Egypt - Tutankhamun Replica Special The Travel Show


Egypt - Tutankhamun Replica Special

Similar Content

Browse content similar to Egypt - Tutankhamun Replica Special. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

It is arguably the world's most famous antiquity,

0:00:020:00:04

but it's now in critical condition, and in order to save it

0:00:040:00:07

from complete collapse, a state-of-the-art replica

0:00:070:00:10

of Tutankhamen's tomb has been painstakingly created.

0:00:100:00:13

After 3,000 years undisturbed, a mere nine decades of mass tourism

0:00:170:00:22

has taken its toll on the boy king's final resting place.

0:00:220:00:26

After unsuccessful restoration attempts,

0:00:330:00:36

installing a replica is accepted by most experts as the only solution.

0:00:360:00:40

Unless something is done -

0:00:400:00:42

and the facsimile is part of that something -

0:00:420:00:45

there will be more collapses.

0:00:450:00:46

The Travel Show has exclusive access

0:00:460:00:49

to the key players in this epic drama.

0:00:490:00:52

Will limiting access to the original tomb

0:00:520:00:55

and opening a replica be another nail in the coffin

0:00:550:00:58

for Egyptian tourism, or will it be instrumental in securing its future?

0:00:580:01:03

Luxor in Egypt - one of the most legendary sites in ancient history.

0:01:400:01:46

It's said a third of the world's antiquities

0:01:470:01:50

are to be found in this region.

0:01:500:01:52

And just outside the city, the Valley of the Kings.

0:01:570:02:00

A huge underground acropolis, where the archaeologist Howard Carter

0:02:000:02:04

spent five years hunting for elusive buried treasures.

0:02:040:02:08

And just as he was about to give up, he struck lucky.

0:02:100:02:13

It's such a compelling story of discovery, of mystery, of magic.

0:02:200:02:26

In 1922, Carter stumbled on a set of steps, and into the tomb

0:02:290:02:34

of a 19-year-old king who'd been forgotten by history.

0:02:340:02:38

The tomb itself doesn't compare to others in Luxor,

0:02:410:02:44

which are much larger and intricately painted.

0:02:440:02:47

But it had one major advantage - it was intact.

0:02:470:02:51

It shows the entrance of the Karnak Temple.

0:03:250:03:28

'These are the original plate-glass photographs

0:03:300:03:32

'of Tutankhamen's treasures, taken by this shop owner's grandfather.'

0:03:320:03:37

'The discovery of the tomb spawned a mini industry,

0:03:450:03:48

'and kick-started cultural tourism to Egypt.'

0:03:480:03:51

For more than 3,000 years, this tomb survived intact,

0:04:220:04:25

in almost pristine condition,

0:04:250:04:28

but after only nine decades of tourism,

0:04:280:04:30

with up to 1,000 visitors trooping in here every day,

0:04:300:04:34

well, the conditions deteriorated dramatically.

0:04:340:04:37

And the main reason for that was this...

0:04:370:04:40

..human breath.

0:04:410:04:43

Over the years, since Carter opened the tomb up,

0:04:430:04:46

the constant changes of humidity, the changes in moisture levels,

0:04:460:04:52

the airborne pollutants that come in with the people,

0:04:520:04:55

have an effect on the tomb.

0:04:550:04:57

Urgent action was needed.

0:05:220:05:25

Previous attempts at conservation had only made the problem worse,

0:05:250:05:28

which left one previously unthinkable option,

0:05:280:05:31

and arguably commercial suicide for Luxor -

0:05:310:05:34

closing Tutankhamen's tomb to the public.

0:05:340:05:38

But there was one potential way of taking the heat off the tomb -

0:05:430:05:47

to create a facsimile, a copy.

0:05:470:05:50

A technical artist was asked to work on the idea.

0:05:500:05:54

We began by deciding that the way to record the tombs three-dimensionally

0:05:540:06:00

was to use a laser scanning system.

0:06:000:06:02

It was a complex job.

0:06:070:06:10

Adam's digital conservation company, Factum Arte,

0:06:100:06:13

set to work recording the tomb, taking into account colour,

0:06:130:06:17

tone, texture, relief, sheen and quality.

0:06:170:06:20

For every square metre, 100 million bits of data were recorded.

0:06:220:06:27

The aim - to create a replica

0:06:270:06:28

that, to the naked eye, would be identical to the original.

0:06:280:06:32

The aim is to capture every speck of sand

0:06:320:06:35

and every crack in the paint on the surface of the walls.

