‘Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs’ Exhibition to Begin U.S. Tour This Fall

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April 5, 2008

ATLANTA, April 2, 2008 /PRNewswire/ — “Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs,” a new exhibition featuring more than 130 treasures from the tomb of the celebrated pharaoh King Tut and additional ancient sites, will begin a United States tour this fall. The premiere at the Atlanta Civic Center will be presented by the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University from November 15, 2008 to May 22, 2009, followed by an engagement at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum from June to October 2009.
The exhibition is organized by National Geographic, Arts and Exhibitions International and AEG Exhibitions, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. Northern Trust is the presenting sponsor of the tour, and American Airlines is the official airline.
“Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs” is the second National Geographic exhibition dedicated to the remarkable treasures of King Tutankhamun and ancient Egyptian royalty. The first exhibition, “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs,” was visited by nearly 4 million people during its four-city U.S. tour from 2005 to 2007, and will begin a three-city encore tour in Dallas later this year.
“Tutankhamun’s magic still captures the hearts of people all over the world, even though more than 75 years have passed since the discovery of his amazing tomb,” said Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. “America has welcomed the golden king, and now he returns, bringing with him all the great pharaohs of Egypt. This exhibition will raise much-needed funds for the preservation of Egypt’s monuments and the construction and renovation of museums throughout the country. I always say that Egyptian antiquities are the heritage of the world and that we are only their guardians.”
Proceeds from the tour will go toward antiquities preservation and conservation efforts in Egypt, including the construction of a new grand museum in Cairo. Tickets can be reserved for the Atlanta run starting today at or .
“Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs” will feature striking objects from some of the most important rulers throughout 2,000 years of ancient Egyptian history, from the 4th Dynasty into the Late Period (about 2600 B.C. - 660 B.C.). Derived from a variety of contexts, including temples and royal and private tombs, many of these artifacts have never before visited the United States.
The exhibition will highlight more than 50 treasures from Tutankhamun’s tomb and more than 70 artifacts representing other pharaohs and notables, along with the latest scientific research about King Tut. The storyline will focus on the splendor of the Egyptian pharaohs, their function in the earthly and divine worlds, and what kingship meant to the Egyptian people.
“Tutankhamun is truly a worldwide sensation, and now, with two touring exhibitions focused on this legendary king, Americans are fortunate to have access to such an unprecedented wealth of items representing Egypt’s heritage,” said John Norman, president, Arts and Exhibitions International. “The two prior visits of King Tut’s treasures to the U.S. were among the most successful exhibits in national history. We anticipate that this new exhibition of entirely new objects will similarly captivate the nation.”
Visitors will encounter artifacts from some of the most powerful rulers of Egypt, such as Khefren, whose great pyramid is the only remaining structure of the seven wonders of the ancient world; Hatshepsut, the queen who became king; and Psusennes I, whose magnificent golden death mask will be on display.
“Egypt’s ancient treasures are among the world’s greatest cultural legacies,” said Terry Garcia, executive vice president, National Geographic Society. “Even with the great wealth of research that already exists, new technologies continue to open up the past in ways never imagined. Visitors to this exhibit will not only see stunning artifacts spanning 2,000 years of ancient Egyptian history, but they will also learn more about the life and death of Tutankhamun through recent CT scans conducted on his mummy.”
Four galleries devoted to King Tut will correspond to the four rooms of his nearly intact tomb where the treasures were discovered by British explorer Howard Carter in 1922. Legendary artifacts from the antechamber, the annex, the treasury and the burial chamber will include Tutankhamun’s golden sandals, jewelry, furniture, weaponry and statuary.
The exhibition also will include the largest image of King Tut ever found — a 10-foot statue that originally may have stood at Tutankhamun’s mortuary temple and retains much of its original paint. One of the four gold and precious-stone-inlaid canopic coffinettes that contained his mummified internal organs also will be exhibited.
The final gallery will feature CT scans of Tutankhamun that were obtained as part of a landmark, Egyptian research and conservation project, partially funded by National Geographic, that will CT-scan the ancient mummies of Egypt. The Tutankhamun 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 and discover more about his life and death.
The Michael C. Carlos Museum will lead the development of educational materials in conjunction with the exhibition for elementary, middle and high school audiences. These supplemental materials will be downloadable for free to classrooms across the country and will address topics such as childhood in ancient Egypt and how the journey to the afterlife was believed to occur.
Northern Trust, which serves as the presenting sponsor for “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs,” will also be the presenting sponsor for this new exhibition.
