Egyptian Ministry of Tourism A carved gold dagger, a gold crown studded with semi-precious stones and a mini coffin that once held a king's mummified liver are among the treasures of King Tut to go on display in the United States of America, for the first time in a quarter century.
"Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaoh" will include about 130 of the 5,000 Egyptian artifacts found in King Tut's tomb and belonging to his contemporaries. The last time a similar exhibit toured the country, in 1976-1979, 55 items were displayed.
That show became the first "blockbuster" museum exhibition. It drew more than 8 million visitors. "Now Tutankhamun is back, giving a new generation the chance to learn firsthand about the life and magic of this ancient monarch," Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, said.
Hawass worked with National Geographic to obtain permission from the Egyptian parliament to display the artifacts. Money raised will help pay for new museums in the country as well as preservation of the Pyramids, Sphinx and other national treasures.
Hawass said the show would provide understanding of ancient Egypt, while improving ties between Egypt and the United States.
The exhibit, which has already been staged in Germany and Switzerland, will make its U.S. debut at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on June 16 and run through Nov. 15.
The exhibition will travel to the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. in December 2005, Chicago's Field Museum in May 2006 and a fourth museum yet to be identified. It will then head to London's Dome of the Millennium. Hawass said negotiations are underway with Japan to show the exhibit.
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