DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE CHEOPS PYRAMIDE
“A Journey To Ancient Egypt”
BY SUNA MOYA - 25 JUNE 2022
“Hosted By Arab World Institute”
“THE HORIZON OF CHEOPS”
- E N Q U R I E S -
14 June 2022 - 2 October 2022
Tuesday-Friday: 10:00am - 6:00pm
Saturdays-Sundays: 10:00am - 7:00pm
Have you ever had the feeling that maybe you were not in this world, but perhaps in another place, world or even another time or could you be in between the virtual world and reality!!?
Welcome to the world premiere of the immersive expedition - "L'horizon de Khéops" (The Horizon of Cheops). It is the latest presentation exhibited at the Institute de Monde Arabe.
Full of excitement and an air of expectation, we deposited our belongings into a checked-in safety box. As we approached the entrance, we were given a backpack and a headset before being led into a large room. Our adrenaline started to pump. This was going to be an incredible experience.
Having previously lived in Egypt, I experienced climbing the inside of a pyramid, which I found uncomfortable and wasn’t sure I would do it again a second time.
But today, I was in the Institute de Monde Arabe and about to step into the virtual world of the Pyramid. I was about to be transported back to the Fourth Dynasty of ancient Egypt. It would be the start of an incredible and unique adventure.
In a matter of moments, we faced the entrance to the world's largest pyramid whilst watching the sunset over the horizon. Mona, our tour guide, welcomed us on what was a 45-minute tour that revealed the ancient architectural craftsmanship and the pyramid’s countless secrets.
We followed Mona and a “cat” through the winding tunnels and corridors. We climbed inside the belly of the tomb and discovered the burial chamber that was built deep inside.
But wait!! We have forgotten that we are in Paris and that we had been enticed into this incredible surrealist journey where time seemed to have come to a standstill. We became invisible witnesses participating in the funeral of King Cheops 3,000 years ago and we followed the path to the afterworld in a solar boat on the Nile. We ascended to the peak of the pyramid discovering the breathtaking view above the desert looking into the clouds and overlooking the city of Cairo from several dimensions. Well, what an adventure, my knowledge of Egypt grew, I discovered information that I was certainly unaware of before. It was fascinating.
Believe it or not, I had the sensation of really being in that world. I could smell the odours, and feel the sensations of heat. Upon descending back to reality, back to Paris and work, we lifted our masks and headgear, feeling a little dizzy and taken back totally in awe of this tremendous experience.
...cont.
— Suna Moya
I N T E R V I E W
Maxim GAGNEUR - Project Chief
Fabian BARATI - Director General / Co-Founder
Pierre GABLE - Creative Director
THE HORIZON OF CHEOPS
“Hosted By The Arab World Institute”
Following the adventure, we had the opportunity to meet and interview Fabien Barati, the Director-General and head of the Emissive company which is known for its virtual reality projects such as "Notre-Dame éternelle". They are forerunners in cultural heritage where they transport the viewer to the very core of a historic site, an epoch, a work of art or a monument.
Emissive is a company specialising in augmented and virtual reality experiences, Fabien Barati told us that he had worked in collaboration with the renowned Egyptologist Peter Der Manuelian and his team from the Giza Archives Project. He told us that Peter Der Manuelian is a professor of Egyptology at Harvard University. Fabien explained that scientific knowledge with cutting-edge technology works well together in succeeding to give us a more real-life experience.
When we asked how the concept of "L'horizon de Khéops" came into being, he explained, "It was born from a passion, a dream and then a reality. I wanted to share with others the sensations that I experienced from visiting the pyramid. It was in the actual pyramid that the idea came to me. I wanted to create a concept where the people would be able to participate and enjoy through the virtual reality opportunity the same experience and explore the pyramid, not only exactly as it appears today, but as it appeared 4,500 Years ago during the Egyptian 4th Dynasty”. Ultimately, he believes that the project can serve as a perfect model of what augmented cultural experiences can be in the future, and thus become “a model” for new cultural experiences.
I asked him about the sensation of smell and how it was done and also the feeling of actually ascending the pyramid. He explained it was a hallucination which comes from the visual that triggers the brain into believing that the body could use its senses to create smell and feel. I was astonished.
The novelty of the project is that it allows people to share the experience with a group and engage with other users in the same way as you normally would when you are visiting a venue with your friends or family. Equipped with a headset and a backpack containing a computer, the participant can move around freely and experience realistic sensations, with the impression of travelling through space and time, submerged in a meticulous and faithful historical reconstruction; each of the other participants is visualised in the form of an avatar-like figure, the originality of the concept being the use of virtual reality. Also with this headset and a backpack, the participant can move around freely and experience realistic sensations, with the impression of travelling through space and time, submerged in meticulous and faithful historical reconstructions; each of the other participants is visualised in the form of an avatar-like figure, the originality of the concept being the use of virtual reality in large spaces and the group nature of the visit.
The "Horizon of Cheops" is a unique 45-minute virtual reality adventure that combines emotional, physical and educational benefits.
And finally, in his opinion, it can work as a perfect example of what Augmented Cultural Experiences could become in the future, providing a platform for this new cultural experience.
Well.., what can one say except the experience was totally out of this world. I can understand people who don’t have the chance or the ability to travel, for them, this is a perfect solution. It enables them to understand those far-off countries together with their history and cultures.
“The expedition is a must-go as soon as possibl..., I am already looking forward to the next destination”
