Thursday, June 16, 2005

Tut’s treasures to dazzle LA


    The golden treasures of Egyptian boy King Tutankhamon’s tomb are set to dazzle America for the first time in three decades with today’s Hollywood-style launch of a unique exhibition in Los Angeles.

    Tinsel town will collide with the land of legendary King Tut when the block buster exhibit "Tutankhamon and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" begins’ its 27-month US run at a gala in Los Angeles to be attended by a constellation of stars.

    The show, which boasts 130 funerary objects some of which have rarely or ever traveled out of Egypt before, opens its doors 26 years after the last US display of artifacts from Tutankhamon’s tomb ended in 1976.

    Organizers are hoping the show will become a phenomenon and break attendance records set by the 1976-79 show that gave birth to blockbuster exhibitions and haul in nearly 30 million dollars for Egypt’s government.

    "Since the discovery of his tomb in 1922, Tutankhamon has captured the hearts of people around the world," said Zahi Hawass, head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.

    "Now Tutankhamon is back in the United States, giving a new generation the chance to learn first-hand about the life and magic of this ancient monarch," he told the AFP.

    Today’s opening is expected to feature a flashbulb at red carpet parade that organizers hope will be attended by luminaries including the likes of California’s movie star governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

 
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