Egyptian Tomb Of Queen Meresankh III Has Free Virtual Tour For Countries Under Lockdown
There may be a small bright side to spending your time at home.
On Wednesday (15 Apr), The Guardian reports that the Egyptian Tourism Board is offering free virtual tours for the 5,000-year-old tomb of Queen Meresankh III. The tomb’s model – developed by Harvard University – will give you a glimpse of our ancient world.
If you’re either feeling stressed or bored amid ‘Circuit Breaker’, then here’s an opportunity to visit Egyptian tombs from the comfort of your own bedroom.
Preparations for the afterlife
Queen Meresankh III is the granddaughter of King Khufu and wife of King Khafra. Her 5,000-year-old Egyptian tomb was excavated in 1927.
Dying in Ancient Egypt involves a lot of preparation in the form of material offerings and the construction of pyramids, and her tomb is a testament to this.
The chapel wall features statues bearing clothing and goods that ensure the royal family will live a prosperous life.
The hieroglyphs feature Meresankh III and her mother clad in white garments at the west side of the entrance. Servants carrying baskets of food for the queen’s soul surround them.
Similar hieroglyphs include people offering fruit, bread, and meat for the funeral feast.
Female stone statues
While most of us will die in a casket, Queen Meresankh III’s tomb even has a Northern Chamber. The finely cut wall has 10 statues of women, which highlight the queen’s position amongst her relatives.
A similar theme continues in the Western chamber, which has sculptures of women holding hands. This may represent maternal love and affection from her female relatives.
Egyptian tomb has burial chamber in lower level
Located in the lower level lies a burial chamber that housed the queen’s great granite sarcophagus for thousands of years.
You may be disappointed to find an empty room, instead of a mummy. This may give you a reason to plan a trip to Egypt after Covid-19 is over, so you can discover the secrets of the ancient world.
Virtual tours during quarantine life
The quarantine life may be taking a toll on those that love to travel and enjoy the great outdoors. Fortunately, you can start a virtual tour of ancient Egypt here.
While the era of self-distancing may be far from over, remember that this is only a temporary phase. We have to stay home in the short-term, to ensure our health and safety in the long-run.
In the meantime, we can still satisfy our travel bug by taking virtual tours and planning our future trips. This may also give us an opportunity to catch up on our favorite Netflix dramas and spend more bonding time with our families.
How are you staying sane amid ‘Circuit Breaker’? Share your tips in the comments.
Featured image from Matterport.
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