Video: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DeUO4L2CPXG/">@museu_egipci / IG</a>

Immersive Experience Opens Tuesday

Barcelona's Museu Egipci has launched a year-long exhibition titled 'Iny, the Pharaoh's Explorer', which opens to the public on Tuesday 27th October 2026. The exhibition marks the debut of the museum's new immersive room, located in the former library reading space, and will run for 12 months.

Technological Leap for Museum

At a press conference, museum founder Jordi Clos and director Maixaixa Taulé described the new space as a 'technological leap' that shifts the institution from a traditional focus on physical artefacts to one integrating digital storytelling. Taulé stressed that the immersive content is grounded in scientific research and archaeological evidence.

We were very clear that what we exhibited and projected had to have a strong commitment to scientific knowledge, to the dissemination of knowledge.

Who Was Iny?

Iny was a high-ranking official who served Pharaohs Pepi I, Merenre, and Pepi II over 4,000 years ago during Egypt's 6th Dynasty. His titles included 'Unique Friend', 'Reader Priest', and 'Conductor of the Explorers'. He led commercial expeditions to distant regions, bringing back rare materials such as silver and lapis lazuli. The museum's research into Iny began in 1991 when Clos acquired the first fragment of his chapel at a Sotheby's auction in London. Since then, a global search has recovered over 70 pieces, including a wooden statue of a man, a limestone seated figure, and reliefs from Iny's chapel.

Journey Through Ancient Egypt

The immersive experience begins in Iny's tomb, where his spiritual Ba guides visitors through key locations of his life, including Saqqara, Memphis, and the Nile. The production aims to recreate Egypt in 2250 BC with accuracy, drawing on reliefs, paintings, and academic sources.

Thanks to the Museu Egipci, he has his chapel again, which allows people to bring him offerings and to repeat his name, thus giving him eternal life, according to the Egyptian beliefs of the time.

Visitors are first placed at the end of the Old Kingdom, then led into the archaeological context of Saqqara, the necropolis where Iny's tomb may have been located. The exhibition details the recovery of chapel fragments and the two-decade effort to reconstruct Iny's life.

What This Means for Visitors

The immersive room is a permanent addition to the museum, designed to enhance engagement with ancient history. The exhibition 'Iny, the Pharaoh's Explorer' runs until October 2027. More information and visitor details are available at Barcelona Cultura.

Sources: Europa Press, Ajuntament de Barcelona.