Ramses The Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs to begin tour at Houston Museum of Natural Science
Cityneon Holdings, a global experience entertainment company, will be touring Ramses The Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs around the world, beginning at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Texas, USA. This is the largest collection of Ramses II original artefacts from Ancient Egypt to have the approval to be exhibited outside the country in 32 years.
The exhibition includes 183 rare items and explores the reign of Ramses II. Also known as Ramses the Great, this Pharaoh ruled for 66 years and amassed one of the largest and richest burial chambers in ancient Egyptian history.
In December 2020, the exhibition was approved by the Egyptian Cabinet and Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. After debuting at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences, Ramses The Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs will also be shown in four other major cities.
Millions of visitors expected worldwide
The exhibition is likely to be highly successful, given the popularity of previous Ancient Egypt showcases. For instance, the 1986 touring exhibition on Ramses II sold a record-breaking 5 million tickets, and 2019’s Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh broke the French visitor record when it welcomed 1,5 million guests in Paris.
Egyptian expert Gamal El-Din Mokhtar said that the Ramses II exhibition had exceeded the experience from the Tutankhamen exhibition by being “more exemplary archaeologically, historically and culturally than the treasures of Tutankhamen”.
Ramses The Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs includes the first virtual walkthrough experience of Ramses II’s temples. There will also be an accompanying full-length documentary, exploring his tomb.
Ron Tan, Executive Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer of Cityneon, says, “The priceless artefacts in our care, as well as being given exclusive access to Ramses’ tomb allow Cityneon to stage an authentic and exhilarating recount of his life. This is the first time after 32 long years that people of the world will have a chance to get up close to the life of the greatest pharaoh of all times.
“From the record-breaking sales of about 5 million tickets from the Ramses II exhibition in 1986 to the recently achieved visitorship for the King Tutankhamen exhibition in Paris in 2019, we are confident that Ramses The Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs will be another record-breaking feat.”
Showcasing authentic artefacts
“Cityneon is thankful to work with partners as established as the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the World Heritage Exhibitions, and we are also honoured to have the support of the Egyptian government. I am very excited for the Cityneon team to showcase these remarkable pieces of artefacts to the world,” adds Tan.
Joel A. Bartsch, President and Chief Executive Officer at Houston Museum of Natural Science, says the museum is honoured to be launching the exhibition with Cityneon and World Heritage Exhibitions:
“All three teams have great track records and we are confident that the 183 pieces of Egyptian artefacts will captivate visitors from around the world. We look forward to hosting visitors from Houston, the nation and beyond at this historical, educational and immersive exhibition.”
Anthony Tann, President of World Heritage Exhibitions, says, “We are extremely honoured to partner Cityneon for yet another artefacts exhibition. I am confident Cityneon will bring their incomparable expertise to the table and bring alive the treasures of Ramses II to cities across the world, welcoming the many millions of visitors globally.”
Cityneon’s experienced team is well placed to handle these treasures as the exhibition tours the world. The group is now one of the world’s largest experience entertainment companies and is continuing to grow despite the challenges posed by COVID-19.
Last year, Cityneon Holdings also announced that it will be bringing Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru, a historical artefacts IP exhibition, to the world in 2021.