The Return of King Tutankhamun // The Discovery of King Tut and the NYC Exhibition
The Discovery of King Tut presents this fascinating subject in an entirely new way: a thrillingly unique experience that explores the legendary tomb and its treasures as they were at the exact moment of their discovery. Visitors can feel the rush of excitement as they step into a moment only ever witnessed by Howard Carter, Lord Carnarvon and a handful of others.
Tutankhamun is one of the most fascinating and mysterious kings in Egyptian history. According to recent research, he was probably a son of Akhenaten, though the name of his mother is still unknown today, however many historians presume it would have been Akhenaten’s famous main wife, Nefertiti.
Tutankhamun ascended to the throne as a child at the age of seven and had to reign in one of the most difficult periods of Egyptian history. His father, Akhenaten, had banned the old religious cults and only allowed a single deity to be worshiped in Egypt, a ruling that caused great social upheaval in the land of the Nile. And even though it was Tutankhamun who managed to restore the country to stability, later kings still erased his name from statues and inscriptions in order to wipe Tutankhamun, the son of the heretic king, from the memory of future generations.
The young pharaoh died at the age of 18 or 19 in circumstances that are not especially clear. His tomb in the Valley of the Kings lay forgotten for three millennia – until Howard Carter discovered it in November 1922. With this find, the world was given back a piece of cultural heritage of inestimable value. A king, whose fate was so nearly one of complete obscurity, was now reborn as the most famous of them all.
An Egyptian pharaoh who died more than 3,300 years ago immediately became a global media sensation, and the golden mask of the young Tutankhamun remains one of the most famous icons of our modern world.
Now for the first time in New York, a precise replica of the famous archaeologist Howard Carter findings is revealed:
… With the aid of exquisite, precisely crafted replicas and reconstructions, the exhibition allows visitors to step right into the wonder of the most famous archaeological discovery of the twentieth century. It is as if the original excavation in the Valley of the Kings has been reopened.
The Discovery of King Tut features more than 1,000 remarkable reproductions of Tutankhamun’s treasures. The only tomb found intact before any grave robbers could get to it, it’s truly fascinating and can change the way we understand history.
Some of the highlighted objects include the Tomb of Tutankhamun, the Golden Mask, Golden Coffins, Canopic Shrine & Mummification, Wall Paintings, the Golden Throne, Tutankhamun Chariot, and more!
The four shrines and Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus that were discovered by Howard Carter in the burial chamber form the heart of the royal burial – presented as an ensemble nested into one another. The face of the bandaged mummy was hidden by the unique golden mask. It is not a portrait of Tutankhamun, rather it shows the king as ever-lasting and divine and is his immortal ‘replacement face’. It is made of about 11kg of solid gold and is today mankind’s most internationally famous work of art. There is so much gold in this tomb — it’s almost surreal.
Photo credit: Jon Super/PA Wire
Photo credit: Jon Super/PA Wire
On this tour, you are guided by audio, some video, and many visuals to help recreate that day the first set of eyes discovered King Tut’s chambers.
Q: Why does the exhibition use reproductions instead of original artifacts?
A: This exhibition would be impossible to present without the use of reproductions, and there are multiple reasons for that…primarily, the original artifacts discovered in King Tut’s tomb are no longer permitted to tour outside of Egypt. Therefore, in order to see the original artifacts, one must travel to Egypt, and in some cases, the originals of the objects that have been reproduced in the exhibition are no longer available for public display. Secondly, the exhibition is intended to tell the story of the original discovery of King Tut’s tomb as Howard Carter found it in 1922 –the tomb was found brimming with treasure, many objects stacked on top of one another and some even haphazardly placed in the tomb – to display the original objects in this manner would be impossible and irresponsible. Therefore, the only way to present and provide an authentic feel of the burial chamber in its original state is through the use of reproductions – virtual archaeology, allowing us to rediscover worlds in an intact state, something no longer possible in reality.
WHERE: Premier Exhibitions 5th Avenue 417 5th Avenue New York, NY 10016
WHEN: The exhibition is open starting November 21, 2015- May 1, 2016 MON-THUR: 11AM-7PM
FRI: 11AM-9PM
SAT: 10AM-9PM
SUN: 10AM-7PM
ADMISSION: Adults: $29 // Seniors: $24 // Child (12 & under): $20
Don’t miss $15 Museum Monday’s. Where all tickets are $15
Audio Tours available in English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian.
