Coptic Museum, Cairo

Photo jaywaykay. Photo © jaywaykay. View all images in our Coptic Museum Photo Gallery.

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 on Coptic Museum

Site Information
Names:	Coptic Museum; Coptic Museum, Cairo
City:	Cairo
Country:	Egypt
cat:	Museums
faith:	Christianity; Coptic
Visitor and Contact Information
Address:	Shara Mari Girgis, Cairo, Egypt
Coordinates:	30.005890° N, 31.230623° E (view on Google Maps)
Opening Hours:	Daily 9am-5pm (ticket office closes at 4pm)
Cost:	£e16; students £e8
Transport:	Metro: Mar Girgis
Phone:	02/33628766, 02/33639742
Lodging:	View hotels near this location

Note: This information was accurate when first 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.

Map of Coptic Museum

Below is a location map and aerial view of Coptic Museum. Using the buttons on the left (or the wheel on your mouse), you can zoom in for a closer look, or zoom out to get your bearings. To move around, click and drag the map with your mouse.

References

The Coptic Museum - official website
Coptic Museum - Fodor's Egypt
Coptic Museum - Frommer's Egypt
Reviews of the Coptic Museum - TripAdvisor traveler reviews & tips
The Coptic Museum - Egypt State Information Service

More Information

Coptic Museum, Cairo - Go Historic
Photos of Coptic Museum - here on Sacred Destinations

Article Info

Title:	Coptic Museum, Cairo
Author:	Holly Hayes
Last updated:	08/19/2009
Permalink:	www.sacred-destinations.com/egypt/cairo-coptic-museum
Link code:	<a href="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/egypt/cairo-coptic-museum">Coptic Museum, Cairo</a>