0:06:350:06:39

The team completed the replica and aimed to install it in 2011,

0:06:410:06:45

but then political events in Egypt began to take over,

0:06:450:06:48

and progress was halted.

0:06:480:06:50

The revolution against President Mubarak

0:06:590:07:01

had a huge impact on tourism in the country.

0:07:010:07:04

And the facsimile project dropped off the radar.

0:07:050:07:07

SHOUTING

0:07:090:07:10

Further instability and mass protests,

0:07:110:07:14

which led to the ousting of the new president, Morsi,

0:07:140:07:17

resulted in government lockdown...

0:07:170:07:19

..and the replica was left in a basement in Cairo.

0:07:210:07:24

But now the replica is finally on its way to Luxor.

0:07:450:07:49

The first job, to get it out of storage.

0:07:490:07:52

Moving the heavy and very fragile boxes is a tricky operation.

0:07:590:08:04

Hopefully still intact, the new tomb is on its way.

0:08:120:08:16

Thousands of years ago, limestone, granite and gold

0:08:260:08:28

were taken down the River Nile

0:08:280:08:31

in order to build the tombs and temples of Luxor -

0:08:310:08:35

the very same route used to transport the replica.

0:08:350:08:39

FANFARE PLAYS

0:08:470:08:50

This fanfare for the arrival of the boxes, and these people have

0:08:540:08:57

good reason to hope that the replica will mean more tourism for Luxor.

0:08:570:09:01

Because the impact of the country's instability is plain to see here.

0:09:070:09:12

Once 10,000 tourists arrived every day. No longer.

0:09:120:09:16

Hotel occupancy has dropped by more than 95%.

0:09:160:09:20

Before 2011, this market would be bustling with tourists.

0:09:260:09:31

Now there is not one.

0:09:310:09:33

Walking around this souk,

0:09:350:09:37

you can really feel the desperation in the air.

0:09:370:09:40

Most of these market traders are making next to nothing every day.

0:09:400:09:44

You walk into one of these shops

0:09:440:09:45

and they'll only then turn the lights on, in order to save money.

0:09:450:09:50

It's heartbreaking.

0:09:500:09:51

Egypt without tourism is dead place. As you see yourself.

0:09:560:10:00

Temples empty, market is empty, most of the place empty. Hotels empty.

0:10:000:10:04

Every part is empty.

0:10:040:10:06

'Those who are in work are having to support whole families.

0:10:090:10:13

'Saeed is 16 and has a job at a hotel, caring for its camels.'

0:10:130:10:18

Many of your friends, are they now not working?

0:10:290:10:34

What are they doing these days?

0:10:340:10:35

The stakes are high here.

0:11:020:11:04

Locals need to be persuaded that the new tomb could revive tourism

0:11:040:11:08

and woo people back to Luxor.

0:11:080:11:11

Can you really build a brand-new tomb

0:11:130:11:15

so that it looks 3,000 years old?

0:11:150:11:17

And will it satisfy visitors who may have travelled

0:11:170:11:20

thousands of miles to see it?

0:11:200:11:22

There is a new tomb in Egypt, but it's not beneath the ground.

0:11:300:11:34

It's currently in boxes,

0:11:340:11:36

and is a replica of Tutankhamen's burial chamber,

0:11:360:11:39

which has been badly damaged by tourism.

0:11:390:11:42

Another change in government means a decision about where to put it,

0:11:440:11:47

and when, has been slow.

0:11:470:11:49

But, finally, an agreement is reached

0:11:490:11:51

that the site will be outside the house of Howard Carter,

0:11:510:11:54

near the entrance of the Valley of the Kings.

0:11:540:11:57

When we had all the finish of the paper,

0:11:590:12:03

I was so happy that we could move it fast before they change their mind!

0:12:030:12:08

Before the tomb walls can be erected,

0:12:150:12:17

the structure needs to be built.

0:12:170:12:19

Egyptian architect Tarek

0:12:220:12:23

is in charge of the design and construction.

0:12:230:12:26

'It is a very unique project.

0:12:280:12:30

'For anyone who has loved this country,

0:12:300:12:32

'we feel that this is something new, to build a tomb.

0:12:320:12:36

'And as an architect, to build a tomb that was designed 1,000 years ago,

0:12:360:12:40

'it is very attractive,'

0:12:400:12:42

and also I feel some responsibility

0:12:420:12:46

of my history and my heritage,

0:12:460:12:49

our heritage in Egypt,

0:12:490:12:51

and this would help us a lot to keep it for the coming generation.

