The Tutankhamun Expo is coming to the Exhibition Hub in Doraville starting Sept. 28, replacing “The Art of the Brick.”
“Tutankhamun: His Tomb and His Treasures” features hundreds of painstakingly authentic reconstructed objects and decorations, giving visitors insight into this highly publicized archeological find from the early 20th century.
Tickets go on sale Aug. 3 via Fever. It’s set to run through the end of the year.
The tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun was discovered by archaeologist Howard Carter just over a century ago. Tutankhamun ruled for 10 years from ages 9 to 19 more than 3,300 years ago. It’s unknown how he died. The discovery was the only royal burial found intact in modern times.
“This is what made it such a global story,” said Atlanta-based executive producer John Zaller. “The forgotten boy king is now a rock star of ancient Egypt. All these years later it still has that on-going appeal that connects us to that ancient past. There is still so much intrigue and inspiration.”
In 1976, as a diplomatic gesture of goodwill, Egypt allowed actual King Tut artifacts to be brought to museums in the United States. The exhibit drew millions. The excitement even led to a 1978 novelty hit “King Tut” by Steve Martin.
Skilled Egyptian craftsmen with guidance from Egyptologists reproduced more than 1,000 items in great detail for this particular exhibit including the iconic gold death mask, Zaller said.
“You walk into the burial chamber and see all these objects around you,” he said.
To date, more than 7 million visitors have seen the exhibition largely in Europe and Asia.
Zaller said the exhibit has been around for more than a decade but has not been seen much stateside.
The last time a comparable exhibit came to town was in 2009 at what was then the Atlanta Civic Center when 500,000-plus people visited an exhibit featuring 50 actual items from King Tut’s tomb.
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