Sacred Destinations

Coptic Museum, Cairo


View inside the Coptic Museum. Photo Creative Commons License jaywaykay.

Coptic scroll in the Coptic Museum, Cairo
18th-century Coptic scroll. Photo © Coptic Museum


6th- or 7th-century Coptic fresco. Photo © Coptic Museum


6th-century ivory carving of Christ. Photo © Coptic Museum




Housing the world's largest collection of Coptic Christian artwork, the Coptic Museum in Cairo is a must-see for visitors interested in Christian art or Egyptian history after the pharaohs.

History

The Coptic Museum was founded in 1910 and recently reopened after extensive renovations.

What to See

The Coptic Museum is generally arranged by artistic medium. The first floor has carved stone and stucco, frescoes, and woodwork. The second floor includes textiles, manuscripts, icons, and metalwork.

The collection includes many exquisite works of art, as well as some artifacts notable for their religious syncretism - the gradual transformation of the Egyptian ankh into the cross and divine sun discs into halos, Christian scenes incorporating Egyptian gods, and ancient Egyptian columns transformed into baptismal fonts.

Some of the Nag Hammadi manuscripts, important early copies of Gnostic-Christian writings like the Gospel of Thomas, are upstairs.

Quick Facts

Site Information
Names: Coptic Museum
Location:Cairo, Egypt
Faith:Christianity
Denomination:Coptic
Category: Museums
Visitor Information
Address:Shara Mari Girgis, Cairo, Egypt
Coordinates: 30.00589° N, 31.230623° E   (view on Google Maps)
Lodging:View hotels near this location
Phone:02/33628766, 02/33639742
Public transport:Metro: Mar Girgis

Note: This information was accurate when published and we do our best to keep it updated, but details such as opening hours can change without notice. To avoid disappointment, please check with the site directly before making a special trip.

Travel Resources

Location Map

Below is a location map and aerial view of Coptic Museum. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Cairo Map.

Article Sources

  1. The Coptic Museum - official website
  2. Coptic Museum - Fodor's Egypt
  3. Coptic Museum - Frommer's Egypt
  4. Reviews of the Coptic Museum - TripAdvisor traveler reviews & tips
  5. The Coptic Museum - Egypt State Information Service


Last updated on August 19, 2009.






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