0:12:510:12:56

It's all about turning a shell into a convincing copy

0:13:050:13:09

of an ancient burial chamber, both inside and out.

0:13:090:13:13

And that means using the same sort of limestone as the original,

0:13:150:13:19

and chipping and scraping away at it to get an authentic affect.

0:13:190:13:23

Tarek lets me have a go.

0:13:250:13:27

-Here, try it.

-Is that right?

0:13:270:13:29

Some more to be done, still?

0:13:290:13:31

Yes, but slowly and carefully, and you will feel it.

0:13:310:13:35

It is like...it's a piece of sculpture. Try it. I trust you.

0:13:350:13:40

If you did anything wrong, I would correct it, don't worry.

0:13:400:13:44

Don't worry about that.

0:13:440:13:47

You have to go back 4,000 years to go inside the mind of somebody

0:13:490:13:54

who does not exist any more,

0:13:540:13:56

and to understand and to catch what he wants from this building,

0:13:560:14:01

which is designed not to be seen or visited.

0:14:010:14:03

It's a tomb for the king.

0:14:030:14:05

With the outer building well under way

0:14:160:14:19

and the frame of the roof hoisted,

0:14:190:14:21

the boxes can finally be opened and checked.

0:14:210:14:24

The carefully recreated wall panels and replica sarcophagus

0:14:240:14:27

are now being seen for the first time by many of the local workmen.

0:14:270:14:32

Like this granite... If you look,

0:14:320:14:35

it has the mixture of the red and the black

0:14:350:14:39

and yellow and the cream, and it feels exactly like stone.

0:14:390:14:44

Very good, very good.

0:14:440:14:47

Huge flat packages are carefully unwrapped

0:14:510:14:54

and then assembled like a giant jigsaw.

0:14:540:14:56

Got it?

0:14:580:14:59

It's all very exciting, but even at this late stage

0:15:010:15:04

some locals are harbouring doubts.

0:15:040:15:06

If those tombs survived thousands of years, tomb robbers,

0:15:240:15:28

treasure hunters, art collectors,

0:15:280:15:31

tourists later on,

0:15:310:15:33

I'm sure they can survive now, with modern technology,

0:15:330:15:36

with different techniques, for ventilation, for protecting the tomb,

0:15:360:15:40

just being more strict.

0:15:400:15:42

The creators of the replica say no such technology exists

0:15:450:15:49

that can undo the damage that has already been done.

0:15:490:15:52

There are many ideas.

0:15:520:15:54

People want to put screens of glass,

0:15:540:15:56

people want to put in air-conditioning systems,

0:15:560:15:59

people want to put in fancy lighting,

0:15:590:16:01

people want to do many things,

0:16:010:16:02

but the tomb was never meant to be visited.

0:16:020:16:05

This is the thing we have to respect.

0:16:050:16:07

The simple truth is the tombs can't take that number of visitors.

0:16:070:16:12

I would not want to come all the way from Canada

0:16:120:16:14

to see replicas in Egypt.

0:16:140:16:16

We need to have that passion to see the real thing.

0:16:160:16:18

If you're seeing a replica, you don't have that same passion.

0:16:180:16:22

SHOUTING

0:16:220:16:25

And now the final piece -

0:16:280:16:30

the sarcophagus, weighing in at a hefty 300kg.

0:16:300:16:34

CHEERING

0:16:420:16:44

So, how about one last peek at the original tomb?

0:17:010:17:04

After nearly a century of being the object of so much curiosity,

0:17:100:17:15

surely it's time to let it breathe,

0:17:150:17:18

and let a younger model take some of the limelight.

0:17:180:17:21

Down in the burial chamber, there is a gold mummy case

0:17:230:17:27

which the replica team didn't have permission to record.

0:17:270:17:30

So that'll be one noticeable difference

0:17:300:17:33

between the two tombs for visitors.

0:17:330:17:35

But the damage on the walls is clear to see.

0:17:350:17:38

The simple fact is that,

0:17:400:17:41

for every extra day hordes of tourists are allowed in here,

0:17:410:17:45

the further it deteriorates.

0:17:450:17:47

And the more desperate need for the replica to actually open.

0:17:510:17:55

Did I ever doubt it would happen?

0:17:550:17:57

I doubted it would happen all the time,

0:17:570:17:59

and I never doubted it would come to a satisfactory conclusion.

