It is a historical event. The exhibition "Tutankhamun, the treasure of the pharaoh" which took place at the Grande Halle of La Villette in Paris broke the record of visits to the Petit Palais in 1967, which had also hosted an exhibition on the famous pharaoh. It becomes the most visited exhibition in the history of France.
At the Petit Palais, in 1967, the exhibition on Tutankhamun attracted 1, 240,975 visitors. More than fifty years later, the one presented in Paris this year has 1,371,476 admissions, more than 130,000 more visitors than in 1967. And, the exhibition is not over yet: it must end on 22 September.
A passion for ancient Egypt
Thierry Vincenti, Managing Director of IMG France, who organizes the exhibition, did not expect such success. "It is a great joy to be able to welcome so many people and to be able to produce such an exceptional success, I think there is a real French passion for ancient Egypt and the history of Tutankhamun," he says. .
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If at the Grande Halle of La Villette, the golden mask that had fascinated the public in 1967 is absent, three times more original objects of the tomb of the young pharaoh are presented, including fifty that had never left the 'Egypt. "I think we had the chance to present a wealth, quality and exceptional pieces of the Cairo Museum some of which had never been released," says Thierry Vicenti, who, to explain the success of the exhibition, emphasizes the exclusivity of the pieces presented. "There may also be the idea that the pieces will definitely return to the great Egyptian museum on the Giza plateau facing the pyramids, so this may be the last chance to see them during an exhibition."