The city of Córdoba has become one of Europe's leading showcases for understanding childhood and adolescence in ancient Egypt . Entitled "The Awakening to Life: Childhood and Adolescence in Ancient Egypt ," the city is hosting an exhibition that, for the first time in a comprehensive overview, explores these life stages in one of history's most influential civilizations.
Sponsored by the Córdoba City Council and developed by Eulen Art, the exhibition offers an immersive journey through the daily lives of Egyptian children and young people , from the moment before birth to illness and death, combining original artifacts, educational resources, and a powerful audiovisual component. The project has a national and international scope, but with a clear intention to take root in the city and its educational and cultural fabric.
A pioneering exhibition dedicated to the lives of the youngest.
The exhibition is presented as the first major exhibition in Spain dedicated exclusively to childhood and adolescence in ancient Egypt . Until now, these periods usually appeared as a minor section within general exhibitions about Egypt, but have never been the central focus of a project of this scale.
The mayor of Córdoba, José MarÃa Bellido , was in charge of inaugurating the exhibition and stressed the ambitious nature of the proposal, pointing out that it could have been housed in any major museum in Madrid or Barcelona , ​​but that it has been specifically conceived for the city, which already has four World Heritage declarations by UNESCO.
The initiative aims to strengthen Córdoba's connection with the Mediterranean and the great cultures of antiquity . In this vein, the city council links this project with other major recent exhibitions, such as the one dedicated to the Christian Mediterranean, and has already announced new exhibitions on the dialogue with Rome and Córdoba's role in the imperial court.
Behind the exhibition's narrative are curators Esther Pons, Maite Mascort, and Isabel Olbés , specialists in Egyptology who have crafted a discourse that combines scientific rigor with an approach accessible to the general public. Their work has allowed them to construct a coherent thread that runs from motherhood to funerary rituals , encompassing education, play, health, and religious beliefs.
Nearly 200 pieces and a journey spanning more than three millennia
The heart of the exhibition is located in the Vimcorsa Room , where visitors will find nearly 200 original pieces from European and Spanish museums and private collections. Many of these works are being exhibited to the public for the first time , even outside their institutions of origin.
The collection spans a broad chronological range, from the Predynastic period (around 3500 BC) to the Christian-Byzantine period, in the 8th century AD . The exhibition also includes the Pharaonic, Ptolemaic, and Roman periods, allowing visitors to appreciate the transformations and continuities in the understanding of childhood and youth over more than three thousand years.
The lending institutions include the National Archaeological Museum of Madrid and other museums in Brussels, Zagreb, Budapest, and Bologna, as well as collections from cities such as Florence, Manchester, and even Egypt itself. Spanish museums from various regions are also participating, with collections originating from Barcelona, ​​Alicante, Huesca, and Córdoba.
The range of artifacts is very broad: stone sculptures and stelae, ceramic vessels, "magical ivories" linked to childbirth, baby bottles, jewelry and personal adornments in ceramic, stone, or gold, as well as clothing, household furniture, toys, papyri, and ostraca with inscriptions. Also included are surgical instruments of bronze or copper, protective amulets, cartonnage, funerary masks, and children's coffins , among other objects that allow us to reconstruct the life and death of the youngest.
The curators highlight several particularly unique pieces, such as a magical ivory from the National Archaeological Museum that would have been used during childbirth, by sliding it along the pregnant woman's belly, and the figure of a pre-adolescent girl carved into an architectural jamb. Also noteworthy are children's figures from museums such as the one in Turin, various polychrome masks from funerary offerings, a linen tunic for a deceased child , and a toy horse that illustrates children's leisure activities.
Four areas: from birth to death in Pharaonic Egypt
To facilitate the visit, the exhibition is organized into four main thematic sections that guide the public through the different stages of the life cycle. This structure is repeated both in the Vimcorsa Room and in the audiovisual experience in the Orive Room.
The first section focuses on the origins of life: pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, and breastfeeding . It covers pregnancy planning, prenatal care, medical practices, the use of protective amulets, and the role of deities associated with motherhood. Gynecological items, "magical ivories," and objects related to the protection of the mother and newborn are also featured.
The second section focuses on early childhood . It shows how the family and home acted as the core of socialization, what kind of clothing children wore, how they adorned themselves, and what toys and games were part of their daily lives . Through amulets, figurines, and scenes, visitors also discover the protective deities that accompanied children during this stage.
A third section addresses adolescence as a period of transition to adulthood . It analyzes the physical, psychological, and social changes experienced by young people, the acquisition of new roles within the family, the emergence of responsibilities, and their first occupations. The exhibition pays particular attention to education, hieroglyphic writing and training , as well as to the games and rituals that began to acquire a more pronounced religious significance.
The final section, entitled " Medicine, Magic, and Death ," focuses on childhood and adolescent illnesses, documented medical treatments, and the early mortality of mothers and children. Surgical instruments, amulets, and funerary offerings are on display , demonstrating how medicine was deeply intertwined with magic and religion, and how the protection of the young continued even after death.
Guardian gods, symbols, and stories of an advanced civilization
One of the recurring themes of the exhibition is the presence of deities associated with pregnancy, childhood, and youth . At the beginning of the tour, visitors encounter a double-faced capital dedicated to the god Bes , a rather unattractive figure considered very effective in warding off evil spirits, especially during childbirth and in protecting children.
