The California Science Center announces Cleopatra. The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt, an exhibition on view from May 23, 2012. More than 150 priceless Egyptian artifacts illuminating the life of Cleopatra VII, one of the most provocative and powerful women in history, will be on view including colossal statues, jewelry, coins and items from her sunken palace in Alexandria and other ancient sites that were significant during her life as queen.
Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt immerses visitors in the experience of two present-day searches on land and sea for the elusive queen, which extend from the sands of Egypt to the depths of the Bay of Aboukir near Alexandria. The artifacts weigh in at about 30 tons in total, including two 16-foot granite statues of a Ptolemaic king and queen from the 4th – 3rd centuries B.C.
“We are thrilled to host the west coast premiere of this extraordinary exhibition,” said Jeffrey Rudolph, president and CEO of the California Science Center. “The exhibition will help our guests explore the science of archaeology and the process of recovering these artifacts which reveal new and fascinating details of Cleopatra’s life.”
The artifacts in Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt are woven into the story of her rule and life in ancient Egypt during the Ptolemaic period. After Egypt succumbed to Roman forces and Cleopatra famously took her own life following the suicide of her lover Mark Antony, the Romans attempted to wipe her legacy from the pages of history. Cleopatra has remained one of history’s most intriguing enigmas, and her final resting place is one of Egypt’s great unsolved mysteries. 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 every guest, making the exhibition a rich, multisensory experience.
The exhibition is organized by National Geographic and Arts & Exhibitions International, a division of AEG Live, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities and the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM).
California Science Center
700 Exposition Park Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90037
23-SCIENCE (323-724-3623)
www.californiasciencecenter.org