We are just one week away from King Tuts stop at theArt Gallery of Ontario, in Toronto Canada.
The Canadian exhibition will feature artefacts from the Tutankhamuns reign including the largest statue of King Tut ever found. The exhibit aims to go beyond Tut andgive viewers a lookat what Egypt was like during the Amarna period.
On November 20, Heritage Key will be at at the media preview of the King Tut exhibit. We will be publishing a fullwrite-up before it opens on November 24.
In conjunction with the Tut exhibit, the art gallery will be holding a lecture series that will add some context to the show. The highlight of the lecture series is Zahi Hawass!
The famous Egyptologist will speak at Convocation Hall, a domed amphitheatre at the University of Toronto, on Saturday March 6, from 7 pm to 8:30 pm.
The art gallery said in a press release:
Dr. Hawass will discuss CT-scans of Tutankhamun’s mummy that were obtained as part of the landmark Egyptian research and conservation project, partially funded by National Geographic. Dr. Hawass will also discuss the ongoing search for the mummy of Queen Nefertiti, and the discovery of KV63, the chamber recently found in the Valley of the Kings. Dr. Hawass will reveal new secrets discovered at the pyramids and detail his search for the tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Antony.
Info on how to get your tickets for this talk will be posted soon, according to Dr. Hawass’ website.
Seeing Tut and Dr. Hawass
This will be a good opportunity to see Dr. Hawass outside of Egypt. Convocation Hall is huge (more than 1,000 seats) so you should have a decent shot at getting tickets when they go on sale. Speaking of tickets you would be well advised to buypasses for King Tut, ahead of time,on the gallery’s website. Lines can get very long when these blockbusters hit Toronto.
In addition to the Dr. Hawass lecture, the art gallery will have talks by several local Egyptologists. All of these lectures are taking place at Jackman Hall inside the art gallery, and include the following:
Tutankhamun in context
Wednesday, January 27, 7:00 8:30 pm
Katja Goebs: The Golden King
Wednesday, February 10, 7:00 8:30 pm
Ronald J. Leprohon: Tutankhamunss Restoration
Wednesday, February 17, 7:00 8:30 pm
Gayle Gibson: Tutankhamun: A Body of Evidence
Wednesday, February 24, 7:00 8:30 pm
Roberta Shaw: Glamour and Vogue in Ancient Egypt
Wednesday, March 3, 7:00 8:30 pm
Zahi Hawass: Mysteries of Tutankhamun Revealed
Saturday, March 6, 7:00 8:30 pm
Visit the Art Gallery of Ontario website for ticket info.
Get Your Coat
For those interested in travelling overseas to see Tut or Dr.Hawassyou should note that Toronto is a relatively cheap travel option. The Euro and British Pound both trade at a premium on the Canadian dollar and even the US greenback is worth a little more than the loonie.
Also, be sure to bring a winter coat and be prepared for airport delays Torontos winter weather is not like Egypt!
For those who cant come, King Tut Virtual offers a winter-free way to check out the boy king and Keith Paynes interview with Dr. Hawassis quite an informative chat.
Also, just a week ago Toronto hosted a three day Egyptology conference. Among the presentations were discoveries at the pyramid of Seila, The reuniting of a Toronto mummy with her Chicago hubby and new information on an Amarna fortress in the Sinai Desert.