The world has been fascinated by the mummies of Ancient Egypt ever since European archaeologists started digging them up in the 19th century.

Hollywood turned them into nightmarish figures, but an extraordinary exhibition at Manchester Museum is revealing the very human side of those ‘bandaged zombies’.

Golden Mummies of Egypt presents hundreds of glittering objects from 2,000 years ago, the last days of the pharaohs, when their civilisation collided with the Greek and Roman worlds.

The stars of the show are the eight mummies, now returned to Manchester following a tour across the USA and China, and CT scans allow visitors to explore beneath the wrappings.

But with this exhibition, it’s what’s on the outside that counts. It’s a celebration of the incredible artistry on the mummies – the decoration on the bodies and the masks and portraits covering the faces.

Eerily full of, er, life, it’s the portraits that tell the stories of the wealthy Ancient Egyptians lying below in their mummified cocoons – hoping to cheat death – more than 1,000 words ever could.

The exhibition is being staged in Manchester Museum’s new Exhibition Hall, created as part of a £15 million transformation during an 18-month closure from the summer of 2021.

Upstairs, the museum’s outstanding collection of Egyptian and Sudanese objects – one of the largest in the UK – illustrates both everyday life and preparations for the afterlife.

In complete contrast, and unusual for a museum, the next exhibits we came across during our visit were very much alive.

The vivarium – recognised worldwide for its conservation work – houses a collection of colourful amphibians and reptiles, many of which are critically endangered species.

Elsewhere, the skeleton of a sperm whale has watched over the nature gallery for over 130 years, and from prehistoric times there’s Stan the tyrannosaurus rex and April the tenontosaurus.

And the Chinese Culture gallery has objects from the Qing Dynasty plus a 20m scroll from the 18th century depicting Emperor Kangxi’s birthday procession through the streets of Beijing.

The museum, a short walk or bus ride from the city centre, proved a fascinating day out for our family of four, and just around the corner we found the perfect place for an overnight stay.

Hyatt House Manchester – an aparthotel crowned ‘Hotel of the Year’ at the City of Manchester Awards 2023 – offers interconnecting studios and one-bedroom suites, so mums and dads can be guaranteed a good night’s sleep.

All 116 rooms come with fully equipped kitchens, so if the signature dishes of the hotel’s Laureate Restaurant are wasted on the palates of your young ones you can rustle them up some beans on toast.

Exceptionally comfortable, they also have working spaces and, in our case, up on the 14th floor, uninterrupted views of the city centre skyline, which looks magical after the sun sets.

An all-you-can-eat cooked / continental buffet breakfast, with terrific choice, is included, and you can work it off in the gym, should you like, before the civilised 12 noon check-out.

Spotless, bright and contemporary, the hotel is in Manchester’s University Quarter and its exceptional customer service has earned it a five-star rating on Tripadvisor from 323 reviews at the time of writing.

As with the museum, of course, the hotel is easily within walking distance of the city centre, but there’s also a bus stop right outside.

But with a coffee machine, comfy sofa and amazing views, you might struggle to drag yourself away from your room.

Travel factfile

Golden Mummies of Egypt runs at Manchester Museum until April 14. To avoid queues you can book tickets in advance here

Hyatt House Manchester is in Booth Street West. For bookings call 0161 359 5556 or click here

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