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EGYPT 27 . 04 . 2014 / 13

to crack, putting thedecorated walls at risk. Whilethe Egyptian government,needing all the funds it cangenerate from tourism, isloath to take action, manyexperts have called for thetomb to be closed — which iswhy the opening of the replicais so important.The replica sits in the

grounds of the houseHoward Carter lived in 90

years ago duringhis excavations.Before I saw it,I was scepticalabout its appeal.I was wrong.Lowe and the

team from hiscompany, Factum

Arte, have replicated theburial chamber in minutedetail, with an exactitudethat would have beenimpossible even 20 years ago.Designing bespoke 3Dscanners, writing software,researching ancient pigmentsand spending a great deal oftime (some 400 hours, forinstance, to re-create a single

After Tutankhamun wasburied, the high priests sealedand covered his tomb,assuming no living personwould ever enter again. Theycouldn’t have imagined thephenomenon of moderncultural tourism. Millennialater, tens of thousands filethrough the tombs in theValley of the Kings each year.It’s hot. They sweat, and pant.Years of that accumulatedhumidity andheat, alongwith somebotchedrestoration,has made paintand plasterblister and lefttomb wallsirreversibly damaged. Thespectacular tomb of Seti I hasdeteriorated so much, it hasbeen closed to the public.Tutankhamun’s tomb is not

as impressive, but tales oftreasures and curses ensure itis one of the most visited,which makes it particularlyvulnerable. Parts of theplaster and paint have begun

History is repeatingitself in Luxor. In 1922Howard Carter unveiled thetomb of Tutankhamun to aninvited audience of diplomats,ministers, celebrities andpress. On Wednesday, anotherEnglishman, Adam Lowe, willappear before a similar bunchof dignitaries to unveil hisreplica of the young pharaoh’sburial chamber.The replica is needed, Lowe

argues, to save the original.

square yard of wall surface),they have matched the colourof paints and plaster, therosiness of the sarcophagus,the cracks in the whiteceiling, the sandy floor, eventhe hue of the modern striplighting, so precisely that hadI been blindfolded andtransported from one to theother, I would not haveknown which was which. Thechamber even reproducesexactly the bumps on theoriginal surfaces, the crackedpaint, even the black dots ofancient micro-bacteria thatstipple the walls and ceiling.“I think texture and

sensation are veryimportant,” he told me.“I want the tomb chambers

to sound the same, maybeeven smell the same. Thislevel of authenticity has beenimpossible until now.” Healso hopes the original tombwill stay open for a while.“I want visitors to have theopportunity to experienceboth and to judge forthemselves.”The Tutankhamun replica is

part of a larger project: in thefuture, Lowe plans to replicatethe tombs of Tuthmosis III,Nefertari and Seti I. He arguesthat “responsible tourists willhave a role to play in

Anthony Sattingets a sneak peekat Tutankhamun’sreplica tomb

It’s a dead ringer

preserving the Thebantombs”, by choosing not tovisit the originals if replicasare available. After that, hehas his eyes on further prizes,including the Sistine Chapeland the Elgin Marbles.

Before I saw thereplica tomb I wassceptical about itsappeal. I was wrong

It’s ambitious, but hiswinning combination ofartistic vision and technicalability just might change theway we think about replicas,and originals. I, for one, hopeit does. Tourism will recoverin Egypt, the crowds willreturn, and the monumentsneed to be protected, even ifthat means closing them. Thealternative is simple: we willlove the tombs to death — andfuture generations will notforgive us.The Replica Tomb of

Tutankhamun will open inLuxor on Wednesday. Entry tothe replica and to Carter’sHouse is expected to costabout £3.

lAnthony Sattin travelledas a guest of the EgyptianTourism Authority(egypt.travel)

Even older: the original replicaAdam Lowe’s project isn’t thefirst of its kind. One of themost successfulcopycat sites isLascaux II, areplica of17,000-year-oldcave paintings inthe Dordogne.It took a team ofartists 11 yearsto create, after the originalwas closed in 1963 because

of damage caused by visitors’breath. The reproductions,

situated just afew hundredyards from theoriginal site, are amarvel, a swirlingscene ofmammoths,leaping horsesand an 18ft-long

bull. Buy tickets from thetourist office in Montignac; £8.

Every tiny detailof the original,right, has beenreplicated, left

Getty; Ferdinand Smith

Sunlight streamsinto the replica

before the roof isfixed in place