250 artifacts featured in the exhibition return to Egypt after a nine-month journey
The exhibition "Ancient Egypt Unveils Its Secrets: Treasures From Egyptian Museums" has closed at the Hong Kong Palace Museum after a run of around 9 months, from 18 November 2025 to 31 August 2026. It drew huge public turnout, welcoming more than 600,000 visitors, reflecting the strong interest in ancient Egyptian civilization among the public in Hong Kong.
On behalf of Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy, Dr. Hisham El Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, attended the press conference organized by the Hong Kong Palace Museum to mark the close of the exhibition and the start of procedures to return the participating artifacts to Egypt, in the presence of Dr. Ahmed Hamida, Head of the Museums Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
El Leithy expressed his appreciation to all participants and organizers of the exhibition, praising the success it achieved throughout its run. He explained that the exhibition took visitors on a journey through the history of ancient Egyptian civilization through 250 unique artifacts that traveled from the banks of the Nile to the shores of Victoria Harbour, from 8 Egyptian museums, presenting a diverse picture of the richness and creativity of Egyptian civilization through the ages.
The pieces on display ranged from wooden objects and stone statues discovered at the Saqqara archaeological site to a quartzite statue of King Tutankhamun weighing around 2.7 tons from the collection of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, a granite statue of King Merenptah from Luxor and a gilded mummy mask from the Hurghada Museum, as well as a varied collection of pieces reflecting different aspects of daily life and religious beliefs in ancient Egypt.
The Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities noted that these pieces, ranging from massive stones and papyri to royal gold and even models of ancient Egyptian bread, did not merely bring to Hong Kong material evidence of a history spanning thousands of years, but also carried a human and civilizational message reflecting the greatness of Egyptian civilization and its ability to connect with peoples around the world.
He stressed that the exhibition's success and the large turnout confirm the important role of culture and heritage in building bridges of communication and understanding between peoples, noting that archaeological exhibitions abroad are one of the important tools for cultural exchange, introducing Egyptian civilization around the world and promoting cultural tourism in Egypt.
El Leithy praised the role of curators, conservation experts, archaeologists and the transport and logistics teams in Egypt and Hong Kong, as well as the Hong Kong Palace Museum team, for their efforts, professionalism and cooperation, which contributed to the exhibition's presentation and success. He also commended the efforts of the Egyptian team involved in organizing and following up on the exhibition throughout its run.
The exhibition "Ancient Egypt Unveils Its Secrets: Treasures From Egyptian Museums" featured 250 outstanding artifacts selected from a number of Egyptian museums and archaeological sites, including the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, the Matrouh National Museum, the Kafr El Sheikh Museum, the Luxor Museum of Ancient Egyptian Art and the Sohag National Museum, along with a number of newly discovered artifacts from the Saqqara archaeological site and a selection of pieces previously shown in the exhibition "On Top of the Pyramid: Ancient Egyptian Civilization" at the Shanghai Museum in China.
