National Museum of Egyptian Civilization opens to public

The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization has been fully opened to the public.

The facility was opened just a day after a procession of floats carried the mummified remains of 22 pharaohs through the capital to their new resting place at the museum.

Asmaa Said is curator at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC)

"Why it is called the civilisation museum is because the most important thing here is the concept of civilisation, not a specific time or era. Every showcase tells a story or a different concept of civilisation. We connect all civilisations here."

The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in the Fustat district of Old Cairo, consists of sleek, low-rise buildings topped with a pyramid amid expansive grounds.

The mummies will undergo 15 days of laboratory restoration before they are showcased individually in their new home.

"(The Mummies Hall that will host the royal mummies) will be designed to make the visitor feel like they are in a real tomb, even the inscription on the ceiling is the same as in the original tombs. We will not only display the mummies, but behind each mummy we will display all the relevant artifacts, the coffin, and an X-ray print showing whether there is a story behind the death of that king", said Ahmed Ghoneim, Head of the curator at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation.

In the coming months, the north Africa nation is expected to inaugurate another new showcase, the Grand Egyptian Museum, near the Giza pyramids.

It will also house pharaonic collections, including that of Tutankhamun.