AnEgyptological museum, it houses the largest collection ofEgyptian antiquities in the world, including over 170,000 items. The Egyptian Museum occupies a building constructed in 1901 onTahrir Square inCairo, Egypt, and is one of the largest museums in Africa as well as the first national museum of theMiddle East.[1]
Aerial view 1904 from a balloon where the Egyptian Museum appears to the right side.The Egyptian Museum in the 1950s
The Egyptian government established a museum in 1835 near theEzbekieh Garden.
Youssef Diaa Effendi, the Director of theAntiquities Department, began inspecting the antiquities of MiddleEgypt shortly after assuming his position, focusing on those discovered by farmers. In 1848,Muhammad Ali Pasha assigned Linan Bek, the Minister of Education, to compile a report on archaeological sites and send artifacts to the Egyptian Museum. However, this effort was not successful due to the death of Muhammad Ali Pasha in 1849, followed by a period of instability. The trade in antiquities resurfaced, and the collection housed in the museum established inAzbakeya began to shrink until it was transferred to a single hall in theCairo Citadel. The situation worsened whenKhedive Abbas Idonated the entire contents of this hall toArchduke Maximilian of Austria during his visit to the citadel in 1855; these are now in theKunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
Following the foundation of the new Antiquities Department under the direction ofAuguste Mariette, a new museum was established in 1858 atBoulaq in a former warehouse on the riverbank. Mariette considered the Boulaq Museum a temporary location, and after the building was damaged in an 1878 Nile flood, he advocated for a permanent museum with greater capacity, situated away from the flood path. After Mariette's death, he was succeeded byGaston Maspero, who attempted to move themuseum fromBoulaq but was unsuccessful. By 1889, the building was overcrowded, with no available rooms for more artifacts in either the exhibition halls or storage areas. Artifacts discovered during excavations were often left for long periods in boats in Upper Egypt.Khedive Ismail offered one of his palaces inGiza, the location of the present-day zoo, to serve as the new museum. Between the summer and the end of 1889, all the artifacts were moved from the Boulaq Museum to Giza,[2] and the artifacts were reorganized in the new museum by the scholar De Morgan, who served as the museum's director. From 1897 to 1899, Loret succeeded De Morgan, but Maspero returned to manage the museum from 1899 to 1914.[3][4]
The artifacts remained there until 1902 when they were moved again to the current museum inTahrir Square, built by theItalian company of Giuseppe Garozzo and Francesco Zaffrani to a design by theFrench architect Marcel Dourgnon.[5]
The architectural design of the museum was created by the French architect Marcel Dournon in 1897, to be located in the northern area ofTahrir Square (formerly Ismailia Square), along the British Army barracks in Cairo nearQasr El-Nil. The foundation stone was laid on 1 April 1897, in the presence ofKhedive Abbas Hilmi II, the Prime Minister, and all his cabinet members.[6][7][8] The project was completed by the German architect Hermann Grabe. In November 1903, the Antiquities Department appointed the Italian architect Alessandro Parazenti, who had received the keys to the museum on 9 March 1902, and began transferring the archaeological collections fromKhedive Ismail's palace in Giza to the new museum. This operation involved the use of five thousand wooden carts, while large artifacts were transported by two trains, making about nineteen round trips between Giza and Qasr El-Nil. The first shipment carried approximately forty-eight stone coffins, weighing over a thousand tons in total. The transfer was completed by 13 July 1902, and Mariette's tomb was moved to the museum garden in accordance with his wish to be buried among the artifacts he had spent much of his life collecting.