0:17:590:18:03

The only question is, when it was going to come to that conclusion.

0:18:030:18:06

And the end is in sight.

0:18:100:18:13

I finally get a sneak preview before the replica opens.

0:18:130:18:18

It's definitely lighter, it smells newer, but the paintwork is spot-on.

0:18:180:18:25

It's pretty impressive to me, but will the public buy into it?

0:18:250:18:29

'I asked an Egyptologist who lives locally

0:18:350:18:38

'to give me a more informed perspective.'

0:18:380:18:41

This is the first time you have seen this,

0:18:410:18:43

the first time virtually anybody has seen this.

0:18:430:18:46

It is the first time I'm coming here. I'm quite surprised.

0:18:460:18:50

-Ooh!

-What do you think?

-Ooh-oh.

0:18:500:18:54

Come closer.

0:18:540:18:56

You know, I speak, you know, from my heart.

0:18:560:19:00

Well, I'm sorry, but I have to say it's marvellous.

0:19:010:19:04

THEY LAUGH

0:19:040:19:06

Perfect.

0:19:060:19:08

It looks so old, it looks so true.

0:19:080:19:11

-And, look, this is a copy?

-Mm-hmm.

0:19:120:19:15

Can you imagine? This looks a bit new, maybe,

0:19:150:19:18

but if you put a glass on top, like it is, you know,

0:19:180:19:22

it looks perfect.

0:19:220:19:24

What we're talking about here is a change in mindset,

0:19:270:19:30

a recognition that, in the grand scheme of things,

0:19:300:19:33

going to see the facsimile, the replica,

0:19:330:19:36

rather than the original, is actually a very positive act.

0:19:360:19:39

Hopefully there's a way that we can both get the tourists back in

0:19:410:19:45

and preserve the monuments so the tourists will still come,

0:19:450:19:49

because if not there will be a point when people stop coming

0:19:490:19:52

because they've destroyed something of fundamental importance.

0:19:520:19:56

CHORAL SINGING

0:19:560:19:59

And for Adam, if it's well-received,

0:20:030:20:05

it opens up a whole world of possibilities.

0:20:050:20:08

I would love to be asked to go and work to help save the Sistine Chapel.

0:20:100:20:15

Yes, that's an obvious example,

0:20:150:20:17

where thousands of people go to see an iconic monument, but too many.

0:20:170:20:23

No building can sustain that.

0:20:230:20:26

And there are even plans to extend the facsimile project

0:20:290:20:32

back here in Egypt,

0:20:320:20:34

and train local people to create replicas of some of the tombs

0:20:340:20:37

that are so fragile they've been closed to the public for decades.

0:20:370:20:41

This is a start.

0:20:410:20:43

And I think we will continue to be doing a lot of replica

0:20:430:20:46

related to some other tomb, like Seti's tomb,

0:20:460:20:50

like other tombs here,

0:20:500:20:52

to try to keep all the real tombs in a good condition.

0:20:520:20:56

Before tourists are let in, there is just time for some final touches.

0:21:040:21:08

How are you feeling? Are you feeling relieved?

0:21:120:21:15

I'm feeling deeply stressed is the truth.

0:21:150:21:17

The logistics of trying to do the work we're doing

0:21:170:21:20

in the heat here, in the chaos, is extraordinary,

0:21:200:21:24

but the great moment of happiness that makes the stress worthwhile

0:21:240:21:28

is watching the faces of people walking into it.

0:21:280:21:32

Initially, both tombs will be open to visitors,

0:21:390:21:42

but the long-term plan is to restrict access to the original tomb

0:21:420:21:45

and ask individuals to fork out a lot more

0:21:450:21:48

for the privilege of seeing the real deal.

0:21:480:21:51

I hope people will start to look,

0:22:180:22:20

and if they do a sort of spot-the-difference

0:22:200:22:22

between the facsimile and the original, I would be delighted.

0:22:220:22:27

So, a new tomb for Tutankhamen, a new start for Egyptian tourism?

0:22:480:22:53

Well, maybe.

0:22:530:22:54

It's certainly a good-news story for a country whose reputation

0:22:540:22:58

has been badly tarnished in recent years.

0:22:580:23:00

But for this to work, two things have to happen.

0:23:000:23:03

People have to return to a country they believe is both stable

0:23:030:23:06

and secure, and they have to feel a part of a process

0:23:060:23:10

of preserving Egypt's magnificent antiquities.

0:23:100:23:14

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS