Sydney has secured the Australian premiere of Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives, an acclaimed touring exhibition from the British Museum featuring six Egyptian mummies, which will be presented at the Powerhouse Museum this summer.

Deputy Premier and Minister for the Arts Troy Grant said Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives will feature items from the British Museum’s Egyptian Collection which is the largest and most comprehensive collection outside Egypt and includes monumental sculpture, architectural pieces, mummies and more.

“Six mummies who lived and died in Egypt between 1800 and 3000 years ago will be on display alongside almost 200 objects associated with funerary practices and daily life in this rich period in history,” Mr Grant said.

“The mummies from the British Museum collection have remained wrapped for thousands of years but using cutting edge technology we can reveal for the first time their burial secrets while maintaining their integrity and ensuring their preservation.”

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres said the exhibition will be a major drawcard for visitors to Sydney, providing a unique opportunity to learn about the lives of ancient Egyptians and boosting the local visitor economy.

“This summer, visitors to Sydney can journey back in time to Ancient Egypt. The Egyptian Mummies will travel to Australia for the first time, making Sydney the inaugural destination for visitors to meet these individuals and discover more about their stories,” Mr Ayres said.

“The exhibition is expected to deliver more than $3 million in overnight visitor expenditure and the NSW Government is proud to support the exhibition, through our tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.”

Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives will be held at the Powerhouse Museum from 10 December 2016 to 30 April 2017.