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King Tutankhaman's mummy was on public display for the first time yesterday 4/11/2007 after it was removed briefly for further examination, Dr. Zahi Hawass Chief of the Supreme Council of Antiquities said that mummy of the 3,000-year-old boy king would be displayed to the public after it had been restored
However, he said he was afraid that the humidity and heat caused by tourists entering the tomb in Luxor would harm the mummy.The tourists will begin viewing the mummy today, Hawass said. Tutankhamun's body is entirely wrapped in strips of white linen, except for his face which, until now, has only been seen by a handful of experts. Made pharaoh at the age of nine, Tutankhamun became famous with the discovery of his tomb and the treasures within by Briton Howard Carter.His iconic solid gold burial mask weighs 11 kilos (24 pounds), encrusted with lapis lazuli and other semi-precious stones.
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In the dimly lit burial chamber workmen removed the gilded lid of Tutankhamun's mummy case and then hoisted the padded box containing the mummy out of the stone sarcophagus where it has lain for most of the time since Tutankhamun's early death. They then moved it to a climate-controlled acrylic glass showcase in the tomb's antechamber and sealed the cover. His face is visible at one end, a white linen cloth covers his body and his blackened feet protrude at the other end.
The mummy's face has high cheekbones and cracked and blackened skin with an intact nose.Hawass supervised the operation, broadcast live on some television channels."The face of Tutankhamun is different from the face of any king at the Cairo Museum," Hawass told reporters."He has these beautiful buck teeth and ... the tourists will see a little bit of a smile on the face of the golden boy," he added. "This will ... make the golden boy live forever." Hawass concluded. Monday,
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