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Apr. 24--Lines wound around the block as the Museum of Art in downtown Fort Lauderdale offered its last showing of the exhibit Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs on Sunday.
The record-breaking exhibit, which opened Dec. 15, included 50 artifacts from the famous pharaoh's tomb, including his royal diadem and one of the inlaid coffinettes that contained his mummified internal organs.
Another 80 objects from other tombs and temples in Egypt's Valley of the Kings were part of the display.
The exhibit drew about 5,000 to 8,000 visitors a day. It was the museum's most popular to date.
"We had people coming from all over the world," said receptionist Daphnee Philias. She waited until Sunday to finally view the artifacts.
"I said I'm not going to let it go without seeing it," she said.
Regular visitors had until 9 p.m. to visit the museum. Lines circled the building under a sweltering sun in the late afternoon.
"Today it was really crazy," Philias said. "Hopefully, everyone will get in."
The undisturbed tomb of Tutankhamun, who ruled Egypt more than 3,000 years ago, was discovered in 1922.
The traveling exhibit was organized by National Geographic, AEG Exhibitions, and Arts and Exhibitions International, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. Northern Trust sponsored the event.
Tickets sold for $14 to $30 in Fort Lauderdale. Revenue generated from the world tour will go toward preserving Egypt's ancient treasures and the building of a new Grand Museum in Cairo.
Museum administrators described the exhibit as a chance to "see and hear about the fascinating times in which the young king lived and learn how his short reign changed history."
Ruth Morris can be reached at rmorris@sun-sentinel.com or 305-810-5012.
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