Immersive King Tut exhibit in Detroit tells world's oldest illustrated story

Metro Detroit residents and visitors can travel back in time to the land of the pharaohs with the Immersive King Tut exhibition, which opened Friday at Lighthouse ArtSpace Detroit, 311 E. Grand River Ave.

The event marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of famed Egyptian ruler Tutankhamun’s tomb by archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922. The boy king reigned circa 1332–1323 B.C., starting at about age 9. His brief time on the throne drove the creation of some of world history’s most important artworks and is considered by many to be the pinnacle of ancient Egypt’s culture.

Carter’s discovery of his tomb was revolutionary in what it revealed about Tutankhamun’s society and how it advanced the process of archaeological discovery, sparking a global fascination with ancient Egypt. Over 5,000 artifacts, removed from the pharaoh’s tomb, remain preserved in Egypt’s national collection.

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“Since the discovery of his tomb a century ago, Tutankhamun — or King Tut — has transfixed the world,” said Corey Ross, producer of Immersive King Tut. “Over the past 100 years, the magnificent artifacts from his tomb have drawn millions of visitors eager to see the grandeur and splendor of Egypt’s most famous leader. This captivating experience will use sight and sound to transport visitors more than 3,000 years into the past in a groundbreaking way that only Lighthouse Immersive can.”

Toronto-based Lighthouse Immersive has drawn thousands of visitors to its downtown Detroit space over the last year with exhibits like Immersive Van Gogh and Immersive Klimt. For Immersive King Tut, it teamed with United Exhibits Group, the International Foundation of Fine and Decorative Arts and the Egyptian Council for Tourism Affairs.

Visual projections with music and narration tell the story of the Amduat, an historic Egyptian funerary text that was depicted on the tombs of pharaohs, believed to be the world’s oldest known illustrated story.

The new exhibit is presented with the assistance of the Egyptian Council for Tourism Affairs.

“Immersive King Tut highlights one of the most important elements of ancient Egyptian civilization, which is the journey of the deceased during the 12 hours of the night undertaken by the most famous kings of ancient Egypt, Tutankhamun,” said Dr. Hazem Attiatalla, Egyptian Council for Tourism Affairs.

The exhibition is currently on display through Jan. 2, 2023.

“With this program, for the first time, we’re moving beyond the men and women who have created some of the world’s most prized treasures into a world where the world’s most prized treasures were created to honor one man,” said Svetlana Dvoretsky, producer of Immersive King Tut.

Tickets start at $29.99 and are available at immersive-kingtut.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Immersive King Tut exhibit in Detroit tells oldest illustrated story