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“TUTANKHAMUN AND THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE PHARAOHS” TO OPEN
AT THE O2
IN LONDON FROM 15 NOVEMBER 2007 TO 30 AUGUST 2008
Exhibition
Marks the First Time Tutankhamun’s Treasures Have Visited London in 35
Years
London (13 November 2007) —
“Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs” will open on the
15 November at The O2 in London, marking the first time the
boy king’s treasures have visited the UK in
35 years.
The exhibition is organised by National Geographic, Arts and Exhibitions
International and
AEG Exhibitions, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of
Antiquities, and sponsored by Credit Suisse.
Treasures from
Tutankhamun’s tomb were last displayed in the UK in 1972, when the
exhibition attracted some 1.6 million visitors, setting travelling
exhibition attendance records. The British Museum hosted the previous
Tutankhamun exhibition and is lending curatorial support to “Tutankhamun
and the Golden Age
of the Pharaohs,”
as well as providing educational content and co-curating the Howard
Carter gallery.
“Since the
discovery of his tomb in 1922 by Howard Carter, Tutankhamun has captured
the hearts of people around the world. Buried with him were treasures
beyond the imagination, giving us a rare glimpse into the past,” said
Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of
Antiquities. “This time, when Tutankhamun returns to London, he also
brings with him his family. Not only will people learn about the life
and magic of the most famous boy king, but they will also have the
opportunity to learn firsthand about this important period of time in
ancient Egyptian history.”
The
first exhibition to take place in
The O2’s
6500 m2exhibition
centre, The O2
bubble,
“Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs”
includes more than
130 artefacts, many which have never before been seen in the UK.
A gallery dedicated to Howard Carter, the British explorer who
discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb, is a unique addition to the London
exhibition and evokes the atmosphere of exploration and the
thrill of the 1922 discovery in Luxor using archival photographs,
newspaper headlines and footage. More than 325,000 tickets have already
been sold or reserved, which is a pre-opening record for the tour.
“Egypt's ancient treasures are among the world’s greatest cultural
legacies,” said Terry Garcia, executive vice president, National
Geographic Society. “With this exhibit, not only will visitors see more
than 130 incredible treasures dating back more than 3,000 years, but
they will also learn about a tumultuous period in Egyptian history and
witness how new technology is opening up the past in ways never
imagined.”
Tutankhamun was
one of the last kings of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty and ruled during a
turmoil-filled period of ancient Egyptian history. The boy king died
under mysterious circumstances at about age 18 or 19 in the ninth year
of his reign (1323 B.C.). “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the
Pharaohs” offers visitors a rare glimpse into this period.
All of the 130 treasures in the exhibition are 3,000 to 3,500 years old.
These include artefacts found in the tomb of the celebrated pharaoh
as well as several of his relatives and 18th
Dynasty (1555 B.C. to 1305 B.C.) contemporaries. Major objects on
display from Tutankhamun's tomb include his royal diadem — the gold
crown discovered encircling the head
of his mummified body that he likely wore as king — and one of the gold
and precious stone inlaid canopic coffinettes that contained his
mummified internal organs.
“Everyone who comes into contact with the legacy of Tutankhamun becomes
enthralled by the story of the boy king. The fact that more than four
million people visited the exhibition during its U.S. tour is testament
to this fact, “said Timothy J. Leiweke, president and CEO of AEG. “If
pre-sales are any indication, the turnout in London will continue to
show the huge public appetite to discover more about the world of
Tutankhamun.”
The artefacts are presented in 11 experiential galleries with background
about the social and political backdrop of the time in which their
owners lived and ruled. Each gallery focuses on a specific theme, such
as “Daily Life in Ancient Egypt,” “Traditional Religion” and “Death,
Burial and the Afterlife,” and builds to the final galleries where King
Tutankhamun’s treasures reside. This includes a gallery dedicated to
five items that were found on the Pharaoh’s body when Howard Carter
entered the tomb in 1922. A projection of the objects depicts where the
items were positioned on the body when his coffin was opened.
The final gallery of the exhibition features
scans of King
Tutankhamun’s mummy that were obtained as part of a landmark, Egyptian
research and conservation project, partially funded by the National
Geographic Society, that will CT-scan the ancient mummies of Egypt.
The scans were captured through the use
of a portable CT scanner, donated by Siemens Medical Solutions, which
allowed researchers to compile the first three-dimensional picture of
Tutankhamun. Additionally, the final gallery will contain video footage
from Luxor as King Tutankhamun’s mummy was unveiled in his tomb on 4
November.
"We are proud to
be part of this important exhibition. We look forward to sharing this
unique cultural event with our employees, clients and the local
community," said Michael Philipp, chairman and CEO of Credit Suisse in
the EMEA region. Credit Suisse is the presenting sponsor of the
exhibition and a founding partner of The O2.
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TICKET INFORMATION
AT THE O2
Single Tickets
·
Adults: £15
(Friday – Sunday: £20)
·
Children ages
5-15: £7.50 (Friday – Sunday: £10)
·
Concessions
£12.50 (Friday – Sunday: £16)
·
Family (2
adult, 2 children) £45 (Friday – Sunday: £50)
Tickets are timed and dated and admission is 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. daily.
Due to high ticket demand, advance ticket purchase is strongly
recommended. To book tickets and for more information, visit
www.visitlondon.com/tut or call 0844 844 0003.
Tickets also can be purchased at The
O2
box
office.
For visitors to London, hotel packages are now available through Hilton
Hotels, Superbreak and Premier Travel Inn, official hotel partners of
the exhibition. For more information, visit
www.visitlondon.com/tut.
In addition,
limited edition Tutankhamun Visitor Oyster Cards for pre-paid
transportation on the Tube, bus, DLR and tram, can be purchased with
tickets at
www.visitlondon.com/tut.
About The O2
The O2 is one of Europe’s leading entertainment destinations
– a new city-within-a-city for Londoners and the world to explore and
enjoy. It is a leisure and hospitality experience of a kind never before
known in the UK. The O2 arena is the world’s highest grossing
music arena and attracts the greatest stars from across the globe, and
is also a proud host of 2012 Olympic events.
Entertainment Avenue
surrounds The O2 arena. Open to
all, night and day, it comprises a mixture of leisure attractions
including an 11 screen cinema, exhibition space, Indigo Music Club,
restaurants, bars and cafés, all lining an avenue as wide and long as
Bond Street.
Getting there
By boat: River transfer is available through Thames Clipper; schedules
and information are available
at www.thamesclippers.com
By tube: North Greenwich tube stop on the Jubilee Line
By car: The M25 (London orbital), the A2/A20 (from the southeast) and
the M11 (from the north)
About Visit London
Visit London is the official visitor
organisation for London. Its role is to promote London as the most
exciting city on the planet, targeting domestic and overseas leisure and
business visitors as well as Londoners.
Visit London works in partnership
with the Mayor, the London Development Agency and the tourism industry
in London.
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