National Museum
Egyptian Museum
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Egyptian Museum is a national museum in Cairo, Egypt.
About Egyptian Museum
Overview & Identity
The Egyptian Museum, located in the heart of Cairo on the northern side of Tahrir Square, is a premier institution dedicated to ancient Egyptian antiquities. It serves as the central repository for artifacts spanning from the pre-dynastic period to the Greco-Roman era. The museum is overseen by the Museums Sector of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Its collection is so extensive that it has been described as resembling a storage facility, a feature the museum's leadership historically defended as a reflection of a pharaonic tomb or temple where every space is utilized for display.
History & Founding
The origins of the museum date back to 1835 when the Egyptian government established a museum near the Youssef Diaa Effendi. Following the foundation of the new Antiquities Department, artifacts were moved to various locations before settling in the current building. The museum was officially opened on November 15, 1902. The initial exhibition style arranged halls gradually without specific rooms for periods of turmoil, which were deemed historically insignificant. Artifacts were categorized by theme, with large statues on the ground floor and funerary items in chronological order on the first floor.
Building & Architecture
The architectural design of the museum was created by the French architect Marcel Dournon in 1897, intended for the northern area of Tahrir Square. The building was registered as a heritage site in 1983 for its architectural value. A major renovation began in August 2006, involving the restoration of walls, columns, and decorations, as well as the replacement of window glass with UV-protective glass. The restoration relied on 257 preserved panels in the museum's library that displayed the building's original designs. The original gardens, which once reached the Nile banks, were largely seized in 1954 to build the Cairo Municipality Building.
Collection Highlights & Layout
The museum features two main floors. The ground floor houses large-scale works in stone, including statues, reliefs, and architectural elements, arranged chronologically from pre-dynastic to Greco-Roman periods. It also contains artifacts from the New Kingdom (1550–1069 BC), such as sarcophagi and boats, across 42 rooms. The first floor displays artifacts from the final two dynasties, including items from royal tombs. Notable holdings include papyrus fragments in Greek and other languages, and until 2021, two rooms contained several royal mummies. The collection also includes a memorial to famous Egyptologists in the adjacent garden.
The Museum Library
Established at the museum's opening, the library was supported by funds allocated since 1899 for book purchases. Egyptologist Maspero advocated for a permanent budget and appointed Dacros as the first librarian (1903–1906). The library grew to include over 50,000 books and volumes on ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern archaeology. It features two reading rooms and a storage area. Notable librarians include Monier, who compiled a catalogue until 1926, and Diaa El-Din Abu Ghazi, who became head librarian in 1950 and expanded the library's international exchanges.
Plan your visit
Egyptian Museum
- Website
- egyptianmuseumcairo.eg