Escape To Ancient Egypt At SF’s ‘Ramses The Great’ Exhibition

The exhibit features the most important collection related to Ramses the Great to ever leave Egypt.

Grant MacHamer - Staff Writer for Secret San Francisco • August 16, 2022

Ramses the Great and the Gold of The Pharaohs museum exhibition in San Francisco. — 'Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs' at the de Young Museum. Image courtesy of World Heritage Exhibitions

SF’s de Young museum is hosting the Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition, telling his story through stunning objects and immersive VR. The installation explores the life and accomplishments of Egyptian ruler Ramses II, known today as Ramses the Great, one of the most remarkable rulers in world history. This is the exhibit’s only West Coast stop on its international tour and will run from August 20th until February 12th, 2023.

SF will also soon welcome famed Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass for a fascinating lecture about Ramses the Great on January 12, 2023. Get tickets here.

Ramses the Great and the Gold of The Pharaohs_Photo 3 — Image courtesy of World Heritage Exhibitions

Ramses the Great reigned from 1279-1213 BCE and is regarded as the mightiest and most celebrated pharaoh of the New Kingdom—Egypt’s Golden Age.

In addition to the physical objects from Ramses the Great’s life, the exhibit will use state-of-the-art multimedia displays and immersive VR experiences to demonstrate the opulence and power of ancient Egyptian civilization. Over 180 objects will be on display, many of which are newly discovered and had never previously left Egypt. This is a rare opportunity to see these ancient treasures in person.

The exhibit was made possible by a partnership with Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and was curated by Zahi Hawass, a world-renowned Egyptologist and former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities.

collar of Princess Neferuptah-The Egyptians called this form of collar the wesekh, meaning broad. Six rows of beads terminate with the head of a golden falcon at each end; these were used as fasteners. Two smaller chains of beads are attached to the falcons, leading to a counterpoise, which also bears the image of a falcon, with further horizontal rows of beads hanging from it. At the bottom of the collar, teardrop shaped pendants can be seen, connected to a row of small golden beads. — Image courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

“Ramses II is considered to be the greatest king ever to rule Egypt,” said Egypt’s Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr. Mostafa Waziri. “This exhibition will illuminate the pivotal moments that earned the great pharaoh his place in history while bringing visitors face-to-face with absolutely stunning Egyptian artifacts. Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs is one of the most remarkable exhibitions to ever tour the globe, and it is a true honor for it to visit the great city of San Francisco and the de Young museum.”

Ramses 2 exhibit — Image courtesy of World Heritage Exhibitions

Immersive VR will take guests on a journey across the sands of the Sahara Dessert to two of Ramses’s most impressive monuments: Abu Simbel and Nefertari’s Tomb. The VR experiences require an additional fee to participate and include the use of VR headsets and cinematic-motion chairs that help bring ancient Egyptian civilization to life.

VR experience at Ramses 2 exhibit — Image courtesy of World Heritage Exhibitions

Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs will be on display at the de Young Museum from August 20th until February 12th, 2023.

And don’t forget — if you want to learn more about Ramses the Great, world-famous Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass will make an appearance on January 12, 2023 to talk about the legendary ruler. Get tickets here.

Featured image provided by World Heritage Exhibitions.