With a Smile on King Ramses II Statue's Face thousands of people gathered along the streets of Cairo to bid farewell to one of Cairo's landmarks as our team began their final stage of Re-allocation of the colossal statue of Ramses II which began its journey from its congested square where it stood for more than 50 years downtown Cairo to its new home in the Grand Egyptian Museum next to the Great Pyramids.
It took 10 hours for the 11 meter, 83 ton statue to travel through downtown Cairo and cross the Nile River. Tens of thousands of people, many of them waving Egyptian flags and cheering, turned out to watch the statue make its slow journey to its new home
'For me success in moving the statue means two things: that we the Egyptians can plan well, Execute well and that it confirms confidence in Egyptian archeologists,' Supreme Council of Antiques chief Zahi Hawas said.
Hundreds of people gathered to welcome the Ramses II statue to its new home, even though the pharaoh was only partially visible behind a fence, also police officers done a great effort to arrange the crowds. Many of the Government Officials were there to welcome the king in his new home like Mr. Farouk Hosni The Minster of Culture, Mr. Zahi Hawas The Supreme Council of Antiques, Mr. Abdel Azim Wazir Cairo Governor, Mr. Fathi Saad Giza Governor, Mr. Ibrahim Mahlab President, The AC Board of Directors and many others distinguished guests