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Yes, the Grand Egyptian Museum is officially open for visitors. Come and explore the world’s largest collection of Pharaonic treasures, from the majestic statues to the dazzling artifacts of ancient Egypt. Your unforgettable journey into history starts here.
In the case of cancellation of the trip by the customer, based on the start dates of the trip, the following costs will be charged:
15% of the total cost of the trip, with cancellation from the booking date up to 61 days before the start date of the trip
25% of the total cost of the trip, with cancellation from 60 to 31 days before the start date of the trip
35% of the total cost of the trip, with cancellation 30 to 15 days before the start date of the trip
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There were also the great queens of the New Kingdom (1550-1090 BC) Nefertiti, the wife of Akhenaten (1371-1355 BC), and Nefertari, one of the celebrated eight wives of Ramses II (c. 1279-c. 1213 BC). While Nefertiti is more popular for the exquisite portrait bust of her that is located in Berlin, Nefertari is famous mostly for her large burial site situated in the Valley of the Queens.
Tomb of Queen Nefertari
The history of ancient Egypt features a number of prominent female leaders. Some of them who actually acted like true, ruling “pharaohs” were Hatshepsut (c. 1479-c. 1457 BC) and Cleopatra VII (51-30 BC), both women who sat on the Egyptian throne for years. There were also the great queens of the New Kingdom (1550-1090 BC) Nefertiti, the wife of Akhenaten (1371-1355 BC), and Nefertari, one of the celebrated eight wives of Ramses II (c. 1279-c. 1213 BC). While Nefertiti is more popular for the exquisite portrait bust of her that is located in Berlin, Nefertari is famous mostly for her large burial site situated in the Valley of the Queens.
There's no question that Nefertari's tomb ranks the prettiest of all tombs in Egypt already built in terms of the scope and above all the artistry of the decoration. Indeed, none of the monumental tombs located in the Valley of the Kings can boast such a fully coherent pictorial representation. Though no one should expect to find any particular themes in the iconographic program that would stand out as particularly innovative. Expectedly, it narrates the tale of the dead person's soul interred in the ground and the journey she is expected to take through the afterworld ruled by Osiris.
Embarking on this odyssey, one can start at the ‘Hall of Gold’ that housed the queen’s sarcophagus. Here, the soul of the queen underwent gestation and finally reincarnation and as it made its way back to the ante-room, it reincarnated into the bright light before ‘coming out into the day’ like a sun that rises to mark the break of a new day. Conforming to the expected structures of an Egyptian tomb of the second millennium B.C. AD like most other tombs, what makes Nefertari’s tomb outstanding among others is the precision of the outlook with an overall use of flat vibrant colors that is effective.
When the Turinese Egyptologist Ernesto Schiaparelli entered the building in 1904, he found only scattered elements, oushebtis (funerary statuettes), a few jewels and fragments of furniture. The tomb had long since been looted. But the beauty of the wall paintings immediately aroused public enthusiasm and, for almost half a century, tourists flocked to visit the final resting place of “Ramses II's great love”. As at Lascaux, this parade of visitors upset the microclimate that had prevailed there for two millennia.
It was during the reign of Ramses I (c. 1295-c. 1294 BC) that queens began to benefit from fitted tombs (rather than simple shaft tombs), located within a specific necropolis. The Valley of the Queens was home to the graves of around a hundred royal wives, as well as princes and, perhaps, high-ranking private individuals. Many of these tombs were of mediocre workmanship or remained unfinished.
In this context, how can we explain the fact that the first wife of Ramses II was the beneficiary of such a high-quality funerary ensemble? The Pharaoh's love for his wife is a romantic explanation, but one that is difficult for historians to verify. While the inscriptions relating to Nefertari abound in amorous epithets - “sweet of love”, “beautiful of aspect”, “full of charms” - and lead us to believe that Ramses II was deeply in love with his wife, it should be pointed out that some of them come from the queen's tomb, where - and this is an essential fact - the sovereign appears nowhere!
