By Lubna Abdel-Aziz He may be dead for over 3000 years, but he is still king. Wherever he goes, his subjects of every race, colour and creed come in multitudes to kneel and pay their respect to the king. They are doing that in London right now, since November 15th, and will continue to do so for the next 9 months. An Egyptian delegation led by Mrs, Suzanne Mubarak, together with British officials led by Charles, Prince of Wales, inaugurated the new Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, at the Science Museum. The historic exhibit showcases 138 artefacts from the treasures of King Tut and his ancestors that have never before been displayed. It is predicted that this exhibit will surpass the hugely successful 1972 presentation of The Treasures of Tutankhamun which dazzled over one and a half million Brits. The splendours of King Tut are the most popular artefacts in the world. They have travelled far and wide, causing a sensation wherever they landed. The last exhibit which marched triumphantly from Britain, France, Germany, then crossed the Atlantic to Canada and the US, then crossed the Pacific to Japan, then to the USSR, was viewed by tens of millions, and the queues were reported to be miles long with anxious viewers waiting as long as 8 hours to marvel at the solid gold objects of the boy king. What is the secret of Tutankhamun? What is the secret of immortality? It cannot simply be great deeds, great wealth, or great power. Many have achieved those, yet died quietly to join the masses of the forgotten dead! Why is Cleopatra immortal? Could it just be the flaming love affair with Mark Anthony? Is it as fickle and mundane as glamour and intrigue? Is it as cheap as a titillating thrill or a scurrilous scandal? How valuable is the shock value? Why is Henry VIII remembered more than any British monarch? Certainly he changed history by defying the Pope, abolishing Catholicism, embracing Martin Luther, but is it the fact that he had six wives and killed off most of them, that is the element that captivates us rendering him more memorable? But Tutankhamun! Surely a boy king could have done nothing to bewitch us through the ages. Born in 1314 BC, he was only 8 when he ascended the throne. He died 11 years later, 1323 BC. There was little sensationalism in his life to warrant this degree of acclaim. The fact is, King Tut, as he is affectionately called, reached this degree of popularity only in the last century. His name had virtually faded into history until 85 years ago British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of the boy king, virtually intact. It was the best preserved tomb ever found in the Valley of the Kings. So well concealed and forgotten, the robbers never found the gold it contained. When Carter opened the tomb in 1932 there was gold, glittering gold, blinding, solid pure gold, everywhere. Were his coffin made of straw or steel, would it have caused the same sensation? The discovery and the gold received worldwide press coverage -- and the face of King Tut on his burial mask remains the most recognizable symbol of Egypt. The many tragic events that occurred following the discovery, only added to the lure and lore of the boy king, and to the glory and mystique of ancient Egypt -- this wondrous wonderland. Tales of a curse on the tomb had been circulating because of an alleged inscription, warning intruders of the wrath of the mummy. When Lord Carnarvon, Carter's financier died of pneumonia shortly after the discovery, the media went wild. When, at the exact moment of his death, the lights in Cairo went out, the whole world went wild. How astounding, how tantalizing, how beguiling, it was the curse of the Pharaohs! What else? King Tut wanted vengeance against those who violated his tomb. Howard Carter's canary was killed by a cobra -- was that vengeance enough? Howard Carter's dog howled and dropped dead at the very moment of Lord Carnarvon's death. - The curse would spare no one -- but Howard Carter himself, who enjoyed a full decade of productive years. Science has refuted all theories of a curse, but the belief persists because we want it to. It gives us a secret thrill, adding to the mysterious unfathomable enigma of the ancient Egyptians. Why Egypt? Why not Samaria, Mesopotamia, China? All are ancient civilizations, even older than Egypt. They prospered and excelled and left sizeable legacies. Could it be the massive quantity of intact, precious, fascinating artefacts that have hypnotized scholars, historians, archaeologists and tourists for thousands of years? Is it the volume, the precision, or the taste? Why do they transport a simple obelisk to adorn cities abroad? This tall slender needle reaching the sky, communicating with the heaven is found everywhere except in Egypt. There were massive quantities of artefacts of ancient Greece and Rome, why does Egypt steal their thunder? Add to all the above elements swaying palm trees, balmy Nile waters and sweet perfumes of the Orient and the combination becomes overpowering. You are helplessly swept away to far away desert sands beyond time and space. Do not underestimate the glitter of gold. Gold is the main ingredient behind the 18th century drive known as Egyptomania. When Napoleon came back from his Egyptian expedition late in the century, the mania spread like an epidemic. The world went gaga for all things Egyptian. They wanted Egyptian jewellery, furniture, pictures, statues, jars, lamps. Every conceivable article became Egyptian-looking. Egyptomania was unstoppable. The Greeks, led by the historian Herodotus, were the first to travel East and gape at a whole new world, so ancient, so mighty, so magical. Since then visitors keep coming to this land to be enriched by viewing first hand its breathtaking treasures. And they keep coming! Pop culture adopted Egypt as well, from the myriad "Curse of the Mummy" films, to innumerable cartoon characters, to comedian Steve Martin's "Toot Uncommons" song King Tut, to the Bangles Walk Like an Egyptian -- the list is endless. Is all this attention warranted? Definitely! Egypt has such indescribable and unparalleled wealth both ancient and modern within its shores, and when visitors cannot come to Egypt, Egypt goes to them. Like a magnet, a million pairs of eyes come out to gaze at the splendour of the ancients. As for immortality, that remains a mystery. Maybe the sphinx knows the secret, but will he tell? The Pharaoh who was in life one of the least esteemed of Egypt's kings, has become in death, the most renowned -- Jon Manchip White
