By AML Publisher
Photography courtesy of Courtney Apple Photography
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What did Cleopatra look like? After her death, the Roman emperor Octavian ordered all images of her destroyed. Of the countless images created of the queen during her lifetime, only a handful of coins and sculptures remain.
Main Liners can walk like an Egyptian with the world premiere of “Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt” at the Franklin Institute now through January 2, 2011.
The world of Cleopatra VII, which has been lost to the sea and sand for nearly 2,000 years, surfaced on June 5th when the incredible exhibit opened its doors to the world for the first time. The new exhibition features nearly 150 artifacts from Cleopatra’s time and takes visitors inside the present-day search for the elusive queen, which extends from the sands of Egypt to the depths of the Bay of Aboukir near Alexandria. The exhibition is organized by National Geographic and Arts and Exhibitions International, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities and the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM). It features statuary, jewelry, daily items, coins and religious tokens that archaeologists have uncovered from the time surrounding Cleopatra’s rule, all of which are visiting the U.S. for the first time.

Naos of the Decades (387-361 B.C.) This naos-the inner shrine that held the temple god-may be the world’s first astrological chart. The year is divided into 36 decades, or 10-day periods. It is the first U.S. tour of artifacts from two ongoing searches into the life and times of Egypt’s legendary Queen.
Also on display is an original papyrus document from Cleopatra’s time containing an inscription that scientists believe was written in Cleopatra’s own hand. After Egypt succumbed to Roman forces and Cleopatra famously took her own life following the suicide of her lover Mark Antony, the Romans attempted to wipe her legacy from the pages of history. Cleopatra thus has remained one of history’s greatest enigmas, and her final resting place is one of Egypt’s unsolved mysteries. The story of her life and time unfolds in a dramatic setting with high-definition multimedia, original soundscapes and a mobile-based social media experience. Additionally each guest receives an audio tour with admission that provides a rich background to the featured artifacts.
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