Egyptian Museum, Cairo
The Egyptian Antiquities Museum in Cairo, known more commonly as the Egyptian Museum, is a huge neoclassical building that houses the largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts in the world.
History
The Egyptian Museum is an outgrowth of the Egyptian Antiquities Service, established by the Egyptian government in 1835 in an attempt to limit the looting of Egypt's priceless artifacts.
The museum opened in 1858 with a collection assembled by Auguste Mariette, the French archaeologist retained by Isma'il Pasha.
After residing in an annex of the palace of Ismail Pasha in Giza from 1880, the museum moved to its present location, a neoclassical structure on Tahrir Square in Cairo's city center, in 1900.
What to See
With more than 120,000 items in total, it is said that if you were to spend just one minute on each item in the Egyptian Museum, it would take over nine months to complete the tour.
Needless to say, you need to be selective, and it's a good idea to hire a museum guide or buy the comprehensive and practical Egyptian Museum in Cairo: Official Catalogue (£e100).
One major highlight is the famous Pharaoh Tutankhamen collection on the museum's upper floor. On display here is the beautiful gold funerary mask and sarcophagus, ancient trumpet, thrones, the four huge gilded boxes that fit one inside the other, and even a royal toilet seat. The remarkably intact tomb was found by Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings in 1923.
Also upstairs is the royal Mummy Room, which houses 11 royal mummies from pharaonic times. If you are discouraged by the Mummy Room's steep entrance fee, don't miss the assortment of mummified animals and birds in the adjacent room, which has no additional charge.
Location Map
Location map and satellite view of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. 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. You can explore all of Cairo from space on our Cairo Satellite Map.
Quick Facts
| Address: | al-Mathaf al-Masri, Maydan Tahrir, Cairo, Egypt |
| Phone: | 02/575-4319 |
| Hours: | Daily 9-4:30 |
| Cost: | £e20; Mummy Room £e40; additional £e10 to use your camera and £e100 to use your video recorder. |
Sources
- Egyptian Museum in Cairo – Official Website
- Fodor's Exploring Egypt
