Reconstructed ancient perfumes showcased in new Egyptian Museum exhibition

The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, Cairo, is reviving the history of perfume in ancient Egyptian civilization through a temporary exhibition titled "Perfumes of Ancient Egypt Through the Ages," which will last for about three months. The exhibition aims to shed light on the perfume industry in ancient Egypt, its various uses, different compositions, and the rituals associated with it.

Organized in collaboration with Paul Valéry University Montpellier 3 in France, the dlaboratory Apis Archimedes, and the hieroglyphic language foundation Herolcix, the exhibition showcases a collection of artifacts related to perfumes. These artifacts have been selected from the collections of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, the Islamic Art Museum in Bab El Khalq, and the Coptic Museum in Old Cairo. The exhibition evokes scenes from the ancient perfume industry in Egypt and showcases the political uses of the perfume industry.

One of the highlights of the exhibition is the use of virtual reality technology that enables visitors to experience the museum in an immersive way. This technology allows visitors to see the uses of perfumes in daily life, religious rituals, and the process of mummification. Additionally, scenes of the expedition sent by Queen Hatshepsut to the Land of Punt to bring products used in the manufacture of perfumes, such as myrrh and frankincense, are featured.

Moamen Osman, Head of the Museums Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, stated that this exhibition allows visitors to learn about one of the most important industries in ancient Egypt, which is the perfume industry. He expressed full appreciation for the efforts of the French side in organizing this exhibition and presenting it in a fitting manner. Osman also praised the significant cooperation between Egypt and France in the field of archaeological work in general.

Among the artifacts included in the exhibition are statues of Queen Hatshepsut and the god Amun-Ra. The exhibition also displays a collection of ancient dried flowers from the New Kingdom, vessels and flasks that were used to store perfumes, and manuscripts that include recipes for preparing perfumes. Some ancient Egyptian perfumes have been reconstructed according to what was mentioned in the ancient papyri. This reconstruction was done under the supervision of the restoration department at the museum. Visitors to the exhibition are able to smell the reconstructed ancient Egyptian perfumes and learn about them in reality.

Dr. Ali Abdel Halim, General Director of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, said that the reconstructed perfumes are displayed for visitors to experience.

Dr. Ahmed Amer, an archaeological expert and Egyptologist, stated that the class of kings, princes, and priests in ancient Egypt was keen on producing perfumes, especially from rose petals. He explained that they produced perfumes by placing flower petals on papyrus paper and spraying them with a little water. Priests used perfumes in temples to perform religious rituals. Senior state officials used perfumes extracted from olive oil, almond oil, and hyssop oil, while the common people made their perfumes from castor oil. Dr. Amer noted that ancient Egyptians used perfumes during the mummification process, which took from 40 to 70 days to complete.

Dr. Mahmoud El Mohamady stated, "The Ancient Egyptian Perfume Exhibition Through the Ages is a wonderful opportunity to revive our rich aromatic heritage, enhance tourism, support local industry, and spread aromatic culture." He told Asharq Al-Awsat, "Perfumes are an integral part of ancient civilizations, and they had a special importance to the ancient Egyptians; perfumes in ancient Egypt were associated with life and death, religion and beauty, and were used in many occasions and ceremonies."

He explained that the perfume industry in ancient Egypt was advanced; the Egyptians were able to extract perfumes from plants, flowers, and resins. The process of making perfume involved several stages: the first stage was collecting raw materials, which varied according to the type of perfume to be produced. The second stage was extracting the perfume; there were several methods to extract perfume from raw materials, including distillation and cold pressing. The third stage was mixing perfumes; after extracting the perfumes, they were mixed together to obtain the desired scents. The fourth and final stage was bottling and storage; perfumes were stored in decorated glass or pottery flasks.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq