The Ministry of Antiquities has begun restoration work on the gilded wooden coffin of King Tutankhamun, which was moved from the king's tomb to the Grand Egyptian Museum a few days ago in preparation for its display as part of the golden king's collection.
Dr. Mostafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, stressed that the coffin was moved after the approval of the Permanent Committee for Egyptian Antiquities at its session held last June, in order to carry out its first restoration since the tomb was discovered in 1922.
He said the coffin was moved amid security measures, under the supervision of restorers and archaeologists and in cooperation with the Tourism and Antiquities Police, and that all local and international media will be invited within the next two weeks, after the coffin's sterilisation work is completed, to view it at the Grand Egyptian Museum.
For his part, Dr. El-Tayeb Abbas, Director General of Archaeological Affairs at the Grand Egyptian Museum, noted that the coffin will be displayed as part of the museum display scenario for the King Tutankhamun collection at the Grand Egyptian Museum, along with the other golden coffins currently at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, which will be moved to the Grand Museum shortly before its opening so that the coffins are displayed complete for the first time.
Dr. Eissa Zidan, Director General of Preliminary Restoration and Transfer of Antiquities at the Grand Egyptian Museum, explained that the sterilisation, restoration and maintenance of the coffin will take about 8 months, as the coffin suffers from various forms of damage, including cracks in the gilded plaster layers and a general weakness in the gilding layers, adding that all forms of damage to the coffin were documented and recorded and a condition report was prepared before the transfer.
