franck goddio

New Exhibit Explores Cleopatra's Lost Kingdom

Filed under: Art

"Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt," a new exhibition at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, is a crash-course on Egypt at the time of Cleopatra. More than just a show of artifacts and stunning statues, it is also a tribute to one of the most ambitious underwater expeditions ever taken. This highly dramatic show where you see statues being lifted from the sea on videos and then see them in front of you in amazingly pristine condition even after being buried for centuries in the murky waters of the Mediterranean is a winner. Your visit starts out with a brief film about the life of Cleopatra where you learn that she was one smart woman, highly educated, a linguist, a diplomat, and even a naval commander. In the galleries, an audioguide narrated by an actress portraying Cleopatra leads you through the various stages of her life (69-30BC) and death. Her suicide was probably brought on by fear of what the Romans would do to her after the death of Mark Antony (her lover after Julius Caesar was murdered) and their join defeat at the Battle of Actium.

Tags: Cleopatra, franck goddio, franklin institute, Hellenistic Egypt, museum, Philadelphia, underwater archaeology