This stunning exhibition focuses on the age of Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep II and the sensational discovery of his tomb, with a life-size reconstruction of his burial chamber unearthed in the Valley of the Kings. The colourful decorations evoke the journey taken by the sun god and the deceased pharaoh reborn in the afterlife, while Items from the original documentation of the excavation placed around the burial chamber allow a glimpse into the most exciting moments of Victor Loret's discovery in 1898. Amenhotep II ruled Egypt in the last decades of the 15th century BC, about 3,400 years ago. His father, the legendary Thutmose III, undertook successful military campaigns that saw Egypt’s political influence and commercial domination spread from Nubia to the Euphrates. Amenhotep II ruled this vast empire, creating a long period of peace and stability in Egypt. The pharaoh was known for his great physical skills, particularly horse riding. He was buried in one of the royal tombs carved into the rock in the Valley of the Kings, on the west bank of the Nile at Thebes. The discovery of the tomb was a sensation as the pharaoh’s mummy – unlike those in other royal tombs at Thebes – was found in the burial chamber, in a sarcophagus made for him. Besides the tomb, statues of deities, inscribed vessels and amulets were also unearthed.
