CAIRO -- Egyptian antiquities chief Zahi Hawass on Thursday welcomed a decision by a British museum to cover up its collection of ancient Egyptian mummies, saying it was a question of ethics.

Covering up the mummies is "a very important decision. I myself am with this position on an ethical basis, not a religious one," Hawass told Agence France-Presse.

"We don't want people to see our naked bodies when we are dead, so why should we allow ourselves to view the bodies and expose them in this manner?" something which is not necessary for the mummies' appreciation, he asked.

On Wednesday, The Manchester Museum in northwest England said two unwrapped mummies and one partly wrapped mummy out of 11 on display were covered after visitors' complaints that they should be treated with more respect and dignity.

The mummies will be kept under wraps temporarily while a public consultation is carried out about how best to display human remains.

The Manchester Museum is home to one of Britain's largest collections of artifacts from ancient Egypt, with some 20,000 objects.