The west coast premiere of Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt, featuring the largest collection of its kind ever assembled, was a historic and enlightening exhibit. More than 150 priceless artifacts illuminating the life of Cleopatra VII, one of the most provocative and powerful women in history, including colossal statues, jewelry, coins, and handwritten notes from her lost palace in Alexandria are on display at the California Science Center.
The story of her life and time unfolds in a dramatic setting with high definition multimedia and original soundscapes, including a complimentary audio tour, provided to you, making the exhibition a rich, multisensory experience. A 4-minute movie opens the exhibition. You are introduced to the parallel stories of Dr. Zahi Hawass and Franck Goddio, who are leading searches for Cleopatra VII from the sands of Egypt to the depths of the Mediterranean Sea.
As soon as the movie ends, you encounter a statue of a Ptolemaic queen, perhaps Cleopatra. You also begin your audio tour, provided to you as part of the exhibition experience and narrated by the “voice of Cleopatra,” who leads you through her life and times.
In this gallery, you are transported to the site of the ruins of ancient Alexandria, lost beneath the sea centuries ago. Here, Franck Goddio is leading an underwater excavation to recover artifacts from Cleopatra’s empire. Beneath the walkway, you can see amphora from the 5th Century B.C. along with other artifacts.
Cleopatra immerses you in the experience of two present-day searches, on both land and sea, for the elusive queen. The most dominant artifacts in this gallery space are two 16-foot tall colossal figures of a Ptolemaic king and queen from the Temple of Amon at Heracleion.
The artifacts weigh in at about 30 tons in total.
Upon exiting, you gaze upon a larger-than-life headless sculpture of a female body, dressed as the goddess Isis that represents a queen from the Ptolemaic period.
To enhance the your experience during the run of Cleopatra, the Science Center IMAX Theater will be featuring Mysteries of Egypt. The National Geographic film transports you to a distant time and place with spectacular imagery and a compelling story.
Beginning May 23, Mysteries of Egypt will show daily at 10:30 am, 1:30 and 3:30 pm, with additional shows Saturday and Sunday at 5:30 pm. Combo tickets for the exhibition and Mysteries of Egypt or any IMAX film are available.
The final gallery is devoted to images of Cleopatra through the years in art and popular culture. Artists have tried to capture the essence of Cleopatra in a multitude of art forms throughout history, from paintings to films. But so far, the real last queen of Egypt has eluded everyone.
WHAT: Cleopatra Exhibition
WHERE: California Science Center | 700 Exposition Park Drive | Los Angeles, CA 90037
WHEN: May 23 – December 31, 2012 | 10 am – 5 pm
CONTACT INFO: (232) 724-3623
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