The world of Cleopatra VII, which has been lost to the sea and sand for nearly 2,000 years, will surface at Cincinnati Museum Center on February 18, 2011 with Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt. Tickets for the exhibition go on sale today. On view through September 5, 2011, the exhibition features nearly 150 artifacts from Cleopatra’s time and will take you 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. An original papyrus document from Cleopatra’s time containing an inscription that scientists believe was written in Cleopatra’s own hand will also be on display.
You’ll be able to follow the modern-day parallel stories of two ongoing expeditions being lead in Egypt by Dr. Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s pre-eminent archaeologist and secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, and Franck Goddio, French underwater archaeologist and director of IEASM. Goddio’s search has resulted in one of the most ambitious underwater expeditions ever undertaken, which has uncovered Cleopatra’s royal palace and the two ancient cities of Canopus and Heracleion, which until 10 years ago had been lost beneath the sea after a series of earthquakes and tidal waves nearly 2,000 years ago.
On land, Hawass and a team of archaeologists are searching for the tomb of the ill-fated lovers Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Never-before-seen artifacts referencing Cleopatra, excavated by Hawass’ team at the temple of Taposiris Magna, about 30 miles west of Alexandria, are featured.
The exhibition also showcases artifacts from Franck Goddio’s continuing underwater search off the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, begun in 1992 and sponsored by the Hilti Foundation. Goddio’s remarkable finds bring you inside his search for the lost world of Cleopatra, including remnants from the grand palace where she ruled. See underwater footage and photos of Goddio’s team retrieving artifacts from the ocean and bringing them to the surface for the first time in centuries!
TICKET INFORMATION
Individual tickets for Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt range from $23 to $14, which includes an audio tour. Tickets are timed and dated, and admission is 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays (last entry at 5pm), 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays (last entry at 9 p.m.), 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sundays (last entry at 6 p.m.). There are discounts available for groups of 15 or more and for Museum Center Members. Due to high ticket demand, advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended. Information and tickets are available at (513) 287-7001 or toll free at (800) 733-2077, www.cincymuseum.org