Thursday, June 03, 2010

Exhibiting Cleopatra

KYW Newsradio (Karin Phillips)

The Penn Museum is offering its own Egyptian experience as Philadelphia prepares to welcome the world premiere Cleopatra exhibit at the Franklin Institute.

Penn Museum is world renowned for its Egyptian archaeological expeditions and research and boasts artifacts from 5,000 years of Egyptian history. In honor of Cleopatra, Penn Museum has set up a new self-guided tour, Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.

Dr. David Silverman is the Penn Museum's Egyptian section curator in charge and the principal consulting curator of the Cleopatra exhibit opening on Saturday at the Franklin Institute.


PR Newswire


The world of Cleopatra VII, which has been lost to the sea and sand for nearly 2,000 years, will surface on June 5 when "Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt" opens its doors to the world for the first time at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia (through January 2, 2011). The new exhibition features nearly 150 artifacts from Cleopatra's time and takes visitors inside the present-day search for the elusive queen, which extends from the sands of Egypt to the depths of the Bay of Aboukir near Alexandria.

The exhibition is organized by National Geographic and Arts and Exhibitions International, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities and the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM). It features statuary, jewelry, daily items, coins and religious tokens that archaeologists have uncovered from the time surrounding Cleopatra's rule, all of which are visiting the U.S. for the first time. Also on display is an original papyrus document from Cleopatra's time containing an inscription that scientists believe was written in Cleopatra's own hand.

2 comments:

Joan Lansberry said...

They are saying it will go to five different American cities, but I can't find out which ones. I suppose they won't say, to encourage travel to Pennsylvania.

Andie said...

I just had a look around for you but there is nothing. The National Geographic's Tour Schedule for the exhibition basically says "watch this space". The space concerned, if you want to keep an eye on it, is at: http://events.nationalgeographic.com/events/cleopatra/tour/

Cheers
Andie