Minister of Culture Farouq Hosni inaugurates today the second hall of mummies that was set by the Supreme Council for Antiquities at the Egyptian museum in Cairo.

Twelve royal mummies will be exhibited in the hall after twelve years since the inauguration of the first hall which included other eleven mummies.

The Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Antiquities, Dr. Zahi Hawwas said that these mummies have been accurately restored in the antiquities researches laboratory before being exhibited to get rid of humidity so as to prevent bacterial growth impact on the mummies.

An American researcher has prepared a study about the hall and a catalogue for its contents, which was useful in developing the hall and providing it with show windows and modern lighting system.

It took two years to get the hall ready and was designed according to the latest technology. The hall takes the shape of one of the royal cemetries at the kings' valley with a dome-like ceiling; lights are down low casting glamorous figure on the mummies that belong to great kings of Egypt who defeated the invaders and led liberation wars against Hexus.

Head of the Egyptian museum, Dr. Wafaa Seddeq said that the hall houses eleven royal mummies in a good condition. They were discovered in the treasure of al Deir Al Bahari at Luxor then stored in the Egyptian museum about 80 years ago. The mummies date back to the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st dynasties. Some are royal mummies, others represent Amoun's priests.

The mummies are exhibited inside glass boxes where there are devices for measuring and controlling humidity in order to preserve the mummy. Mummies inside the hall are divided into two sections according to historical seniority. The first section houses mummies for some of the 20th dynasty kings like Ramses III and Ramses IV . The second section includes mummies of Amoun's priests. Amoun is known to be god of the modern empire of that period and was called the major deity.

Amoun's priests took over southern Egypt where Thebes became the religious capital of the country. Kings had also the titles of priests; they formed the 21ST dynasty 945-1085 BC among those are Banjem II and his wife who was a priest of goddess Isis and gods Meen and Horus.

In addition, the hall displays mummies for queens of the 21st dynasty, among those are Hanout Tawi who enjoyed Nubian features and was the wife of Amoun's major priest Banjem I.