The Exhibition

Experience magic moments

of archaeology first hand

For many years now, exhibitions of Egypt’s fascinating works of art have been very popular. The exhibition project Tutankhamun – His Tomb and his Treasures will reveal yet another perspective: visitors can relive the fascinating story of the excavation, like in a novel. However, the exhibition does have its limits. Even if it is scientifically accurate, unlike in a classic museum setting, fragile original objects requiring protection cannot be presented here. Moreover, increasing importance is also being attached to the preservation of historic monuments at conventional museum exhibitions, where originals are not exhibited for conservation reasons. Egyptologists in particular are demanding that burial chambers, with their exquisitely painted murals, should be replaced by faithful reconstructions of the originals in order to prevent this precious world heritage from being ruined by mass tourism and to ensure that it can be handed down to future generations. The exhibition does not aim to replace the presentation of originals, but to provide an appropriate complement. Those who have already admired the original treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamen can now experience how they were discovered.

Dr. Wolfgang Wettengel

A journey through time –

to the mysterious world of Ancient Egypt

The exhibition Tutankhamen – His Tomb and his Treasures makes the marvel of the moment – entering an overwhelming treasure trove, discovering new worlds and new wonders – accessible to visitors as an experience for all the senses. Using state-of-the-art technology, the exhibition evokes the fascination of the bygone exotic empire on the Nile.

The tomb of Tutankhamen with its treasures has been faithfully reconstructed to scale, giving visitors a realistic impression of the overwhelming opulence of the offerings that were supposed to serve the king on his magical journey into the Underworld. More than 1,000 replicas of the most important finds have been reconstructed by the finest Egyptian craftsmen using traditional techniques, and can be admired at the exhibition.

State-of-the-art multimedia technology has been employed to provide information and a vivid illustration of the culture and spiritual world of the ancient Egyptians – their cult of the dead, deities, dynasties, and mysterious hieroglyphic script. Of course, the focus of the exhibition lies on Tutankhamen himself.

The forgotten pharaoh

Tutankhamun is one of the most enigmatic figures in Egyptian history. He was descended from the 18th dynasty, which established the New Kingdom and led it during a period in which the arts flourished.

As the son of the god-king Echnaton and – presumably – of his celebrated principal consort Nefertiti, Tutankhamun became pharaoh at the tender age of seven, but died under mysterious circumstances at about the age of 19.

His successors effaced his names from all monuments, meaning that he was not recorded on any list of kings and faded into obscurity. Unknown and undiscovered, he lay for almost three-and-a-half millennia in the Valley of Kings until Howard Carter came across his tomb.

A worldwide sensation

The burial and treasure chambers shown at the exhibition cannot be seen in this form anywhere else in the world – not even in Egypt, because Tutankhamen’s original tomb in the Valley of Kings has now been almost completely emptied.

Tutankhamun’s treasures are now cordoned off behind glass in the display cabinets of the Egyptian National Museum in Cairo. The impression of space made by the tomb in its original state can only be experienced at this exhibition: virtual archaeology makes worlds accessible that in reality no longer exist in their entirety.