Egypt’s ‘King of the Sun’ exhibition proves to be a big draw in Prague

All tickets for the “Kings of the Sun” exhibition in Prague have been sold out until June 6, according to Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khaled Al-Anani launched the exhibition last August along with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis.

It is the first Egyptian antiquities exhibition in Prague and the largest exhibition of antiquities from the Old Kingdom.

A large number of Czechs have visited the exhibition, said Mostafa El-Wazeeri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, adding that it had attracted around 10,000 people since the show reopened on May 4.

Ibrahim Mostafa, the inspector escorting the exhibition, said around 400 people were visiting every day.

Visits are taking place in line with COVID-19 precautionary measures — social distancing, face masks, hand sanitizer use, and time-reserved tickets.

On display are 90 artifacts that were unearthed during excavations in Abusir by the Czech mission, including a basalt statue of King Raneferef.

The exhibition’s inauguration coincided with the 60th anniversary of the start of Czech archaeological work in Egypt.

The aim of the show is to offer Czech visitors a glimpse into ancient Egyptian civilization and encourage them to visit the country to see more of its monuments as well as enjoy its beaches and landscapes.