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Fact of the Day: The dead king who needed a passport
In 1974, something truly bizarre happened: the Egyptian government issued an official passport to a man who had been dead for over 3,000 years. That man? Pharaoh Ramesses II—one of ancient Egypt’s most powerful and celebrated rulers.
Why would a mummy need a passport? At the time, Ramesses II’s remains were deteriorating, and Egypt arranged for him to be flown to France for preservation and study. But under French law, even human remains require valid documentation to enter the country. So, in an extraordinary move, Egypt gave the ancient pharaoh his very own passport.
The document included a headshot of his mummified face and listed his occupation as 'King (deceased)'. While the actual passport isn’t available to the public, here’s what it’s reportedly said to have looked like:
An artistic representation of King Ramesses II's passport. Source: Reddit
Ramesses II thus became the only pharaoh—and likely the only dead person in history—to legally travel internationally with a passport. He was welcomed in Paris with full military honours, as befitted a king, even one who hadn’t ruled in millennia.
Source: Mastering Knowledge / YouTube
