“Everywhere the glint of gold,” said the legendary Egyptologist, Howard Carter, upon discovering the tomb of Tutankhamun. But you don’t have to travel all the way to the ancient Valley of the Kings to see this gilded burial chamber for yourself. Instead, unearth the pharaoh’s secrets right here in Birmingham, like I recently did.
The NEC is now home to an immersive, multi-media Tutankhamun exhibition (on until September)—using a mix of virtual reality, immersive storytelling, and authentic artefacts to tell The Boy King’s life story (and beyond). For anyone who grew up watching The Mummy series or studied Tutankhamun in primary school, this is for you!
What is the ‘Tutankhamun: The Immersive Exhibition’ like?
Pulling on my best Indiana Jones adventure outfit and becoming an over-excited archaeologist across a 2-hour experience, I leapt feet-first into a shimmering exhibition of awe-inspiring activities and thought-provoking information. I discovered everything from real artefacts from Ancient Egypt to an AI photobooth that transforms you into a pharaoh.
Equally exciting for all ages, ‘Tutankhamun: The Immersive Exhibition’ strikes a balance between entertainment and education: with in-depth info-boards, a VR voyage into the afterlife and a replica of King Tut’s iconic Golden Mask. As a bit of a history buff, I spent ages meticulously looking over Carter’s original sketches and Harry Burton’s beautiful photos from the tomb’s discovery in 1922.
What are the highlights?
If I could only pick out two moments from my visit, then they would’ve made the ‘Tutankhamun’ exhibition worth it alone. The first was a 30-minute, 360-degree, floor-to-ceiling, immersive projection, journeying from the origins of Egypt to the afterlife, via Tut’s tomb.
Lights flickering over faces, I was completely awestruck by the mind-melting graphics as I was enveloped by moving hieroglyphs and Howard Carter’s own voice describing Tut’s historical discovery. There’s something spectacular to see everywhere you turn your head—just don’t step on the lizards scurrying about!
While I didn’t think anything could top this experience, there was one thing near the end that totally surprised me. In a free-roaming ‘metaverse’ room, exploring the Valley of the Kings, I lit my own way around Tutankhamun’s tomb, looking at incredibly detailed engravings. I’ll be honest, it took me a minute to recover from this one, as it felt so real.
Final thoughts…
Home to 5,500 objects, mostly all made of gold, it takes a lot to match the wonder of the real-life tomb of Tutankhamun, but this immersive exhibition will light up your eyes from start to finish. Whether an amateur archaeologist after an informative introduction or just looking for electrifying entertainment in Birmingham, ‘Tutankhamun: The Immersive Exhibition’ can be enjoyed by all.
