Dr. Sahar Saleem explores the dignity of the dead, the role of science, and the growing global debate over the display and repatriation of ancient Egyptian mummies.
Dr. Sahar Saleem is a Professor of Radiology at the Kasr Al-Ainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, and an antiquities and mummy radiology expert who has examined numerous ancient and mummified remains, including 40 kings and queens of ancient Egypt and contributed to the exhibition curation and display scenarios for Egyptian museums such as the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) and the Cairo International Airport Museum.
As a Professor of Radiology at Cairo University and an internationally recognised expert in mummy radiology, Dr. Sahar Saleem has used modern medical imaging to uncover the lives, identities and deaths of ancient Egyptians.
In this commentary for Times of Lanka, Dr. Saleem examines the growing debate over displaying human remains in museums, following the decision by Scotland’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum to remove its Egyptian mummies from public view. She argues that mummies must be treated as human beings deserving dignity, not merely as museum exhibits, and explores how scientific research can help restore their identities while raising important questions about cultural heritage, repatriation and the ethics of displaying the dead.
Global Museum Shift Sparks Ethical Debate Over Displaying Egyptian Mummies
A growing movement among international cultural institutions to reconsider the public exhibition of human remains has reignited an intense global debate among archaeologists, ethicists, and museum visitors. The discussion comes to a head following the recent decision by the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Scotland to remove its ancient Egyptian mummies from public display, citing concerns over a lack of historical “informed consent” and a shift in the ethical view of displaying human bodies.
As major institutions worldwide audit their collections, the focus has shifted toward balancing the education of the public with the fundamental human rights and dignity of the deceased. While the move has been praised by ethics advocates, it has also prompted critical questions regarding how museums can continue to honor ancient histories without converting human ancestors into mere public curiosities.
COMMENTARY BY DR. SAHAR SALEEM
“First and foremost, we must remember that mummies are not mere museum artifacts—they are the bodies of human beings, and we must respect their fundamental rights and dignity. The ancient Egyptians invented the sacred process of mummification for one specific purpose: to preserve the physical body so it could safely navigate its eternal journey into the afterlife. They never intended for their remains to become objects of raw curiosity for people looking at them thousands of years later”, stated Dr. Saleem.
The individuals entombed in ancient Egypt insisted on being buried in the sacred land of Egypt, choosing the most sacred spots for their final rest, and they never gave their consent to be shipped across oceans to be displayed abroad. When mummies are kept outside of Egypt, it contradicts the desires, beliefs, and spiritual journey of the deceased. Therefore, the Kelvingrove Museum’s decision to remove the mummies from display is a sound one, and the pursuit of repatriating them with dignity back to their homeland is the right ethical choice. Furthermore, we must listen to the public, as a growing sector of museum visitors today feels uncomfortable with the inappropriate display of exposed human remains.
Some critics argue it is hypocritical or a double standard to demand the removal of mummies from foreign museums while we continue to display them in Egypt. This is a completely false and rejected equivalence. To understand why, we must look at the concept of cultural and historical sovereignty: the British public would find it utterly unacceptable if the body of a historical British king were excavated, shipped across the world, and placed in a glass exhibition box in Cairo! A nation’s rulers belong to their homeland and their soil. The display of the Royal Mummies at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Cairo is fundamentally different because these kings and queens are in their own country, curated by their direct descendants, and resting in a solemn environment that simulates ancient royal tombs, functioning as sacred mausoleums rather than a mere tourist display.
“Furthermore, our scientific work in Egypt does not aim to merely exhibit a corpse; it is about restoring the human identity of these Egyptians in general, and the kings and leaders in particular, and rewriting history through science in a safe manner. A prime example is our CT scan research on the mummy of King Seqenenre Taa II, who ruled southern Egypt (c. 1558–1553 BC) during the foreign occupation of Egypt by the Hyksos Revealing a pharaoh’s violent death. Revealing the King’s violent death and wounds that matched Hyksos weapons completely rewrote history CT Scans Reveal New Details about the Death of a Pivotal Pharaoh. For centuries, the exact details of his fate were undetermined, but our modern scans revealed the precise nature of his severe head wounds, proving scientifically that he was killed on the battlefield during his struggle for Egypt’s liberation, which was later completed by his son, King Ahmose. Through this research, we reformulated his history and transformed him from a nameless wrapped body into a national hero whose sacrifice paved the way for his sons to establish the prosperous New Kingdom era (c. 1550–1069 BC) New Kingdom of Egypt.”
This scientific mission to restore human identity extends beyond the borders of Egypt, as seen in my work collaborating with international institutions like the Barnum Museum in Connecticut, USA. For decades, a mummified individual there was misidentified and displayed as a man due to the inscriptions on the coffin Barnum Museum program explores ‘Life of an Ancient Woman in …. Through our non-invasive CT scan research, we corrected this historical error, identifying her as a woman and providing valuable information reflecting the respected and prestigious status that women enjoyed in ancient Egypt. To completely shift the narrative away from her being viewed as an exotic curiosity to a human with an identity, I chose the name ‘Ipy’ for her—an ancient Egyptian term meaning ‘The Favorite’. The museum highly celebrated this name, transforming her from an anonymous corpse into the museum’s most cherished and respected historical figure Life of an Ancient Egyptian Mummy | Lecture.
“While my core conviction remains that returning to the homeland and the sacred soil is the ultimate and final ethical goal for all human remains, cases like the mummy ‘Ipy’ demonstrate a crucial transitional step. Until that return is realized, science and safe examinations like radiology allow us to intervene to rescue these individuals from centuries of distortion and obscurity in international museums, and instead treat them with the dignity they deserve and view them as human beings”, explained Dr. Saleem.
The use of modern science—such as CT scans, 3D imaging, digital printing, and facial approximation and reconstruction of features, exactly as we did for King Ramesses II and King Tutankhamun—allows us to build a deep educational and human bond with these great historical figures. In Egypt, we are bringing our ancestors back to life to honor their legacy in their own land, whereas the continued exhibition of them abroad as exotic and curiosity-inducing displays remains a flagrant violation of their dignity.
“In light of the ongoing disturbances and the lack of security for the treasures of our Egyptian civilization abroad, as is currently being seen at the Louvre Museum in Paris, and given the existence of world-class Egyptian museums like the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), demanding the return of our cultural heritage to its homeland is a just demand”, Dr. Saleem concluded.
King Ramesses II facial reconstruction based on CT scan, anthropomorphic and forensic
King Amenhotep I at NMEC using digital unwrapping CT scan showing his face for the first time
King Seqenenre Taa II mummified body beside CT scan images confirmed his death in battle defending Egypt
King Ramesses II mummified body at NMEC dignified exhibition in a private dark walled sector resembling a tomb and including his belongings