With photographs.
In ancient Egypt, people believed in the afterlife and thought that eternal life was possible when the body, soul and life force were wholly merged.
They also believed that the soul and the body separate at the time of death and the body was a resting place for the two elements. Thus, to let the soul and life force find peace and comfort in the body, preserving the body of a dead person was of the highest importance.
The belief led to a practice in which the body was mummified to an extent that it could remain as close to its original state as possible. Most people are familiar with Egyptian mummies but few Koreans have actually seen the real thing from Egypt.
An ongoing exhibition titled “Egypt, The Great Civilization” at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, is a rare opportunity to see mummies plus over 200 artifacts from major ancient Egyptian dynasties, covering 3,000 years of the civilization since 3000 B.C.E.
This exhibition marks the first time Egyptian mummies have been displayed in Korea, and they are on view until Aug. 30.
“Mummies are not just interesting objects to look at,” said Yang Hee-jeong, a curator of the exhibition. “They reflect the ancient Egyptians’ belief in the afterlife.”
One of the reasons Egyptian mummies have not been displayed in Korea previously is the problem of preservation.
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