By TR Robertson
The next best thing to a trip to Egypt to see the King Tut artifacts and tomb is a trip to the Del Mar Fairgrounds to take in the “Beyond King Tut Immersive Experience” to see this dramatic, cinematic, immersive presentation of the life and death of this boy king in what has been called one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time. Using a “multi-gallery, multi-sensory story-telling approach” to bring the 3,300-year-old tale of King Tut to life, those attending will wander through 6 rooms created in the massive Wyland Center at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and watch the life of Tut unfold from the discovery of the tomb to his final resting place in the Valley of the Kings. The exhibit commemorates the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tut’s tomb, discovered by Howard Carter on November 4, 1922.
King Tutankhamun became pharaoh in 1332 B.C. at age 9 when Pharaoh Akhenaten died. During his reign he restored the traditional polytheistic religion of Egypt, one with numerous deities. He also moved the capital of Egypt from Amarna to Memphis. Tut died at age 19, the exact cause of death unknown. He died so young an elaborate tomb or temple could not be constructed, so he was buried in a smaller tomb dug in the Valley of the Kings. This would lead to why his tomb was not discovered until 1922. Tut’s tomb was actually broken into shortly after his burial with nothing of significance stolen, perhaps the grave robbers were apprehended. For over 3,300 years the treasures of King Tut remained undiscovered. The primary reason is debris covered the steps leading down to Tut’s tomb, falling from the slopes above and possibly from other tombs in the area. Egyptologist Howard Carter had spent 8 years in the Valley of the Kings searching for treasure of pharaohs. Financed by George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, Carter was set to stop his digs in the Valley of the Kings until one auspicious day in November of 1922, one of his workers saw what looked like two steps leading down with stones and debris covering the remaining steps. As a team of Carter’s workers began removing the debris, it became clear that a series of steps led to a sealed entrance. What would eventually be discovered has been called the greatest Egyptian discovery of all time and one of the greatest discoveries of all time in the field of archaeology. It took Carter 10 years of cataloging what was in the tomb and has revealed 5,398 artifacts, including the most elaborate series of Egyptian sarcophagus ever found.
Years ago, I was fortunate to see a collection of many of the treasurers found in the tomb that were part of a traveling exhibition stopping in several cities in the United States. Items like the famous death mask, Tut’s chariot and the golden chair were part of the burial items on display in Los Angeles. Carolyn and I have also been fortunate to have traveled to Egypt twice and saw the treasures of Tut in the National Museum of Antiquity in Cairo and as part of a trip down the Nile we stopped by the Valley of the Kings, walked through the valley and were able to go into Tut’s tomb and see the large golden sarcophagus inside of the stone sarcophagus Howard Carter had found. The Grand Egyptian Museum, set to soon open and replace the old museum, is said to plan on displaying the majority of the items found in the tomb. Supposedly, King Tut’s artifacts will not leave Egypt ever again.
For those who may never travel to Egypt, the “Beyond King Tut Immersive Experience” will provide a tremendous chance to not only learn about the story of King Tut and the story of the discovery of the tomb, but is also a lesson in the ancient Egyptian society, religion and a look at Egypt of today with massive projections on the screen walls in many of the rooms and several hallways designed inside the Wyland Center. Those who want to attend the event can go online and purchase tickets picking a time to attend (www.beyondkingtut.com). You can also purchase tickets to a Virtual Reality Experience, available toward the end of the walk-through tour. A 4 ½ minute virtual trip inside of Tut’s tomb, narrated by Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville, provides a detailed picture of the treasures and design of the tomb.
Participants follow a maze-like walk-through with numerous informational presentations displayed about the life of King Tut. Each of the rooms you enter has a different set of beautifully designed portrayals or video images on large screens. Rooms like Tut’s Tomb is Unique, Journey to the Afterlife, Family Tree, and Mummification Process all add to painting the picture of the boy-king and what life was like in the Egypt of 3,300 years ago. The room most of the people spent some time in was the large room with massive screens and a large funeral boat seating area in the middle. On these screens and the floor, you were enveloped with wonderful images and colors of the Egyptian world, especially the story of Tut’s journey in the afterlife. There was also incredible pictures and video of the Egypt of today and many of the archaeological sites one could visit such as the Pyramids of Giza, Luxor, Karnak, the Great Sphinx and Cairo.
“Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience” will run until March 26th at the Wyland Center, Del Mar Fairground, Sunday-Thursday 10 am – 8 pm and Friday-Saturday 10 am – 9 pm. Ample parking is available in the main parking lot or in front of the Wyland Center, $12.00 fee charged. Photography is allowed, no flash photography. Food and drink are not allowed inside of the venue. Strollers are allowed. A large gift shop area is available with a varied selection of items. Go to www.beyondkingtut.com for tickets and more information.
“Experience the magic and mystery of Egypt in Del Mar and relive the thrill of one of the greatest discoveries of all time.”