Alongside Bes appear other deities such as Heket, represented as a frog, and Taweret, the hippopotamus goddess associated with motherhood , all of them present on magical ivories as well as on small amulets and personal objects. The goddess Isis breastfeeding Horus becomes a central image of the narrative, which also allows for parallels to be drawn with later Christian representations of the Virgin and Child.
The visual narrative is completed with symbols such as the lotus flower, associated with rebirth and life , and with references to other deities like Nephthys and Anubis, very present in funerary contexts. The interplay of images, lights, and sound in the immersive part of the exhibition aims to make the visitor feel as if they are inside a temple or an Egyptian structure , surrounded by these protective figures.
All of this helps to show that ancient Egypt was a highly sophisticated civilization in science, medicine, and religion . The exhibition underscores how much modern societies owe to this legacy, from certain medical knowledge to ways of understanding child protection and rites of passage between life stages.
Vimcorsa and Orive: two spaces, two ways to enter Egypt
The project unfolds across two complementary venues in the center of Córdoba . The main one is the Vimcorsa Hall , where the original pieces are exhibited accompanied by explanatory texts, labels, panels, graphic material, videos, tactile stations (three-dimensional models to explore by touch) and accessibility resources for people with visual or hearing impairments.
Vimcorsa's presentation is designed to be accessible to both those with prior knowledge of Egyptology and those approaching the subject for the first time . The content is written in clear language, and audiovisual resources are used to provide context without overwhelming the visitor.
Nearby is the Orive Room , transformed into an almost sacred space thanks to a large-format immersive video lasting just over nine minutes. The walls and surroundings are bathed in black to focus attention on the projected images, which recreate temple interiors and symbolic elements of ancient Egypt, following the same four thematic stages as the physical exhibition.
The organization recommends starting the tour at Vimcorsa and ending it at Orive , so that visitors first have direct contact with the pieces and then can relive what they've learned in a more sensory experience. This dual approach transforms the exhibition into a kind of circular journey that begins with birth, passes through growth, and ends with the transition to the afterlife.
The exhibition has involved a municipal investment of around 1,2-1,3 million euros and has been expressly conceived for Córdoba, with the intention of positioning the city as a cultural and exhibition benchmark in the Andalusian and national sphere, beyond its already well-known historical heritage.
Opening hours, visits and ticket booking
The exhibition can be visited for several months in both venues: Sala Vimcorsa and Sala Orive . General opening hours are the same at both locations and have been adapted to accommodate both local residents and those visiting the city during holidays.
On regular days, from Tuesday to Saturday, the museum is open mornings and afternoons , from 10:30 to 13:30 and from 17:30 to 20:00 or 20:30, depending on the space and the specific program. On Sundays and public holidays, visits are concentrated in the morning, from 10:00 to 14:00. On long weekends, such as Constitution Day, continuous opening hours from 10:30 to 20:30 are in place to facilitate access.
Admission is free , but prior booking is required to avoid queues and ensure capacity control. Registration can be done through the official exhibition website (eldespertaralavidaenegipto.com) and the website of the Córdoba City Council's Department of Culture.
Group sizes are limited to 60 people in the Vimcorsa Room and 40 in the Orive Room , ensuring an orderly flow of visitors and a better experience, especially in the immersive space. In addition, guided tours are scheduled Monday through Friday afternoons , led by specialists in Egyptology and cultural mediation.
In collaboration with the Education Department, the exhibition also offers special passes for schools , with visits from Tuesday to Friday in the early morning. The content has been adapted for a young audience, with simple panels, audio explanations, and educational materials that facilitate understanding of topics such as ancient pharmacopoeia, magical rituals, and beliefs about the afterlife.
Scientific program, parallel activities and educational approach
Beyond the exhibition itself, the project includes a comprehensive program of parallel activities that reinforces its scientific and educational dimension. For several months, a series of weekly lectures is held , featuring some of the most renowned Egyptologists both nationally and internationally.
Among the announced speakers are experts such as Chris Naunton, Christian Loeben, Aidan Dodson, Alejandro Jiménez, and Daniela Picchi , along with Spanish specialists like Isabel Olbés, Gema Menéndez, Inma Vivas, Esther Pons, Maite Mascort, and Nuria Castellano . Their presentations will address topics related to motherhood, childhood, funerary practices, and the relationship between Egypt and other Nile territories.
The lectures are combined with themed guided tours , designed for different levels of knowledge, from the general public to those with a more academic interest. In some cases, the speakers themselves complement their talks with guided tours of the exhibition, allowing for a direct connection between theory and the exhibited pieces.
The City Council also highlights the educational aspect of the project. Specific resources have been designed for schools and institutes , with teaching materials that address topics such as education in ancient Egypt, the division of labor between boys and girls from pre-adolescence, and the presence of magic in everyday medicine.
Accessibility is another key aspect of the proposal. Vimcorsa has incorporated adapted panels, videos with resources for deaf people, and tactile stations for blind visitors , making it easier for diverse audiences to engage with a historical reality that, despite its distance in time, continues to generate interest at all ages.
With this major exhibition, Córdoba reinforces its role as a platform for generating new cultural content , adding to its historical heritage a program that looks to other cultures and eras. The focus on childhood and adolescence in ancient Egypt offers a unique perspective, allowing visitors to glimpse a distant past through experiences that remain relatable: being born, growing up, learning, playing, getting sick, and ultimately, confronting the idea of ​​death.
