As part of the archaeological and media follow-up surrounding reactions to the upcoming performance of the “Tutankhamun Opera” in Italy, Egyptologist Hussein Bassir refuted the controversy and misleading claims surrounding the work, whose screenplay was written by Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass. Bassir stressed that the attacks on the opera reflect a clear confusion between the nature of artistic creative work and strict academic scholarship.
Bassir explained that the opera is not a history book or a documented archaeological study, but rather a dramatic work inspired by ancient Egyptian history as a source of imagination and creativity. Its purpose is to present ancient Egyptian civilization in a humanistic and artistic form that can reach a broad international audience. He emphasized that treating the details of the work as if they were an exact archaeological text misunderstands the very nature of theatrical and cinematic productions throughout history.
Bassir also rejected claims suggesting that the opera portrays King Tutankhamun as “Hebrew,” describing such accusations as completely baseless and unsupported by the content of the work itself. He noted that the dramatic narrative focuses entirely on the internal political and religious struggles that Egypt experienced during the late Amarna Period and the major transformations that followed the religious experiment of Akhenaten, without any reference that undermines the purely Egyptian identity of the young king.
Bassir further addressed claims regarding the portrayal of Queen Nefertiti as a conspirator in the murder of Tutankhamun. He clarified that the opera presents her in exactly the opposite role — as a protector of the child king, striving to save him from power struggles and the intrigues of the powerful priests of Amun, who sought to restore their political and religious influence after the decline of Akhenaten’s religious project.
Bassir pointed out that the Amarna Period remains one of the most mysterious and debated eras among Egyptologists to this day. Many aspects of the period are still subject to scholarly interpretation and ongoing research, including the circumstances surrounding the death of Tutankhamun and the true role played by Nefertiti during that turbulent era. Therefore, he argued, art has every right to reimagine events and shape them dramatically, as long as it does not claim to present absolute historical truth.
He added that interpreting the opera as a “conspiracy against history” reflects a misunderstanding of the nature of artistic creativity, which inherently combines historical facts with dramatic vision and human imagination — a practice common to major works of theater, cinema, and literature around the world.
Bassir concluded by emphasizing that the opera is a product of the author’s imagination and not a scientific reference or academic study of ancient Egyptian history. He noted that anyone seeking academically documented archaeological and historical information about the Amarna Period and the reign of King Tutankhamun can refer to the many studies and publications by Zahi Hawass, who remains one of the leading specialists on the life of the Golden Pharaoh and the political and religious complexities of his era.
Bassir affirmed that the young king will always remain a timeless global symbol and that the enduring magic of ancient Egyptian civilization lies in its unique ability to unite history, imagination, and human creativity.
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