Cairo Egyptian Museum of Egyptian Antiquities

 The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities in Cairo is one of the largest and most famous museums in the world, located in the very center of Cairo , in the central area on the edge of Midan Tahrir, the Egyptian Museum Cairo or the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities is a must-see in any type of visit to Cairo.

Standing out for its unmistakable architecture, the characteristic pink color, the neoclassical style building was designed by the French architect Marcel Dourgnon and built by the Italians Giuseppe Garozzo and Francesco Zaffrani. Entering it is almost like taking a step back in time, not only for the finds it contains, but also precisely for the singular architecture and furnishings that characterize it.

Opened in 1902, its realization had the aim of hosting, in an adequate and large enough environment, given the growing increase in the finds that were constantly discovered or rediscovered in those years, the memory of Ancient Egypt, as well as putting an end to the uncontrolled export of such evidence.

There is another Egyptian museum in Turin ''The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities of Turin'' which merged in 1824, and second in importance only to the one in Cairo. With the start of the new year 2021 we will celebrate the inauguration of the new Egyptian Museum in Cairo which will be the largest museum ever built dedicated to a single civilization.

What to find inside the Egyptian Museum?

 

Inside the museum houses the largest collection of archaeological finds in the world of testimonies dating back to the various pharaonic eras consisting of about 120,000 finds, various monuments including the contents of Tutankhamun's tomb and most of the mummies discovered from the 19th century onwards.

The exhibits date back to a historical period between the beginning of the Old Kingdom, approximately dating back to 2700 BC, up to the Greco-Roman period. With an experience since 1955 in tourism, we able to offer Egypt tours to visit the Pyramids and the Sphinx and take a fantastic tour in the Egyptian museum and discover the historical secrets that lie behind each monument.

It could be particularly easy to get lost among the museum display cases, the exhibition is really large and organized with a style of the past, which helps to accentuate the romantic charm. It will therefore be useful to know that the structure of the museum is organized in two floors.

The ground floor contains heavy relics of coffins, paintings and huge and large statues in limestone and sandstone, such as the statue of Ramses II, Senusret, Khafre, Sphinx, Akhenaton and Hatshepsut.

It is also possible to retrace the history of Egypt from the Ancient Kingdom to the Greco-Roman period, the exhibition is organized starting from the corridor to the right of the entrance and continues in a circular direction. Following that route is advisable as it will give you a good background of most of ancient Egyptian history.

The precious value of the contents for the Egyptian Museum

 

 

As far as the upper floor is concerned, it is organized differently, to be precise according to thematic exhibitions. A substantial portion of the first floor is intended for the contents of Tutankhamun's tomb, where one can admire, among the numerous elements of the precious treasure, his incomparable, perfectly preserved funerary mask.

Also on the first floor is the room dedicated to the treasure found in the royal tomb of Tanis. Another strong point of the museum is undoubtedly the Chamber of the Royal Mummy, the visit of this part of the museum in fact requires, due to its uniqueness, the purchase of a separate ticket.

It is particularly recommended as inside you can admire the mummies of some of the most important pharaohs, including none other than that of Ramesses II, that of Seti I, and that of the sacred queen of Egypt: Hatshepsut . The internal rooms are spacious, the walls are high and natural light enters from the glass panels on the ceiling and from the windows on the ground floor.

The museum has so much to offer that it might even be a bit overwhelming. It should also be considered that most of its contents have not yet been cataloged and reorganized since the time of the first arrangement, which, as we have seen, dates back to more than a century ago.

As a result, some exhibit sections provide very limited information about the exhibits, and signs are in a variety of languages, including French, English, Greek, German, and Arabic.

Their bad quality is a common complaint among visitors, so if you are a passionate Egyptologist or simply curious in general and want to learn more about our culture regarding the Egyptian civilization, we absolutely advise you to hire a guide, the costs are moderate and you will earn in culture. 

Opening time

The Egyptian Museum is open for visits every day of the week from 9:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the evening. Free admission for children up to 6 years and for those over 60 years.

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