40,000 tickets sold before the exhibition's official opening
Between 5,000 and 6,000 visitors expected daily
Italian President Sergio Mattarella today opened the "Treasures of the Pharaohs" exhibition at the Scuderie del Quirinale, which belongs to the Italian Presidency, in the capital, Rome, in the presence of Sherif Fathy, Egypt's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities; Alessandro Giuli, Italy's Minister of Culture; Ambassador Bassam Rady, Egypt's Ambassador to Italy; Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities; Dr. Mohamed Shaaban, Assistant Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for Digital Transformation; Dr. Tarek El-Awady, the exhibition's supervisor; and a number of Italian ministers, senior museum directors and cultural figures.
The opening ceremony received wide media coverage from international and Italian news agencies, television channels and newspapers, reflecting the scale of global interest in this unique exhibition and the esteem in which ancient Egyptian civilization is held in the world's cultural consciousness.
In his speech at the opening, Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, expressed his deep gratitude for the fruitful cooperation between the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the Scuderie del Quirinale exhibition house under the supervision of Dr. Tarek El-Awady, stressing that the exhibition is the fruit of years of joint work between the two sides. He noted that the 130 artifacts were selected from Egyptian archaeological collections not only for their beauty, but for their ability to embody the essence of ancient Egypt, a civilization in which art, faith and life were a single entity.
He added that the exhibition is not a reconstruction of the past but a living dialogue with it, as the statues, masks and papyri were made to defy oblivion, each carrying an eternal message that existence can be immortalized through care, knowledge and art.
The Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities said that displaying these treasures in Rome is an act of sharing and cultural rapprochement, expressing his hope that visitors would feel what archaeologists feel every time they discover a 3,000-year-old statue, as that feeling, which transcends the boundaries of history, is what unites us today.
Following the opening ceremony, the Italian President, the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and the Italian Minister of Culture toured the exhibition's various halls, where they heard a detailed explanation from the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and Dr. Christian Greco, Director of the Egyptian Museum in Turin, about the most important artifacts on display and the artistic and spiritual aspects they represent, reflecting the depth and timeless splendor of ancient Egyptian civilization.
It is worth noting that the streets, squares and train and metro stations of the Italian capital have been decorated with the face of Queen Ahhotep, in a scene reflecting the great passion the Italian people have shown for ancient Egyptian civilization, as everyone awaits the opening of the exhibition, especially as it is being held in one of Italy's most prestigious and important cultural venues.
Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, had inspected the final touches inside the halls dedicated to the exhibition, to follow up on the readiness and arrangement of the artifacts and review the information signs, designs and interior decor, as well as to ensure the application of security measures and the visitor entry and exit points, so that the exhibition is presented in a manner befitting the greatness and history of Egyptian civilization.
Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled also held a meeting with the exhibition organizers to discuss the final arrangements for the official opening ceremony and the press conference scheduled to be held on the sidelines of the event.
Tommaso Radaelli, the exhibition's organizer, said the large public turnout reflects the place of Egyptian civilization in the hearts of Italians, revealing that 40,000 tickets had been sold before the official opening and that between 5,000 and 6,000 visitors are expected daily during the exhibition's run.
As part of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' promotional strategy under the slogan "Egypt... Unmatched Diversity," a tourism pavilion for the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority has been set up on the sidelines of the exhibition throughout its run, featuring a range of advertising materials and promotional films about the Egyptian tourist destination, in addition to tourist maps in Italian. The pavilion also allows visitors to use the QR code for the Experience Egypt page to learn about Egyptian tourist destinations and their diverse products.
The "Treasures of the Pharaohs" exhibition is the second-largest Egyptian archaeological exhibition held in Italy, after the Palazzo Grassi exhibition in Venice (2002–2003), which explored the role of the pharaohs in the New Kingdom era.
The exhibition features 130 artifacts selected from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir and the Luxor Museum of Art, telling the story of ancient Egyptian civilization through themes including kingship, the royal court, religious beliefs, daily life, funerary rituals and the afterlife.
The exhibition is scheduled to open its doors to the public tomorrow, Friday, October 24, and run until May 2026, giving visitors a unique opportunity to connect with Egypt's ancient civilization and explore its timeless masterpieces.
