Horizon of Khufu: A VR immersive experience of the pyramids opens at Tour & Taxis

After its first successful launch at the Arab World Institute in Paris in June 2022, the exhibition Horizon of Khufu arrives at Tour & Taxis in Brussels.

This immersive tour of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt is shown through the lens of virtual reality (VR).

The Bulletin had the opportunity to experience firsthand the exhibition: a 45-minutes virtual dive designed to be at the crossroads of entertainment, education and culture. 

Visitors are equipped with a full VR headset, which enables them to follow the tour in either French, Dutch or English. This can be a solo experience, although it is best enjoyed in a group of maximum four or five people. 

But rest assured, you maintain contact with all of the members of the group as everyone is represented virtually by an avatar in the shape of a holographic Egyptian mummy.

As with any video game, there’s a quick tutorial about the virtual rules and mechanics involved in navigating the tour before we are ready to leap into the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world and the only one to remain largely intact.

First, we meet Mona, our virtual guide and Egyptology enthusiast who invites us to join her on an archeological discovery inside the Great Pyramid of Giza.

While scrambling around the 2600 BC edifice, built as the tomb of pharaoh Khufu (Cheops), the journey takes a more mythological turn, enabling us to explore Egypt's ancient civilization through both space and time.

Despite this not being a live experience of the pyramids, VR does offer a number of advantages. It allows you to virtually enter the normally closed Queen's Chamber and examine the 3D structure of the enormous edifice from a unique standpoint.

As you might expect, it includes climbing to the top of the pyramid, currently standing at a height of 146m, and admiring a panoramic view of modern Cairo and the whole archeological complex of the Giza plateau.

However, the sensorial experience of the tour can trigger some vertigo, especially when scaling heights. That’s why, alongside the full immersive mode, there is an option for a more moderate experience which reduces some of the virtual motion movement for anyone susceptible to dizziness.

Nevertheless, it is best to completely embrace the sensorial experience of walking around all the locations. Visitors are advised to not remain static and to take advantage of the possibility of actively observing ancient religious ceremonies.

The exhibition has been designed with the help of Egyptologist and Harvard University professor Peter Der Manuelian. An advocate of new technologies in the field of research and education, he collaborated with EXCURIO, the French company specialising in VR immersive experiences that is behind Horizon of Khufu. 

The tour is open to children above eight, although it is recommended for over 11s. It is also accessible for people in wheelchairs. 

Horizon of Khufu
From 14 February
Tour & Taxis, Shed 3
Avenue du Port 86C

Photos: ©Excurio