Collossus of Pharaoh Ahkenaton, Tutankhamun's father
The Colossus of King Tut is a statue I have never seen before. Rising ten feet above me and looming over the first section of the Pacific Science Center’s new exhibit, it evokes the gods of old, pharaohs who cause many people to consider Egypt travel at the top of their list of destinations. I am lucky – on my many spiritual trips to Egypt, I have seen the tomb of King Tut in the Valley of the Kings, and the incredible exhibit at the Cairo Museum as well. Yet this smaller traveling exhibit holds up well in comparison. Lacking some of the most important pieces (most notably, the iconic death mask that covered the king’s mummy) the dramatic lighting and music still conjure up the grandeur of Egypt’s Golden Age. The first half of the exhibit is of other pharaohs, and each Egypt travel piece is perfectly displayed. In addition to my favorites, those of Akhenaton and his family, which I have seen on my spiritual trips, they have an amazing basalt statue wearing a ram’s head wig, the colossus, and a faience and gold box intricately overlaid with the symbols of the pharaoh: the djed, the flail, and the ankh. They also have a beautiful death mask of priceless gold, but it pales in comparison with the boy king’s.
A solid gold leopard mask
The Tut tomb pieces are smaller than the ones in the Cairo Museum, but unless your future contains Egypt travel, you won’t be disappointed. His bed is here, along with a wonderful movie clip showing Howard Carter and his team removing it from the tomb. Spiritual trips into the afterlife were what these pharaohs prepared for, and we are the beneficiaries of these wonderful reliquaries, these storehouses of riches.
In the final room, photos have been etched onto the glass cabinets, showing, for example, a life-size image of Tut in his shroud wearing the same gold sandals and finger covers that are contained in the display case. It is easy to make the visual leap, to project yourself into Egypt travel and see Tut as he must have been when his sarcophagus was opened for the very first time. If you can get to Seattle and you desire a spiritual trip, this is a must-see event, the last stop for The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs on tour.
Spirit Quest Tours’ next trip is The Dawning: Egypt 2012 from December 9-23, 2012, including 12/12/12 and 12/21/12
Halle looking at one of Akhenaton's daughters