The hearse carrying the body of Jimmy Carter left for Atlanta on Saturday, accompanied by a convoy of vehicles, beginning six days of ceremonies commemorating the 39th US president. The casket will be displayed at the Georgia State Capitol.
The ceremonial column with a hearse left the hospital in the city of Americus and headed towards Atlanta, Georgia, where a private ceremony is to be held at the Carter Center, a humanitarian and diplomatic center founded by the former president. Along the way, the procession will stop in Carter's hometown of Plains. Later, the casket will be displayed at the state Capitol in Atlanta to allow citizens to pay their respects.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp lay a wreath during a memorial service for former US President Jimmy CarterPAP/EPA/ALEX BRANDON / POOL
Several days of funeral ceremonies
The procession began six days of celebrations commemorating the president who he died on December 29 at the age of one hundred. On Tuesday, Carter's body will be transported to Washington and placed on display at the Capitol. On Thursday, there will be a state funeral ceremony at the National Cathedral with the participation of, among others, President Biden and his living predecessors. Afterward, during a private funeral service in Plains, Carter will be buried in the family plot next to his wife, Rosalynn.
Jimmy Carter was the 39th president of the United States, from 1977 to 1981. In 2002, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Jimmy Carter in a 1976 photo Archive Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Main photo source: PAP/EPA/ALEX BRANDON / POOL