Egypt taking its mummies out of the public view

Press, 24 October 1980, Page 13

Egypt taking its mummies out of the public view

Bv

SHYAM BHATIA,

“Observer.” London

Visitors have been banned from the mummies hall of Cairo Museum and the mummies are eventually to be reburied as a gesture to Islam. The 27 ancient Egyptian Pharaohs have been on continuous display since 1881, when they were brought to Cairo in Nile barges from the Valley of the Kings in Upper Egypt. Now, as the result of a call by President Sadat, the)’ will be returned to their original .limbs, or collectively buried in a chamber built for the purpose. In a speech to a group of artists last week, Sadat called for the reburial of the mummies because their public display, he said, was against the creed of Islam and offended the nation’s pride in its 7000-year-old civilisation. Museum officials reacted with predictable haste to carry out the President’s wishes, while warding off those critics who argued that it was no business of the President to take such a proprietorial interest in cultural matters. ■ “He was reacting as head of the Egyptian family,” says Muhammad Mohsen, the soft-spoken director of the museum. “Believe me, he spoke for all of us, for our innermost feelings. After all you would not like your grandfather’s body to be put on public exhibition.” Many Egyptians, however, find ' themselves

unable to accept Sadat’s reasoning at face value, although they agree that some orthodox Muslims might find the displaying of mummies offensiv a. It has been pointed out that the displaying of mummies is a minor transgression compared with other more serious examples of un-Islamic behaviour in Egypt. For example. the authorities take no action against those families of Upper Egypt who are rumoured to still worship the old Pharaonic gods like Amoun. They also turn a blind eye, or even

appear to condone, the apparently heretical activities of those who profess to belong to a tradition of Sufi mysticism. Last week saw one such group, the followers of an eighth century Sufi saint whose body was smuggled into Cairo from Bagdad 600 years ago, dancing in celebration of their saint’s birthday. The municipality supplied lights and music for the ritual dancing, during which individual followers stood in front of the saint’s tomb as a mark of respect. Many Muslims would consider such gestures offensive, since they could be interpreted as tomb worship. • Sadat’s other point —

that the display of mummies is unacceptable for reasons of national dignity — also tends to evoke irony, since individual Egyptians seem tn care very little about preserving their cultural heritage. Others, like the magnificent funerary ship of Cheops, which could also benefit from a little bit of local interest, are slowly disintegrating. Mass public indifference is the reason why the black market trade in stolen antiquities thrives, despite official disapproval. Against this background of apathy, the

real aim of Sadat’s speech can be seen more clearly in terms of its political implications. Ever since he took over as President, and more particularly since . the peace treaty with Israel, Sadat has repeatedly stressed the grandeur and strength of the Nile Valley civilisation. i

It is his ultimate psychological weapon against those Arab leaders who say Egypt cannot survive without their financial and moral support. And it is also his way of reminding Egyptians that, for 7000 years, they were the unaided masters of their own destiny. — Copyright — London Observer Service.