Tutankhamun: Return of the King Exhibition at IMAG

The IMAG History and Science Center located in Fort Myers, Florida announces the opening of their new exhibit, the Tutankhamun: Return of the King Exhibition. Scheduled to open in October, the opening was postponed due to Hurricane Ian. The exhibition is now open, just in time to celebrate the Centennial Anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s hidden tomb, which was discovered on November 4th, 1922, ten years ago. The exhibit holds precious pieces of Egypt’s ancient history and King Tut’s reign.

Tutankhamun, commonly referred to as King Tut, was an Egyptian pharaoh who was the last of his royal family to rule during the end of the 18th Dynasty. He ruled during a revolution against ancient Egyptian gods by the first monotheistic religious cult in Egyptian history. King Tut's tomb was discovered entirely complete, containing historical treasures that helped Egyptologists better understand the process of mummification and Ancient Egyptian Archaeology.

The Tutankhamun: Return of the King exhibit showcases many of the Egyptians' captivating treasures as well as illustrating the opulent lives of the Egyptians in 18th Dynasty Egypt. The exhibit holds some of the pharaoh Tutankhamun’s legendary artifacts including his golden throne, jewelry, alabaster vessels, his funerary mask, and many other sacred artifacts. Out of the exhibit’s 130 impressive artifacts and replicas, there are a distinct few that stand out. The Golden Canopic Shrine, Golden State Chariot, Golden Mummy case, and even the bejeweled mummy of King Tut himself.

In addition to the Tutankhamun: Return of the King exhibit, a second exhibit, The Pharaoh's Photographer: Harry Burton exhibit, provides a more in-depth background on how the tomb’s discovery was captured and brought to life. Photographer Harry Burton photographed the tomb’s antechamber, annex, treasury, and burial chamber which held four shrines and a sarcophagus containing three coffins protecting the wrapped mummy and his famous funerary mask. 

Burton went to extreme lengths to perfectly capture the tomb’s various features and architectural wonders. He documented the tomb's discovery over a period of ten years and used over 1,400 silver-gelatin glass negatives, which are a type of film used by photographers to produce highly detailed and sharply defined black-and-white images. Burton also used electric bulbs to illuminate the tomb and sometimes a complicated arrangement of mirrors shining light through steep passageways, corners, small openings, and a 16-step stone stairway.

Five different chambers make up the Tutankhamun exhibition. The exhibition begins with an introduction to Ancient Egypt, followed by the tomb’s archaeological discovery and documentation of the dig, then a third and fourth chamber delve into the private and public pharaoh, and a fifth and final chamber concluding the exhibit, showcasing the royal burial of the young pharaoh king. 

The Tutankhamun exhibition provides people with an opportunity to travel in time and step into the shoes of an Egyptian King ruling 18th Dynasty Ancient Egypt. The cultural importance of the pharaoh’s African heritage is explored, as well as the religious significance of the sacred objects, and the infamous curse of King Tut. Experience the wonders of King Tut’s tomb and how the elaborate exhibits came to be.