Egypt in Mexico City

Along the Paseo de la Reforma is a large tent-like structure which has stood there since shortly before the pandemic.  It has been the locale for various "immersive experience" exhibitions.  The first one was about Vincent Van Gogh.  The current exhibit, which is sponsored by National Geographic, is called "Beyond Tutankhamun".  It opened in January and will close at the end of this month.  Last week Alejandro and I finally got around to seeing it.  We went on a weekday since the crowds are less, advanced tickets are not required, and the price is lower.

A photo-op at the entrance to the show

  

You pass through a series of passages and rooms with photos and replicas of artefacts telling the story of King Tut, the discovery of his tomb in 1922, and the treasures found within the tomb.

A replica of the king's sarcophagus 

A replica of the throne found in the tomb

The back of the throne shows Tutankhamun and his wife and half-sister Ankhesenamun

 One of the alabaster canopic jars in which the organs of the king were placed after his death

The famous funerary mask of King Tut

The sandals with images of Egypt's African and Asian enemies

A scarab necklace

The boat which would carry the king's soul to the afterlife

Finally, there is a large room in which images are projected on the walls.  The narration tells of the burial of the young king, who died at the age of eighteen, and the arduous journey and tests which, according to the Egyptian religion, his soul would have to take in order to achieve immortality.

His heart is weighed on a scale, and it must be lighter than a feather.

Having passed all the tests, he achieves immortality.

The exhibit was good, but the best of the "immersive experiences" that we have seen is still the original Vincent Van Gogh show.  I thought that the admission price of 600 pesos (around 35 U.S. dollars) was excessive.  Unfortunately, the exhibit was not prepared for the current heat wave.  There was no air conditioning or even fans inside.  We can imagine how stifling it would have been on a weekend when there are more people.