By Julia Joseph '21
Cursed Egyptian Sarcophagus to Start Offering Virtual Tours Adhering to the CDC’s orders to remain socially distant, many museums around the world have started offering virtual tours as part of a larger initiative to continue education in this time of uncertainty. Following the trend is the tomb of Tutankhamen, located in the Luxor, Egypt, which is commonly believed to bestow a curse upon anyone who dares to venture inside. However, overwhelming public interest has prompted Luxor’s ministry of further education to offer free virtual tours on their official website, which can also be experienced in stunning detail through the Oculus Rift. This immersive tour includes the narrow, ominous pathway leading to the tomb, the hieroglyphics on the wall forewarning centuries of untold suffering for all those who venture forth, and concludes with the tomb itself, which has been pried opened for the first time to unleash the harrowing curse on all visitors. Public response has been overwhelmingly positive, as evidenced by the top three comments included below:
“A fun and educational activity. Did this with my four children and all ended up receiving trauma therapy afterwards. A must-see for the little ones.” -MommyKaren17
“Life changing experience. Truly. Tried this on the Oculus Rift and I died mere minutes later. It’s rare that museums offer a quality experience to this degree, and I can think of quite a few people I would recommend this to.” -MattInTheHat
“Perfect for the thrill-seeker, aspiring archeologist, or anyone with some extra time on their hands- and don’t we all have some of that!” – MrAcosta242 Despite glowing reviews from international online visitors, the exhibition has received backlash from locals for its exploitive nature and the fact that it has currently sent several spectators to the hospital in dire condition. “But that’s the fun of it!” commenter Craig_Whelms35 explains after returning from his third virtual tour, “You never know what’s gonna go down.”
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