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Egypt antiques chief welcomes decision to cover mummies

Egypt's chief of antiquities on Thursday welcomed a Britis h museum's decision to cover its mummies collection.

The Secretary-General at the Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawass said it was a question of ethics.

"Covering up the mummies is a very important decision. I myself am of this posit ion on an ethical basis, not a religious one," Hawass told reporters in Cairo.

"We don't want people to see our naked bodies when we are dead, so why should we allow ourselves to view the bodies and expose them in this manner?" he asked.

Manchester Museum in northwest England said on Wednesday that one of the partly wrapped mummies out of the 11 on display was covered after visitors' complaints t hat the Egyptian relics should be treated with dignity and respect.

According to the museum, the mummies would be temporarily covered while public c onsultation is run on how to best display the human remains.

Manchester Museum houses one of England's largest collections of ancient Egyptia n artifacts with approximately 20,000 objects.
 
Cairo - 22/05/2008

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