Cleopatra Buried in Paris?

The translation from French to English if a bit suspect in parts, but this is a fascinating story. Could there possibly be truth to it??? Is the mummy of Cleopatra buried in Paris? The following is a translation of La momia de Cleopatra se esconde en París by Ramón Llanas for lavanguardia.es (Posted August 3, 2008) Cleopatra VII, the great Cleopatra, the big nose of geopolitical power, is in Paris. It is a matter of justice, because what would be better for a woman like her? Specifically, she is buried in the gardens of the National Library of France, at its old headquarters of the Rue Vivienne, near the Louvre and the Palais Royal. That is what Juan Angel Torti, former Chilean journalist and possibly the most elegant retiree in Paris, has been sustaining for years. This former reporter for Agence France-Presse, whose headquarters is a stone’s throw from where the Egyptian queen supposedly lies, looks forward to the moment when archaeologists reach access to the end of the 120 meters long tunnel at the temple of Tabusiris Magna, 50 kilometers from Alexandria, where the sarcophagi of Cleopatra and Marco Antonio are allegedly located. That is expected to happen later this year, as announced by the Egyptian authorities. But Torti is certain they are in for a big disappointment: “The tomb of Cleopatra is empty.” Author of a book on this subject (Cleopatra in Paris, published in Chile and recently translated into French), Torti stumbled upon a publication in which former Théodore Mortreuil, conservative and secretary-treasurer of the National Library, who died in the 50’s, argued that the female pharaoh was buried in the gardens of the institution. From there, Torti began an investigation which brought many surprises, some not related to Cleopatra, such as the existence of an artificial lake with fish in the basement of the Palais Garnier, the Opera Theatre of Paris, or the presence of other mummies buried at the foot of the monument of the Bastille. Torti argues that the mummy of Cleopatra is part of a batch of three (two men and one woman) given to General Bonaparte in his failed expedition to Egypt. “They were among the few things that the future Napoleon I was able to draw from Egypt after the French defeat by the English. Those three mummies were exhibited at the National Library upon his return, to a wide audience. The whole world would see Cleopatra and all newspapers spoke of the event. ” In 1870, Napoleon’s nephew, Napoleon III, declared war on Prussia. The Prussians defeated the French, arriving in Paris. “It was the first time that Prussian troops paraded under the Arc de Triomphe, and the last one, because after the First World War, the Unknown Soldier was placed at the foot of the monument and the German soldiers had no choice but to march around it in 1940. ” The Prussians eventually got tired of parading through Paris. “What happened to the National Library during their stay? Its officials had built a wall to seal a room in which they concealed the priceless possessions of the institution to save them from looting, including the three mummies.” When the danger subsided, the wall was destroyed, but the humidity had begun to decompose the mummies. Nevertheless, they were shown again. “Shortly thereafter, in 1871, the city saw the arrival of the Paris Commune, the popular uprising that became especially strong in the north part of the capital, creating chaos.” One high ranking official of the military in charge of protecting the National Library found the smell that emerged from the mummies irritable and gave the order to bury them in the garden, under the cloak of night. Monsieur Mortreuil was shocked, but had no choice but to accede to the wishes of the military and, shovel in hand, headed the entourage that carried on with the burial. “Torti hopes that when the Egyptologists fall flat upon the empty tomb of Cleopatra, the French authorities will assume their responsibilities and, again, someone will go to the beautiful gardens of the National Library, shovel in hand. This time, however, it will be to rescue Cleopatra, the most Parisian of the queens of the world.