HYDERABAD: An Egyptian mummy belonging to 2,500 BC which is lying in a poor condition in the AP State Museum is all set to `come back to life.’ A two-member team from the Supreme Council for Antiquities, Egypt, are coming to Hyderabad to restore the mummy, which is among the six mummies in the country.
“As part of the restoration work, the existing Mummy wrapped in line n bandages will be replaced with new bandage.
There are many parts of the body including the face, legs which require face-lift,’’ Director of Archaeology and Museums P Chenna Reddy told Express.
The two-member team -- Dr Tarek El Awady, Director of Scientific Research in the Supreme council of Antiquities and Dr Samia Mohammed El Marghani, Director General of Treatment of Biological damage department -- are expected to arrive in the city on August 6.
The experts are expected to carry out Mummification wherein they would remove the internal organs of the body including liver, lungs and intestines and stuff cotton in it. Besides, the existing material stuffed inside will also be replaced.
The Egyptian Mummy is that of a 16-year-old girl Nasihu, daughter of VI Pharaoh of Egypt. The mummy belonging to 2500 BC was brought by Nazeer Nawaz Jung, son-in-law of Mir Mahboob Ali Khan the VI Nizam of Hyderabad for 1,000 pounds.
He later gifted it to Mir Osman Ali Khan, the VII Nizam of Hyderabad after which it was donated to the museum in 1930.
“In India, we do not have the required expertise to take up restoration works of Mummy.
Only experts based in London and Egypt can take up the task.
Though we wrote to an agency in London, they expressed their inability to work on the project. Finally, the experts from Egypt gave their consent,’’ Reddy said adding that it was only after a series of communication between the State Government and the agency after which they agreed.
Officials said if the restoration work was not taken up immediately, there were chances of the Mummy, which attracts hundreds of visitors to the museum, getting decayed.