Click on logo to join other participants
I went to visit the exhibition of Tutankhamun's tomb replica, which was exposed in one of the big Exhibition halls of the Heysel Exhibition Park near the Atomium in Brussels.
The Egyptolog Paul Heinen, German designer and developer of multiplex cinemas had the idea of creating a replica of the tomb in 2002. He chose a hundred Egyptian craftsmen, the best, able to reproduce to the hundredth of a millimeter the around five thousand items exhibited in the Museum of Cairo. Wulf Kohl, German artist who lived more than thirty years in Cairo, lends a hand, together with the Griffith Institute in Oxford, Egyptologists and experts. They needed to find current materials "to pretend" 100%!
After a long search to find the perfect site to test the exhibition, Paul Heinen choose Zurich. In 2006, the architect and designer Rainer Verbizh is in control, from Zurich to Brussels, via Budapest, Hamburg, Brno, Munich, Manchester, Madrid, Dublin, Cologne. Meanwhile over 1.7 million people have visited this exhibition since 2008.
Tutankhamun was the boy king of Egypt, who reigned for 10 years, was nine years old when he became pharaoh and reigned for approximately ten years and died at the age of 18. After 4000 years, in 1922 Howard Carter an English archaeologist and Egyptologist discovered the nearly intact tomb in the valley of the Kings. I don't want to give a history lesson you can read all about it here
Since February over 200.000 visitors came to see this exceptional Exhibition which usually should end on November 4 th but had been prolonged until the 27.
All items shown in this Exhibition are perfect replicas from the originals which are in Cairo's museum. We really admired the artists who had created such perfect copies, that it is almost impossible to see what is the original and what is the replica, unless you realize that the copies are not in real gold as the originals.
Now I take you on a virtual tour and show you what I have seen.
The tomb of Tutankhamun clearly shown in the 3 D design
and what was found in the outbuilding
and in the antechambre. When you think that the originals are all of pure gold you can imagine the immense value of all these items besides the historical one.
The sarcophagus was in the last of these huge golden "boxes" (they called them funeral chapels) in the Funerary Chamber which you can see on the above graphic.
Looking inside of the first and biggest one
Decoration with turquoises
Beautiful artwork
the last one before the sarcophagus
which is shown here
another one inside the above shows the mommy
The footboard of the sarcophagus
The details
His mask
The finger protections in gold
and for the feet too, there were also the golden sandals.
children sarcophagus
and a bed which would suit me too
All these items should ease his life in another world
I am not sure what this was, servants or soldiers ?
there were also golden boats
and guards
Different items to protect him
His throne from the front
side
and back
a heavy very big collar
and enormous earrings. I thought they would rather fit on elephant ears
furniture
a coach
bathroom items for oils and creames
Even the damages from tomb raiders were copied. There had been a vase on the back of this "goat" and a horn is missing.
We really were blinded by all this gold when we came out !
Brussels Time
