Product Details

• Actors: Omar Sharif, Kate Maberly, Timothy Davies, Julian Curry
• Directors: Bruce Neibaur
• Writers: Bruce Neibaur, John Pielmeier
• Producers: Ahmed Sami, Ed Capelle, Lisa Truitt, Michael Barnes, Paula Apsell
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Nat'l Geographic Vid
• VHS Release Date: November 16, 1999
• Run Time: 38 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0792297520
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #202,113 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Spectacular cinematography used in an innovative framework featuring noted actor and native Egyptian Omar Sharif provide a highly entertaining glimpse of ancient Egypt in this documentary from National Geographic. Sharif, playing a grandfather who is explaining the archeological wonders to his inquisitive granddaughter, does a fine job of explaining such puzzles as how the pyramids would have been built and what knowledge their builders must have possessed. The interludes between grandfather and granddaughter are handled well, but the star of the production is Egypt itself. Gorgeously composed shots linger over the pyramids, the Sphinx, and a plethora of temples, and a camera flown over the Nile provides stunning footage of the great river's meanderings. Reenactments of events, such as the building of the pyramids, the burial of King Tut, and the 1922 opening of his tomb, are presented intelligently. This production is sure to spark curiosity about ancient Egypt, and even without the careful handling of the history it would probably be worth watching just for the wondrous cinematography. A bonus at the end of the tape is a making-of documentary detailing how the film was shot on location. --Robert J. McNamara

Product Description

Legendary actor and native Egyptian Omar Sharif and Kate Maberly join National Geographic's award-winning filmmakers to weave a fascinating stroy of a grandfather who enchants his granddaughter with tales of tombs and treasures. Travel back more than 4,000 years to a time when the Great Pyramids of Giza were built. Through the magic of breathtaking large-format cinematography, you'll soar over the Nile, the longest river on Earth... cross the deathly quiet Valley of the Kings... and peer inside the shadowy chambers of King Tut's tomb. Then go behind the scenes in a special 17-minute bonus program, THE MAKING OF THE MYSTERIES OF EGYPT, to get a rare insider's look at what it takes to create a film that's shown on a movie screen eight stories tall.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stories of King Tut, October 26, 2000

By 

Wilson Chan (Redwood Shores, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mysteries of Egypt (Large Format) (DVD)

I bought and watched this before going on a trip to Egypt. Very good quality imax movie and good overview of the stories of King Tut. But if you want a lot of details you have to dig some where else. A good introductory movie for people interested in Ancient Egypt. A little bit short though.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Intro to Ancient Egypt, October 20, 2004

By 

M. Higgins (DEAVER, WY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: National Geographic's Mysteries of Egypt [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is the best educational introduction to Ancient Egypt I've ever seen and used with middle school aged kids. The story is introduced and narrated by Omar Shariff to his fictional American granddaughter (a famous actress I'm not familiar with), who wants to know about "The Mummy's Curse". The writing/narration was outstanding throughout--I'd call it almost poetic in many spots. The photography, being IMAX, was, of course, eye-popping. In fact, I had to force myself to concentrate on the narration so absorbed did I become with the beautiful images.

This movie is set around the famous discovery of Tutankamen's tomb by Howard Carter in the 1920s and, again, is beautifully done. The Carter scenes are in black-in-white and evoke a wonderful 1920s feel. They also serve to heighten appreciation for the incredible beauty of Egypt when the film cuts back to full color. Worked into the story line are the obligatory shots of the pyramids and even some computer enhanced scenes to briefly show their construction. Add to all that an exquisite soundtrack. The negative reviews are surprising to me. I 'd love to know of the documentaries those reviewers have seen about Ancient Egypt that they feel are better. I sure haven't seen them. If they exist I'll be first in line to buy them.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Very Educational, Enlightening and Informing!, December 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: National Geographic's Mysteries of Egypt [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I saw this documentary at the IMAX theatre at the Museum of Natural Science in Houston, TX. It was very educational and I was greatly informed about Egyptian culture. I believe every African-American should see this documentary because it clearly illustrates that the Egyptians were highly intelligent. Men today are still trying to figure out how they built those pyramids. It keep my attention the entire time I was watching it. I have referred many family members and friends to see this documentary. I am now about to order 4 copies of it to give as Christmas presents. I highly recommend it.