Before there was America, before there was Modern Society, before there was Dogecoin and Oat Lattes, the first colonies of the ancient world ruled over Earth. As a current student of Honors Associate Dean and distinguished professor Jaclyn Kopel, I am in the middle of a course all about Ancient Egypt and its vast history. We have paid special attention to the art of hieroglyphs, their devotion to religion, and, of course, the wonder of the Pyramids of Giza. Last Wednesday, our class took a field trip to an Ancient Egypt VR experience on 57th street. The “Horizon of Khufu” is an immersive virtual reality experience that transports the user to the times of ancient civilization and early beginnings of Egypt. As an attendee, I have much to report about the experience.
On a very rainy Wednesday, we traveled from 1 Pace Plaza to the Fulton station and took the A train uptown to 59th street. We could feel the excitement in the busy subway car, as we awaited our journey into the past. After about 10 minutes of braving the storm on the streets of NYC, we made it to our destination. At first, the vast room felt futuristic and quite neutral. Blocks of black and white and grey with a plethora of patterns confused the eye. Once explained, the designs began to make sense.
Our guide explained to us the directions of how to enter this new world:
First, it was imperative that our voices were silent so those already in the system could pay attention to the story being developed in front of their eyes.
Second, we had to be wary of chairs and seating within the virtual reality: the portraits of seats are NOT to be confused with real ones, do not try to sit!
Third, and I established this one myself, it’s important to have fun!
As a member of the final group to enter the VR, I watched as my classmates began to traverse the terrain. I wondered what was in store as I observed them slowly enter the VR environment. It was my first time doing a VR experience, and when the headset was adjusted on my head, I was surprised to see how realistic it is. The animation and CGI is obvious, but you really feel immersed in an entirely different world as you look around through the helmet.
As I finally entered “Khufu,” the first thing we did was greet our virtual tour guide. She instructed us to follow certain colored outlines on the floors and on objects so that we could navigate ourselves through the terrain without bumping into real walls, or even worse, other people. Once we had established some boundaries and guidelines to maximize our abilities in the virtual world, we began to make our way into our first attraction: the Pyramids of Giza. We stepped inside and it was as if we were actually there. As I looked around, it truly felt like I was visiting the Chambers of Khufu, with the long tunnels and caves inside fostering a sense of exploration and wonder.
I would say the main attraction of my time in Egypt was boarding Khufu’s ship and taking a journey into a synthesized funerary demonstration from Ancient Egypt. We boarded the massive ship and traveled to an embalming ceremony of Pharaoh Khufu. We observed as they took his corpse through the many steps of mummification, treating the corpse with utmost respect to prepare him for his time in the Afterlife. The boat is often seen in Egypt mythology to transport deceased Egyptians’ souls to the underworld, but more specifically it is placed in the tombs of ancient royalty, so they have an accessible mode of transportation to the Afterlife.
At a certain point, we were granted the ability to view Egypt as if we ourselves were Gods. We towered above the city of Giza and were able to see the many geometric shapes that make up Egyptian architecture. At the end of the tour, we had one final look at Egypt as we observed the land from above, standing on top of the pyramids. It must have been a placebo effect, but I swear I could feel a cool breeze as I watched over the sand dunes, structures, and deserts that surrounded Egypt.
Overall, I would say the experience was incredibly detailed and immersive. Though I have never physically been to Egypt, following that trip to the alternate reality, I truly felt like I had seen it in the flesh. I saw first-hand the Pyramids and their mysticism, and I felt involved in the ritualistic ceremonies of Ancient Egypt. I would say it was a trip for the books!
