Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — After spending nearly two hours moving awestruck through gallery after gallery filled with wondrous artifacts from ancient Egypt and the tomb of the boy king Tutankhamun, I pause in a darkened corridor to read a quote illuminated on the wall.

"The mystery of his life still eludes us — the shadows move, but the dark is never quite dispersed."

Andreas F. Voegelin (ENLARGE)
This statuette of the king was one of 35 ritual figures that were in sealed wooden shrines in the tomb. The crook in his left hand and the flail in his right are symbols of his kingship.
Andreas F. Voegelin (ENLARGE)
A gold inlaid pectoral shaped like a falcon is one of the treasure found in Tut's tomb.
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These words of archaeologist Howard Carter, the man who found the tomb of King Tut in 1922, eloquently sum up our ongoing fascination with the young pharaoh — and the reason millions will flock to "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" in four cities across the country.

Through April 23, the exhibit is at the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, where more than 400,000 have purchased tickets to see the more than 130 items on display. The show opened Dec. 15, with advance sales of more than 250,000. More than 937,000 saw the exhibit in Los Angeles last year from June 16 to Nov. 15. The show will be in Chicago, May 16-Jan. 1, 2007; and in Philadelphia, Feb. 3-Sept. 30, 2007.

The treasures include finds from Tut's tomb as well as the tombs of other royalty in Egypt's Valley of the Kings and other ancient Egyptian sites. Although the descriptive text accompanying the objects is thorough, rent the video tour narrated by Omar Sharif for more context and a deeper understanding of what you are seeing.

Perhaps the most striking thing about the exhibit is that not only are the rare artifacts exquisite works of art in stone, wood, faience, gold and jewels, they are between 3,300 and 3,500 years old and beautifully preserved.

More important, the objects help tell the story of a civilization: how the people lived, how they worshipped and how they prepared for the afterlife.

One of the most compelling parts of the exhibit explores forensic efforts through the years up to the high-tech CT scans of the Tut mummy made last year. We gain new insights — but no definitive answers — into the mysteries surrounding Tut's death at age 19, only 10 years into his rule. And through facial reconstruction, we see what he may have looked like at the time of his death (but only in a photograph; the actual latex model is not on display).

The most exciting gallery is the one dedicated to five gleaming treasures Carter found on Tut's body within the wrappings of the mummy: a gold-sheathed dagger with a cloisonné handle; a royal diadem of gold, glass, obsidian and carnelian; an inlaid diadem in the shape of a cobra in gold, glass, obsidian and semiprecious stones; an inlaid broad collar and counterweight of gold, carnelian and glass; and a gold pectoral in the shape of a falcon. Through a series of projections of the objects on a representation of the entombed mummy, we see where each was placed on the body.

The exhibit is well laid out in 11 galleries with dramatic lighting on the plexiglass exhibit cases as well as detailed, easy-to-read wall text and photographs, including the meticulous cataloging of the tomb's items and images from Carter's first visits inside.

If, after seeing the exhibit, you want to know more, buy the companion book "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" ($49.95, National Geographic) in the gift shop. It is written by Zahi Hawass, secretary general of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities and director of the Gaza and Saqqara Pyramids. The coffee-table-style book, with exceptional color photography by Kenneth Garrett, includes a CD of the audio tour.

After leaving the museum, stroll down to the Las Olas Riverfront and look for the kiosk laden with Egyptian art, crafts, jewelry, clothing and gifts.

"Everything is from Egypt, even me," says Mohamed Abdel Ghany. "Everything is handmade."

A tour guide in his native country before moving to the United States 25 years ago, Ghany identifies himself as an Egyptologist with a degree from Cairo University. He had been working as a limousine driver, but when he heard a new King Tut exhibit was coming to America, he says, "I had to drop everything and follow him. It's a fabulous job. I get to talk to people about Egypt."

Among his wares are paintings of ancient Egyptian scenes on papyrus, "the oldest paper in history," he says. Buy one, and he'll write your name in hieroglyphics on the cartouches in the paintings. "I also have pure oil like Cleopatra used as drops in her bath," he adds.

For further immersion into things Egyptian — or to get some background before viewing the exhibit — take in the 1999 Imax film "Mysteries of Egypt," starring Sharif, at the Museum of Discovery and Science a few blocks away at 401 S.W. Second St. (Call 954-463-4629 for showtimes, which vary daily.)

Through the magic of large-scale Imax photography, you'll sweep into the Valley of the Kings and inside the great pyramids to learn about "the curse of the mummy." In dramatic re-enactments, you'll return to ancient Egypt to witness the building of the pyramids and fast-forwarding more than 4,000 years, you'll follow Carter as he searches for King Tut's tomb.

And just for kids: During the Tut exhibit, Wannado City, a new indoor role-playing theme park at Sawgrass Mills, is adding pharaoh to its lineup of more than 250 occupations along with doctor, fireman, archaeologist and such. 1-888-926-6236, www.wannadocity.com.

Information: The exhibit is open at 9 a.m. daily and the last admission is at 7:30 p.m. (8 p.m. Thursdays). $25 (Mondays-Fridays), $30 (Saturdays-Sundays) adults; $22.50 and $27.50 age 65 and older, students and military; $14 ages 6-17; free for age 5 and under. Tickets can be purchased at the museum lobby or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-877-888-8587. Audio tours are $7 per person. 1 East Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. 954-525-5500, www.moafl.org.