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As part of its ongoing mission to preserve Egypt’s scientific heritage, the Theodore Bilharz Research Institute (TBRI) highlighted the participation of Professor Dr. Sameh Fakhry, Professor of Endoscopy, in a televised interview with Lamees El Hadidi on Al Nahar TV on November 1, 2025, during special coverage of the Grand Egyptian Museum inauguration.

During the interview, Dr. Fakhry recounted the remarkable medical event of performing an endoscopy on the mummy of King Ramses II in Paris in late 1976 — a procedure that combined science, history, and cultural preservation.

He explained that the intervention was prompted by the discovery of partial tissue deterioration and a suspected fungal infection in the mummy. A collaborative medical decision led to transferring the mummy to Paris for detailed examination using state-of-the-art endoscopic technology of that era. Egyptian specialists worked alongside French experts to collect samples from the embalmed tissues and identify the infection, which was successfully treated through sterilization and radiation therapy.

Dr. Fakhry emphasized that this event symbolized the intersection of modern medicine and ancient Egyptian civilization, as France honored the mummy with a royal reception, including a gun salute and an official passport listing “King of Egypt” as the occupation.

He further noted that Theodore Bilharz Research Institute continues to take pride in advancing medical innovation and preserving Egypt’s scientific legacy, standing today as one of the region’s foremost research institutions.