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An entry for Monday morning on Mayor Tom Leppert's official calendar appears to confirm what several sources have been telling The Dallas Morning News: King Tut will soon be rolling into town.

The notation on the mayor's calendar reads as follows: "9:30 AM-Press Conference Announce Egyptian King Tut Exhibit (Dallas Museum of Art)." When reached for comment on Friday, however, the mayor's office offered a terse "no comment."

Earlier this week, the DMA announced that it would be making a "landmark announcement" at 10 a.m. Monday. That's exactly what the blockbuster exhibition of ancient Egyptian artifacts is.

"Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" has been a major draw in the U.S. cities where it's appeared in the last two years. This is the first time in a generation that the show has visited the United States.

When it originally toured, 26 years ago, the Tut exhibition was a cultural touchstone, drawing enormous crowds, rousing interest in ancient Egyptian history and helping make young comedian Steve Martin a major star with his King Tut song and dance on Saturday Night Live .

Dallas will inject a little of its own hoopla Monday. According to the news release, Mr. Leppert will appear alongside outgoing DMA Director John R. Lane, and both will be accompanied by a "visually stunning parade down Flora Street," along with "the unfurling of a banner underscoring the announcement."

On Friday, no one would offer official confirmation of the coup. When Tut might arrive in Dallas, or where it would be housed, remain unknown.

"I have not a seen a contract for that at this time," said Maria Munoz-Blanco, the director of Dallas' Office of Cultural Affairs. "I have certainly heard of some great plans for some really great exhibits, but can neither confirm nor deny it happening."

A representative for the show, which just left Philadelphia and is headed to London, said that presenters and Dallas officials have been discussing the possibility of bringing it to museums in the area for some time. But there's nothing unusual about that, since many cities have been vying for Tut.

During its most recent incarnation, more than 2.5 million people have seen the show in its three stops in Los Angeles (2005), Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (2006) and Chicago (May 2006 to January 2007), making it one of the most successful exhibitions in the history of each museum. It appeared at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia from Feb. 3 to Sept. 30 and is now bound for London.

Organizers estimate that it had a $168-million economic impact in Los Angeles and $150 million in Florida. And while those are Super Bowl-like numbers, the exhibition has detractors as well, who say it's expensive to attend and to host.

The exhibition features not only the treasures of King Tut but also those of his family and the story of his reign at the height of ancient Egyptian culture and influence. Its individual artifacts are said to be 3,300 to 3,500 years old.

"Only a few of these 130 artifacts were seen in the 1977 King Tut exhibition," say press materials for the show, "and many have never before left Egypt." The closest the King Tut show got to Dallas 30 years ago was New Orleans.

Who was King Tut?

Tutankhamun was one of the last kings of Egypt's 18th Dynasty and ruled during a crucial, turmoil-filled period of Egyptian history. The boy king died under mysterious circumstances around age 18 or 19 in the ninth year of his reign (1323 B.C.).

What is the King Tut exhibition?

Since the discovery of his tomb in 1922, Tutankhamun, according to the Web site, "has captured the hearts of people around the world. Buried with him were treasures beyond the imagination, a tomb holding the most magnificent treasures of the Golden Age of the Pharaohs."

On display are 50 of Tutankhamun's burial objects, including his royal diadem and one of the gold and precious stone inlaid canopic coffinettes that contained his mummified internal organs.

Why does it matter?

Almost three decades have passed since the artifacts last left Egypt. About 8 million people attended a King Tut exhibition that set attendance records in traveling to seven U.S. cities from 1976 to 1979, but only a few of the 130 artifacts seen in the current show were available when the exhibition last toured.

Who benefits from the show?

Presumably, the host city, despite the fact that it's an expensive show to acquire, often requiring generous civic commitment. Organizers say that revenue generated from the tour will go toward preserving Egypt's treasures and the building of a new Grand Museum in Cairo.

How old are these artifacts?

The exhibition contains more than 130 treasures that are 3,300 to 3,500 years old. They include artifacts found in the tombs of King Tut, several of his relatives and his 18th Dynasty (1555 B.C. to 1305 B.C.) contemporaries.

What are the highlights?

The final gallery of the exhibition features scans of King Tut's mummy that were obtained as part of an Egyptian research and conservation project.

More information: www.kingtut.org