LIFE IN EGYPT

Egypt is so much more than sandy deserts and stony temples and tombs. It is a country steeped in history where one gets immersed in a world of fascinating traditions, wonderful people, and amazing sights. Cairo to the north is a fast paced vibrant metropolis with the old and new melding to create a beautiful artwork of the ancient intertwined with the modern. In the heart of the city, one sees rustic, historical buildings, temples, and markets while the outskirts are home to modern, western influenced apartments, stores, and entertainment centers. Driving through Cairo, one hears the traditional songs of the Egyptian people played alongside modern Arabic pop music. The streets are filled with elder gentlemen dressed in galabeyas (tunics) while the younger crowds don brand name jeans and sneakers.

Southern Egypt is just as beautiful with its rolling sand dune hills, cooling desert breeze, and amazing blue skies. Since Aswan and Luxor have less traffic than Cairo, and thus substantially less pollution, the night skies are filled with twinkling stars and the bright moon. Markets come to life with the vibrant colors of fabrics, fruits, and flowers and the scents of spices, perfumes, and incense. The Nile flows lazily around boulders while the islands that dot the river are adorned with a multitude of singing birds and beautiful plants and flowers.

EGYPTIAN MUSEUM IN CAIRO

HISTORY

The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities located in Cairo is home to the world’s largest collection of Pharaonic relics with an estimated 150,000 artifacts on display ranging from the predynastic era through the time of Graeco-Roman rule. The first efforts to create a national museum was in 1835 by Mohammed Ali as a means to ending the rampant looting of archaeological sites. This would lead Auguste Mariette to form the Antiquities Service in 1858 which in turn established a permanent collection of artifacts in Cairo. Mariette dedicated the remainder of his life to the museum and would eventually be first buried in the museum’s garden. His remains were then moved to the home of Khedive Ismail in Giza as were the museum’s collections. In 1902, the collections were returned to Cairo and housed in the museum’s current location by Tahrir Square. 

VISITING THE MUSEUM 

The Egyptian Museum is a two storied, pale pink building situated near the famous Tahrir Square. The museum has a small garden in the front where one comes across various stone monuments and a memorial to Mariette and other great Egyptologists. Once inside, visitors are greeted with two floors filled with statues, furniture, jewelry, funerary masks, coins, papyrus, mummies, and more. The exhibits inside the museum are arranged in chronological order with the second floor also containing the special exhibits of the Treasures of King Tutankhamun and the Royal Mummies Hall.   

A statue of a sphinx in front of the Museum.

A statue paying tribute to Mariette.

The current museum will soon be replaced by the new Grand Egyptian Museum which is being built in Giza near the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. This museum has faced multiple construction delays but it is expected to open in 2019. 

When I first visited the Egyptian Museum in 2010, I was impressed by two things: 1) the amazing collection of interesting and beautiful Ancient Egyptian artifacts 2) the condition of the museum. Some of the items I came across did not have a caption explaining the artifact and some parts of the museum had rather poor lighting. Unfortunately, things were worse during my second visit in 2018. I noticed that sections of the museum were rather dark, some exhibits were missing items since artifacts are being transferred to the new museum, and the building itself had a rather dreary feel to it. Also, on this recent journey, I saw that the museum gift shop is now a series of vendor kiosks situated at the exit. Unlike the vendor kiosks found at other sites, these were more like stores in that there was no haggling and the items seemed to be of better quality.

As I write this post, I am at a loss as to what advice I can provide in regards to visiting the Egyptian Museum. The other day, I came across pictures showing tourists walking through empty exhibits as more items are transferred to the new museum by the day. I do know that the Treasures of King Tutankhamun and the Royal Mummies Hall are still open but it is hard to find information as to what other exhibits still contain items. I do highly suggest that if you plan on visiting the museum, try to make a trip without a tour group. The benefit of going to the museum with a tour group is that your guide can provide information on the artifacts but the tour will last only an hour or two and there is insufficient free time. During my two visits, I was only given about 30 minutes of free time which is definitely not enough to run to the Royal Mummies Hall, Treasures of King Tutankhamun, and other exhibits not toured with your group. 

NOTE I do recommend purchasing the photo pass to take pictures of the amazing artifacts throughout the museum. The only two locations where photos are not allowed is the Royal Mummies Hall and the room containing the most valuable of the Treasures of King Tutankhamun which includes the famous golden mask. 

NOTE The Royal Mummies Hall contains partially unwrapped mummies! You will be able to see their facial features, nails, and on some, their hair. These mummies may be considered graphic for some so proceed with caution. Also, there is an additional fee to visit this exhibit.

Menkaure triad.

Statue of the Pharaoh Khafre.

King Tut's throne.

King Tut's canopic jars.