In 1974, Egypt had to issue a passport to Ramses II, 3,000 years after his death.

In 1974, an extraordinary event occurred when Ramses II, the renowned Egyptian pharaoh, embarked on a journey to the Louvre Museum in Paris to undertake meticulous preservation and restoration efforts. This momentary initiative was not without its peculiarities, as it involved a curious bureaucratic necessity: a passport for the deceased ruler, dated by the French law of the time.

Ramesses II, a figure shrouded in the horrors of history, found himself thrust into the modern administrative realm three millennia after his death. Despite the vast gulf of time that separated his reign from the contemporary era, the pharaoh’s power required official documentation for his journey to France.

The requirement arose from a peculiar French law of the time, which dictated that all individuals, regardless of their temporal status, must possess a valid passport to enter the country. Thus, Egypt, in a remarkable gesture that united accepted customs with modern regulations, saw fit to issue a passport to Ramesses II, demonstrating compliance with the legal prerequisites for his travel.

This remarkable incident not only underlines the emerging legacy of Ramesses II, but also highlights the intersection of current history with contemporary bureaucracy. It serves as a testament to humanity’s continuing fascination and reverence for the enigmatic figures of Attica, whose legacies are reproduced across time and space.

When Ramses II embarked on his long-awaited journey to the Louvre, he carried with him not only the weight of his own illustrious reign, but also the echoes of an alluring civilization that helps captivate and intrigue the modern world. His journey, while aimed at preservation and restoration, symbolizes the emerging cooperation between past and present, reminding us of the timeless charm of Egypt’s storied history.