IT IS one of history's most delicious ironies; the boy King Tutankhamun was such a minor monarch there was not enough funeral paraphernalia when he died unexpectedly. Yet he is easily the most famous pharaoh of all time.
Most school boys can recite his name instantly but have barely heard of such great rulers like Tutmose III, Ramesses II, Akhenaten or even the female Pharaoh Hapshepsut whose names are usually placed in the same list as Tutankhamun.
Unlike other pharaohs who built pyramids, obelisks and monumental temples, Tutankhamun became ruler at age nine and died at 19, so he could hardly be faulted for not building mighty edifices. His life was dominated by his vizier or uncle Ay who was the prime suspect in his mysterious death.
Ay even married Tutankhamun's widow who was purportedly his granddaughter to cement power. Later she too vanished and was conveniently replaced by Ay's first wife.
Tutankhamun's tomb consisted of just four rooms instead of the long corridor-style predominant during his era. Yet he has the last laugh as his name has outshone all other pharaohs.
As a mark of respect, his mummy continues to remain inside the tomb though the treasures have been removed.
Tutankhamun is world famous now for one simple reason: his tomb was discovered intact with all the magnificent funeral paraphernalia, including the awesome golden mask and three coffin sarcophagus.
Bankrolled by the Earl of Carnavon, archaeologist Howard Carter made the stupendous discovery in 1922. The bejewelled loot included gilded furniture, throne and crown jewels.
A gigantic 6.7m tall statue of the jackal-headed Anubis, God of the Dead, stands guard at the entrance of London's O2 which houses the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibition now.
The first time King Tutankhamun paid London a visit was 35 years ago in 1972. By the time this exhibition, which opened last November, ends on Aug 30 , it is estimated that 1.4 million visitors would have descended on The O2.
The exhibition is divided into 12 sections. Many of the 130 artefacts, 3,000 to 3,500 years old, have never left Cairo Museum.
The first gallery feels like a mausoleum replete with a granite statue of King Tut from the Temple of Amun in Karnak. The second gallery introduces viewers to King Tut's ancestors and his immediate clan plus objects of daily use. In succession comes a variety of gods, amulets, vessels, figurines and objects recovered from the tomb of Yuya and Tjuya, a non-royal couple whose claim to fame is being the greatgrandparents of King Tut.
Gallery 5 impresses with a colossal statue of Pharaoh Akhenaten, father of King Tut. The Boy King is best admired in Gallery 6 which contains his painted torso. The next gallery flaunts some of the most stunning yet touching artefacts:a small ebony chair made for him when he was nine, silver mirror, calcite container for his cosmetics and ivory game board.
Gallery 10 contains the miniature inlaid gold coffinette with four canopic jars containing lungs, liver, stomach and lower intestines. Incredibly, this coffinette was not even his but was originally made for one of his relatives. The cartouche encircling the king's name had been reworked; the original name was scrapped and Tutankhamun's name painted on it.
Gallery 11 recreates the burial chamber as found by Carter, while the last showcases the scientific discoveries carried out on Tutankhamun's mummy.
As I left, I saw a group of ladies who went to the 1972 King Tut exhibition when they were in their 20s or 30s.
One asked her friends wistfully: "Do you think we will still be around when King Tut returns to London in 35 years' time?"
