Cleopatra Exhibit Fascinates and Informs

by Colette Connolly

Perhaps it’s their ancient hieroglyphs, their skill as expert craftsmen, or the sheer magnitude of the country’s pyramids and temples. Whatever the reason, Egypt has been a fascinating subject for years. It’s not surprising then that the Franklin Institute’s exhibit “Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt” has been a popular attraction these past few months at this Philadelphia museum.

Not wanting to miss out on the attraction and anxious to see the exhibit before it closes Jan. 2nd, my family and I journeyed from New York eager to learn more about the Egyptian queen who was celebrated for her beauty and political acumen.

The exhibit, sponsored by National Geographic and Arts and Exhibitions, in cooperation with the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities and the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology, is the complete story of Cleopatra VII’s life, from her days as a young queen ruling a tumultuous country threatened by the Roman Empire to the final hours before her suicide.

It is also about the search for Cleopatra’s body, which many experts believe is close to the Temple of Taposiris Magna, about 30 miles west of Alexandria.

Franck Goddio, a French underwater archaeologist, has spent the past few years exploring the Bay of Aboukir, near Alexandria, where Cleopatra’s treasures and monuments once stood, and which were lost after a series of earthquakes and tidal waves destroyed the cities of Canopus and Heracleion.

Equipped with special audio devices, visitors are asked to listen to Cleopatra’s story narrated by the “voice of Cleopatra” as they navigate the 16 or so stations in the exhibit. After walking across a glass-paneled floor that simulates the seabed and some of Goddio’s discoveries, we began our journey.

We discovered how the young princess took over the country from her father, Ptolemy XII, and about her marriage to her two younger brothers and her love affairs with Rome’s two most powerful leaders, Julius Caesar (with whom she had a son, Caesarian), and Mark Anthony, with whom she had twins, Cleopatra Selene II, and Alexander Helios, and another child, Ptolemy Philadelphus.     

The exhibit gave us a real sense for Egyptian society during Cleopatra’s reign, the opulence of the country’s upper classes together with the extravagant objects and surroundings she lived in. It described Cleopatra’s time spent in Canopus, where she went to play and to pray, and in Heracleion, the gateway to Egypt. Canopus was a religious center as well as a decadent playground for Alexandrians, comparable to our modern-day Las Vegas.

As we moved through the exhibit, perhaps the most striking artifacts of all were the two 16-foot-tall figures of a Ptolemaic king and queen from the Temple of Amon at Heracleion.

Our journey through Alexandria gave us a unique glimpse into what was once considered the richest, most renowned and most cosmopolitan metropolis of the ancient world. It was there that Cleopatra built her sumptuous palace, and it is in this section that we viewed the statue of the high priest of Isis and a sphinx with a head that represents Cleopatra’s father, both of which were housed in her private temple. The massive stone head of Caesarion, Cleopatra’s son, is also on view here.  

In addition to her political prowess, Cleopatra was also a highly educated woman. She spoke several languages, including Egyptian, Greek, Ethiopian, Aramaic, and Hebrew, as well as being well versed in mathematics, literature, astronomy, and medicine. All of this, we learned, helped Cleopatra operate as a shrewd leader as she sought control of both Rome and Egypt.

While it’s impossible to know what Cleopatra actually looked like (a gold coin with her image on it depicts an unattractive version of the Egyptian queen), we were satisfied in believing that it was her beauty, not her political savvy that wooed so many.

Seeing the many artifacts uncovered by the archaeologists is a treat in itself. The bronze statuettes, and the gold pendants, earrings, rings, and bracelets that she most likely wore during her lifetime were all carefully recovered and brought back to their original splendor. Toward the end of the exhibit, and in the last gallery where visitors are transported back in time to the site of Cleopatra’s suicide, we felt a both sense of loss for a life cut too short and a sense of satisfaction in knowing that Hollywood’s version of Cleopatra is far from the real truth.

The exhibit’s next stop is the Cincinnati Museum Center, where it opens Feb. 18. Exhibits in three additional cities are planned, but have not yet been released.

If you go:

Admission to the exhibit is as follows: $26.50, adults; $19.50, children (ages 4-11); $24.50, seniors (over 62+). The Franklin Institute contains several permanent exhibits including Electricity, which showcases Benjamin Franklin’s discovery of electricity and its use in the modern world; Changing Earth, which focuses on the powerful forces of air, water and land and their affect upon the earth; The Franklin Air show, which includes a U.S. Air Force jet trainer; and Sir Isaac’s Loft, where visitors can blend art and science to make their own masterpieces, among other exciting exhibits for children. For more information, visit www.fi.edu.

Where to stay:

There are a number of hotels in Philadelphia, including the Sheraton Society Hill, located in one of Philadelphia’s most historic sections.  Upcoming offers include a New Year’s Eve overnight package that includes buffet breakfast for two, a bottle of wine and box of chocolates, 2 p.m. late check-out, all for $199. For more offers, visit www.sheratonsocietyhillhotel.com.

For more information on fun activities for the whole family in Philadelphia, visit the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. at www.visitphilly.com.

Some photos courtesy of National Geographic.

Colette Connolly is a freelance travel writer based in New York City.