“For nearly 120 years, Northern Trust has worked to bring communities together to celebrate rich cultural experiences, such as the Tutankhamun exhibits, because we understand the importance of arts education and preservation,” said Frederick H. Waddell, president and chief executive officer of Northern Trust Corporation. “We have truly enjoyed being part of the Tutankhamun phenomenon, and we look forward to the launch of this second exhibit as we help preserve the history of Egypt and further the cause to protect these very important and invaluable treasures.”
American Airlines will be the official airline of the exhibition.
“American Airlines is thrilled to have a role in bringing this new exhibit to the U.S.,” said Dan Garton, executive vice president of marketing for American Airlines. “We realize that access to global transportation was an important component of making this exhibit a reality, and it is exciting to know that American Airlines will be helping to make it possible for this remarkable exhibit to be seen by millions of visitors.”
Tutankhamun was one of the last kings of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty and ruled during a crucial, turmoil-filled period in Egyptian history. The boy king died under mysterious circumstances around age 18 or 19, in the ninth year of his reign (1323 B.C.).
National Geographic Books will publish a companion book to the exhibition, written by Zahi Hawass.
Ticket information: Tickets are available to reserve now at or .
About National Geographic
The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 300 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 8,700 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy. For more information, visit .
About AEG LIVE / AEG Exhibitions
AEG LIVE is a collection of companies dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance and is the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. AEG LIVE, the nation’s second largest concert promotion and touring company with five regional offices, also includes stand-alone affiliate divisions including: AEG LIVE Events, creators and producers of special events of all sizes; AEG-TV (formerly Spring Communications), devoted to creation and marketing of live events for television, DVD, pay-per-view, cinema and other electronic media and Creative Battery, producers of live entertainment for a variety of media and venues. AEG LIVE Tours & Special Events and AEG Exhibitions, the company’s national promotion divisions, currently are producing national tours and productions. Recently promoted national concert tours have included artists and groups such as Celine Dion’s A New Day … presented by Chrysler, the Eagles, Usher, Fleetwood Mac, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera among others. Goldenvoice, the company’s southern California-based regional promotion division created and operates the award winning annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival.
About Arts and Exhibitions International
A private company founded in 2003 by president John Norman and international vice president Andres Numhauser, AEI currently produces the award-winning exhibition “Diana: A Celebration” in association with the Althorp Estate in the United Kingdom. Norman and Numhauser have nearly 40 years combined experience in the entertainment and exhibition business, working over the years on such projects as “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit” and “Saint Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes.” The company has relationships with the most important museums in the world and has presented traveling exhibitions on four continents. For more information, log onto .
About the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University
The Michael C. Carlos Museum, founded in 1919, has long been dedicated to collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting art and artifacts from antiquity to the present. Some 16,000 artifacts from ancient Egypt, the Near East, Greece, Rome, the Americas, Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as works on paper from the Renaissance to the present day, provide visitors with a glimpse into the art and history of world cultures. The museum aims to provide unique opportunities for education and enrichment in the community, and to promote interdisciplinary teaching and research at Emory University. The Carlos Museum’s educational programming — with an active schedule of lectures, symposia, workshops, performances, and summer camps — benefits all who interact with the museum community. Annual participation from 100,000 visitors, 30,000 children, and almost 1 million internet users of Odyssey Online, Carlos Museum’s interactive Web site accessed by English-speaking classrooms around the world, reveals the Museum’s commitment to making art and artifacts relevant and accessible to all. In addition to conducting scientific analysis and treatment of museum collections, the Carlos Conservation Laboratory also offers teaching and training opportunities for students interested in pursuing careers in art, conservation, preservation, and science. Located at the heart of Emory University’s Atlanta campus, the Carlos Museum serves as the South’s premier museum of ancient art.
About The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is a non-profit institution committed to creating extraordinary family learning experiences that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. The 433,000 square-foot facility houses 11 major galleries. Visitors can explore the physical and natural sciences, history, world cultures, the arts, see how dinosaurs lived 65 million years ago in Dinosphere: Now You’re in Their World(R), experience Dale Chihuly’s Fireworks of Glass and examine children’s impact in shaping history in The Power of Children: Making a Difference. The Children’s Museum, situated on 13 acres of land in Indianapolis, presents hundreds of programs and activities each year. For more information about The Children’s Museum in English and Spanish, visit .
Nicole Okoneski, GolinHarris
213-438-8793;
AEG Exhibitions