July 7
London - The new exhibit of treasures from King Tutankhamun's tomb at London's O2 domed stadium is expected to be the country's largest art show in nearly 50 years.
It was announced Friday that advance reservations for the Egyptian exhibit, which opens in November and runs for nine months, has already reached 180,000.
Organizers already are calling the advance bookings "quite staggering." They expressed confidence the show will smash the current record of 1.7 million visitors set by the first Tutankhamun exhibition in 1972.
The exhibit will feature 120 artifacts, 50 from the Egyptian king's 3,500-year-old tomb and the rest from other pharaohs graves.
The organizers also said although booking officially opens Sept. 12, the first two months already are virtually sold out.
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Full Version: King Tut exhibit expected to draw 2 million
Unexplained Mysteries Discussion Forums > Unexplained Mysteries > Ancient Mysteries & Alternative History
The Brits are in for quite a show. The exhibit was here in Chicago last year at the Field Museum, and it was the biggest success the museum has enjoyed since...well, since the last big Tut exhibit, in the late 1970s. I am a docent at the Field Museum and it was a pleasure to work with the exhibit and to see the splendid treasures. It drew in well over a million people at the Field Museum, whose eight-month venue is the longest, so I hope the Dome draws in the crowds it wants. LOL It probably will. Every Brit I personally know can't wait for the exhibit to get there.
Wow, its kinda nice to hear people are still interesed in such things, and not only me. 
Don't they know it's cursed?
QUOTE(Opus Magnus @ Jul 9 2007, 11:15 AM) 
Don't they know it's cursed?
only for those who believe it.
In Berlin it was way over 3 Mvisitors.
That's 2million and two hubby and i are going in Sep to see the King.........
great ,going down to london in november anyway so this is a plus (if we get in) 
I'm taking my son as well - the mask isn't going to be there though is it? That's staying in Ciaro I believe.
Correct, the mask no longer leaves Cairo. This exhibition is run by the Egyptian government which has contracted a production agency to put it on. One of the chief logos of the exhibit is a closeup of the golden coffinette that once held Tut's liver, and in the photo it looks quite a lot like the funerary mask. A bit of deceit there, I'm afraid. "Marketing ploy" might be a kinder term. When we had the exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago, the museum lobbied to use a different icon as the logopiece, but the Egyptian government wouldn't budge. Each venue that hosts the exhibit is just providing space; the exhibit is staffed mostly by third-party personnel (even the gift shop) and the host venue doesn't have much say in how the exhibit is run. I know when I was working with the exhibit as a docent in Chicago, quite a few visitors were upset that the funerary mask wasn't there.
Personally I was disappointed that the mask wasn't part of the exhibit, but I understand. It's simply too valuable and too important to Egypt's heritage to leave their country. But the exhibit as it exists, is crammed full of breathtaking and wonderful artifacts, many of which have rarely (or never) left Egypt, so it's a very special and memorable exhibition to attend.
Personally I was disappointed that the mask wasn't part of the exhibit, but I understand. It's simply too valuable and too important to Egypt's heritage to leave their country. But the exhibit as it exists, is crammed full of breathtaking and wonderful artifacts, many of which have rarely (or never) left Egypt, so it's a very special and memorable exhibition to attend.
QUOTE(kmt_sesh @ Jul 10 2007, 06:40 PM)
Correct, the mask no longer leaves Cairo. This exhibition is run by the Egyptian government which has contracted a production agency to put it on. One of the chief logos of the exhibit is a closeup of the golden coffinette that once held Tut's liver, and in the photo it looks quite a lot like the funerary mask. A bit of deceit there, I'm afraid. "Marketing ploy" might be a kinder term. When we had the exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago, the museum lobbied to use a different icon as the logopiece, but the Egyptian government wouldn't budge. Each venue that hosts the exhibit is just providing space; the exhibit is staffed mostly by third-party personnel (even the gift shop) and the host venue doesn't have much say in how the exhibit is run. I know when I was working with the exhibit as a docent in Chicago, quite a few visitors were upset that the funerary mask wasn't there.
Personally I was disappointed that the mask wasn't part of the exhibit, but I understand. It's simply too valuable and too important to Egypt's heritage to leave their country. But the exhibit as it exists, is crammed full of breathtaking and wonderful artifacts, many of which have rarely (or never) left Egypt, so it's a very special and memorable exhibition to attend.
Personally I was disappointed that the mask wasn't part of the exhibit, but I understand. It's simply too valuable and too important to Egypt's heritage to leave their country. But the exhibit as it exists, is crammed full of breathtaking and wonderful artifacts, many of which have rarely (or never) left Egypt, so it's a very special and memorable exhibition to attend.
I agree, I think the advertising is misleading and many people will be disappointed and surprised that the mask isn't in the exhibition. However, I agree that it should stay in Cairo - imaging travelling all the way to Cairo to see it and it's on vacation in London, that'd really cheese me off.
I actually saw the exhibit (mask included) in the 1970's when it first went on tour. I believe I was in the later part of grade school (5th grade maybe? It was the late '70's). I actually saw it twice.... once with my school class on a field trip, and once with my parents.
It left quite an impression on me, I still remember it quite clearly some 30+/- years later.
It's a shame that the mask no longer leaves Egypt. I can remember thinking it wasn't what I was interested in seeing at the exhibit, but it turned out to be the most magnificent piece. It's flat remarkable and just as golden an glittery as the pictures show, probably more than the photos you've all seen. The terrifyng beauty of that funerary mask was permanently etched into my brain.
There are some remarkable alabaster chalices, a set of golden earrings (that made my ears hurt just look at them, they must have weighed a bloody ton) and some wooden carvings that alone are worth the price of admission.
If you have the opportunity to see it... do it, it's absolutely, definitely a worthwhile way to spend an afternoon, you won't regret the ticket price.
It left quite an impression on me, I still remember it quite clearly some 30+/- years later.
It's a shame that the mask no longer leaves Egypt. I can remember thinking it wasn't what I was interested in seeing at the exhibit, but it turned out to be the most magnificent piece. It's flat remarkable and just as golden an glittery as the pictures show, probably more than the photos you've all seen. The terrifyng beauty of that funerary mask was permanently etched into my brain.
There are some remarkable alabaster chalices, a set of golden earrings (that made my ears hurt just look at them, they must have weighed a bloody ton) and some wooden carvings that alone are worth the price of admission.
If you have the opportunity to see it... do it, it's absolutely, definitely a worthwhile way to spend an afternoon, you won't regret the ticket price.
[quote name='MissMelsWell' date='Jul 10 2007, 04:53 PM' post='1767693']
I actually saw the exhibit (mask included) in the 1970's when it first went on tour. I believe I was in the later part of grade school (5th grade maybe? It was the late '70's). I actually saw it twice.... once with my school class on a field trip, and once with my parents.
It left quite an impression on me, I still remember it quite clearly some 30+/- years later.
I saw the mask in New Orleans when I was in 3rd grade. It drew me in and I am still in love with all things "Tut". I have always wanted to see his treasures again.
I actually saw the exhibit (mask included) in the 1970's when it first went on tour. I believe I was in the later part of grade school (5th grade maybe? It was the late '70's). I actually saw it twice.... once with my school class on a field trip, and once with my parents.
It left quite an impression on me, I still remember it quite clearly some 30+/- years later.
I saw the mask in New Orleans when I was in 3rd grade. It drew me in and I am still in love with all things "Tut". I have always wanted to see his treasures again.
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