January 29, 2016
Material Culture/Penn Museum
Opening day features a Kervansaray-inspired oasis for guests in the King Midas exhibit.
The exhibit "The Golden Age of King Midas" opens Feb. 13 and be on display until November. For the opening day, Penn Museum has planned a themed-celebration with a fashion show, crafts, live music and other entertainment.
Midas was indisputably the most famous ruler of the Phrygian kingdom in central Turkey, and his "Golden Touch" made him a favorite topic of Greek legend. In 1957, the University of Pennsylvania excavated a tomb that he built for his father and those artifacts became the centerpiece of the exhibit.
On the opening day, there will be a schedule of events between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and also all-day activities surrounding the new exhibit.
At noon, a Phrygian fashion show begins, with costumes flown directly from Turkey. After the show, there will be a storytelling of the famous King Midas and the Golden Touch fable. Lecture at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. will round out the schedule of events. Live traditional Turkish music is set to start at 3 p.m.
As for all-day events, there will be a pebble mosaic craft, a “Gordian Knot” making craft and a golden-tattoo station.
Penn Museum’s third floor Pepper Hall will be transformed into a Kervansaray-inspired oasis reminiscent of the Turkish Kervansaray, or roadside inns, that offered travelers a place to recover from a journey on the Silk Road.
Tickets to Penn Museum are $10 to $15 and admission to the special exhibit is an additional $5.
Saturday, Feb. 13
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | $10-$15 general admission
Penn Museum
3260 South St.
(215) 898-4000
