A month after receiving and placing the fourth shrine of Tutankhamun in its display case in the galleries dedicated the boy king’s treasures, the third shrine of Tutankhamun arrived at GEM. The Shrine was transported from the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, in preparation for opening.

Major General Atef Moftah, General Supervisor of the Grand Egyptian Museum and the surrounding area, explained that the transfer was carried out amid security measures by the Tourism, Antiquities and Relief Police, and under the supervision of conservators and museum curators.

There are four golden shrines of King Tutankhamun, explained General Atef, the first of which (fourth shrine) has been moved. The third shrine is the second to arrive at GEM, while the remaining two shrines are currently being conserved in preparation for their subsequent transfer.

Prof. Dr. Eltayeb Abbas, Assistant Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for Archaeological Affairs at the Grand Egyptian Museum, said that the third shrine will undergo restoration work inside the museum. He stated that the shrine is made of gilded wood and was discovered among the treasures of the king in his tomb in Luxor’s West Bank in November 1922. He explained that it was being transferred along with the rest of the tomb’s artifacts from the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, where they were previously displayed.

The remaining shrines, Dr. Abbas added, will be transferred to be displayed according to the exhibition plan in the galleries dedicated to the king's treasure. He said that the approximately 7200 square meters of gallery space is equipped with state-of-the-art museum display cases that have built-in environmental controls, lighting, graphics and labels for each object.

Professor Moamen Othman, Head of the Museums Sector, confirmed that the transfer of the shrine was carried out using the highest scientific standards. He shared that the shrine was dismantled into 10 parts employing the same technique that were used by the ancient Egyptians. Each part was then individually wrapped, placed inside an inner box, and then placed into an external box using acidic free materials.

For his part, Dr. Aissa Zidan, Director General of Executive Affairs for Restoration and Transfer of Antiquities at the Grand Egyptian Museum, said that in preparation for the transfer, the shrine was examined. A detailed report was made by the conservation team which documented the shrine’s state of preservation using the latest scientific processes. This scientific study helped identify the locations of the metal and wood tongues and the slots of the shrine. He said that this guided the team in accurately developing a plan to dismantle the shrine safely.

Now that the third shrine has safely arrived at the museum, the team from the Grand Egyptian Museum and the Egyptian Museum, Cairo will re-assemble the shrine within the next few days inside its case in the Tutankhamun Galleries.