Sunken cities
Egypt’s lost
worlds
19 May – 27 November 2016
Supported by BP ![BP logo]( "BP logo")
Organised with the Hilti Foundation and
the Institut Européen d’Archéologie Sous-Marine
the Institut Européen d’Archéologie Sous-Marine
Submerged under the sea for over a thousand years,
two lost cities of ancient Egypt
were
recently rediscovered. Their story is told for the first time
in this blockbuster exhibition.
★★★★★
‘spectacular… a show to move you to tears of wonder’
The Times
‘spectacular… a show to move you to tears of wonder’
The Times
★★★★★
‘marvellous… as well as elegantly beautiful’
The Evening Standard
‘marvellous… as well as elegantly beautiful’
The Evening Standard
★★★★
‘magnificent… a superb exhibition’
The Telegraph
‘magnificent… a superb exhibition’
The Telegraph
Vanished beneath the waters of the Mediterranean, the lost cities of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus lay at the mouth of the Nile. Named after the Greek hero Heracles, Thonis-Heracleion was one of Egypt’s most important commercial centres for trade with the Mediterranean world and, with Canopus, was a major centre for the worship of the Egyptian gods. Their amazing discovery is transforming our understanding of the deep connections between the great ancient civilisations of Egypt and Greece.
More about the exhibition
Opening times
19 May – 27 November 2016
Last entry 80 minutes before closing
Full opening times
Last entry 80 minutes before closing
Full opening times
Getting here
Room 30, British Museum,
Great Russell Street, London,
WC1B 3DG
Great Russell Street, London,
WC1B 3DG
Group visits
Special group rates available
Bookings +44 (0)20 7323 8181tickets@britishmuseum.org
Bookings +44 (0)20 7323 8181tickets@britishmuseum.org
Spectacular underwater finds
The breathtaking objects tell stories of political power and popular belief, myth and migration, gods and kings.
A diver shows a marble statue of Osiris. Canopus, Egypt, 1st–2nd century AD. Photo: Christoph Gerigk. © Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation.
Stela commissioned by Nectanebo I (r. 378–362 BC), Thonis-Heracleion, Egypt, 380 BC. Photo: Christoph Gerigk. © Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation.
Colossal statue of the god Hapy. Thonis-Heracleion, Egypt, 4th century BC. Maritime Museum, Alexandria. Photo: Christoph Gerigk. © Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation.
An archaeologist diver using a brush to clear fauna discovered under 2.5cm of sand at Canopus, Egypt. Photo: Christoph Gerigk. © Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation.
Stela from Thonis-Heracleion, Egypt, 380 BC. Photo: Christoph Gerigk. © Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation.
The ruins of Canopus were discovered in Aboukir Bay, 2km east of the western fringe of the Nile Delta. Photo: Christoph Gerigk. © Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation.
Pink granite garden vat. Thonis-Heracleion, Egypt, Ptolemaic Period, 4th–2nd century BC. Photo: Christoph Gerigk. ©
Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
Photos: Christoph Gerigk. © Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation.
22 MAY 2016 | ART & PHOTOGRAPHY, MUSEUMS & GALLERIES | BY: TABISH KHAN
Treasures From Sunken Cities At The British Museum, Reviewed
Over 1,200 years ago, two cities sunk into the Nile Delta. Now, thanks to a remarkable underwater excavation, we have the chance to get up close with some remarkable artefacts.
It's astonishing how well preserved these items are. The exhibition opens with a stunning 5m tall statue of the river god Hapi and it doesn't let up from there. The fact that a tablet with a royal decree can still be clearly read today is remarkable.
Each item includes a picture of it in situ on the sea bed, with divers next to it. It's a nice touch and brings home the message of how impressive this excavation is.
The underwater recovery is only 5% complete so we can't wait to what else it uncovers. To complement the recovered items we have objects from other collections to fill out the narrative and they blend in seamlessly.
Colossal statues, reliefs and a mummified ibis are some of the highlights on display.
We also witness the story of these two sunken cities and how they were places where Greek and Egyptian culture intertwined, so much so that Greek versions of Egyptian gods were added to the religious sphere.
This is a must see exhibition with breathtaking artefacts from a remarkable discovery.
http://londonist.com/2016/05/treasures-from-sunken-cities-at-the-british-museum-reviewed