ceremony. Pawan Singh/The National

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  View of the Italy pavilion at EXPO 2020 site in Dubai. Pawan Singh/The National

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  Carlo Ratti (left) and Italo Rita, co-designers of the Italian pavilion during the unveiling ceremony of David statue at the Italy pavilion at EXPO 2020 site in Dubai. Pawan Singh/The National