Around Town

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs

Until Aug 30 2008 O2 Arena, Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX

Rating:

Those of us who remember the last visit of Tut 35 years ago will find him little changed. The presentation though, is somewhat different, not least because the actual mummy and its famous golden mask are not part of the Tutankhamun London exhibition.

The Tutankhamun exhibition is as much a homage to Howard Carter as to his astounding discovery in the early part of the twentieth century. Proceeding through darkened themed rooms leading us to an understanding of the Egyptian world that King Tut and his predecessors inhabited, those with the audio guide are accompanied by the honeyed tones of none other than Omar Sharif. He knows how to pronounce Tutankhamun. For those without the guide there's music and mood lighting to set the scene but really the audio tour is a must: selected exhibits are explored in much more detail than it's otherwise possible to communicate.

The middle section of the exhibition leads visitors down flights of steps, echoing the descent into the tomb itself. Footage and stills, including one of particular note – a black-and-white photograph of the discovery of the tomb showing the jumble of dusty items now lovingly restored, set the artifacts just seen in context. The exhibition's climax reproduces the burial chamber with the precious items in their original positions, while a projected image progresses through the various layers of sarcophagus and tomb.

Modern technology also comes into play as we examine National Geographic CT scans revealing, among other details, that Tut may have had an impacted wisdom tooth. At least he didn't have any cavities. The shop reveals all kinds of Tut related goodies. I liked the sarcophagus wine rack. Youngsters will be attracted by the 'Print your name in hieroglyphs' offer for a mere quid – a bargain considering the price of tickets.

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