The Egyptian Museum was officially opened on 15 November 1902. The new museum adopted an exhibition style based on a gradual arrangement of halls, without allocating rooms for periods of turmoil, as they were considered historically insignificant. The museum's artifacts were categorised by theme; for architectural reasons, large statues were placed on the ground floor, while funerary items were displayed on the first floor in chronological order. Each day, new artifacts were arranged and displayed by theme in various rooms. The museum became the only one in the world so filled with artifacts that it resembled a storage facility. When asked about this, Maspero replied that the Egyptian Museum was a reflection of a pharaonic tomb or temple, where every part of the space was used to display paintings or hieroglyphic inscriptions.[9]
The museum's gardens used to reach the banks of the Nile; however, in 1954, the majority of the property was seized to build the Cairo Municipality Building.[10]
In 2004, the museum appointedWafaa El Saddik as the first female director general.[11]
In theEgyptian Revolution of 2011, the museum was broken into and reportedly used as a torture site, with protestors forcibly detained and allegedly abused, according to reports, videos, and eyewitness accounts.[12] Activists state that "men were being tortured with electric shocks, whips and wires," and "women were tied to fences and trees." Singer and activistRamy Essam was among those detained and tortured.[13]
During this time, two mummies were destroyed,[14][15] a third was damaged by fire, several artifacts were damaged, and 54 objects were stolen.[16] Twenty-five of the missing objects were found soon after on the grounds of the museum. Among these were six of sevenUshabtis of Yuya, and a statuette recovered in 2014; one shabti remains missing.[17] The restored artifacts were displayed in September 2013 in an exhibition titled "Damaged and Restored". Among these artefacts were two statues of KingTutankhamun made of cedar wood and covered with gold, a statue of KingAkhenaten,Ushabti statues that belonged to the Nubian kings, a mummy of a child that was unwrapped due to its bandages being burned, and a small polychrome glass vase.[18]
Statue of Tutankhamun harpooning on a reed float before it was damaged in the 2011 revolution
The same statue after damage and subsequent restoration. The object in its left hand is now gone.
Gilded wooden statue ofTutankhamun being carried by the goddess Menkeret. It was looted during the25 January 2011 Revolution and has been missing since.
In 1983, the museum building was registered as a heritage site for its architectural value. In August 2006, a major renovation began.[19] This included a cultural center and an administrative-commercial annex on the western side of the museum, where informal settlements were removed.[20] Due to damage the building had suffered over the years from pollution and heavy traffic, which obscured much of its original appearance, the Ministry of Antiquities launched an initiative in May 2012 to create a rehabilitation plan for the museum. The German Foreign Ministry funded the necessary studies and research, and the International Environmental Quality Association participated in implementing the initiative. The project included architectural and engineering restoration work, as well as redevelopment of the surrounding area ofTahrir Square. The project was completed by 2016, after restoring the eastern and northern wings, addressing lighting issues, and reorganizing artifact displays.
Lighting in the main hall
The first phase involved sampling the original color of the museum building and restoring the walls. It also included wall surface restoration, the restoration of wall and column decorations, the replacement of window glass with UV-protective glass to safeguard the artifacts, and the restoration of the original ventilation system. Restoration work relied on 257 preserved panels within the museum's library, which displayed the building's original designs.[21][22]
In July 2016, theMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt) upgraded the museum's internal and external lighting systems, enabling nighttime visits. In November 2018, the final phase was inaugurated, which included a new exhibition layout, the display of the collections of Yuya and Thuya on the upper floor, and KingTutankhamun's artifacts, until the rest of his collection is moved to theGrand Egyptian Museum. The works also involved repainting the walls, upgrading the outlets, updating the lighting system, and restoring the display cases. A committee that included directors from the museums of Turin, the Louvre, United Museums, and Berlin oversaw the redistribution of artifacts.[23][24]
A painting on wood depictingTutankhamun defeating his enemies
The museum library was established at the museum's opening, with funds allocated since 1899 for the purchase of books. The Egyptologist Maspero advocated for a permanent budget for acquiring books and appointed Dacros as the first librarian from 1903 to 1906. He was succeeded by several librarians, including Monier, who compiled a catalogue of the library's holdings until 1926. Abdel Mohsen El-Khashab later assumed management, assisted by Diaa El-Din Abu Ghazi, who became head librarian in 1950. Abu Ghazi prepared catalogues, increased international exchanges, and expanded the library, which eventually grew to its current two-story size with two reading rooms and a storage area for publications.
The library houses over 50,000 books and volumes, including rare works on ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern archaeology, as well as other specialised fields. Notable holdings includeDescription de l'Égypte,Antiquités de l'Égypte et de la Nubie, and Lepsius' works. The library also contains a collection of maps, paintings, and photographs.[25]
Prehistoric Period: Pottery, jewellery, hunting tools, and everyday items from before the advent of writing. These artefacts reflect the life of early Egyptians who settled in the north, central, and southern parts of the country.[26][27]
Early Dynastic Period: Artefacts from the First and Second Dynasties, including the Narmer Palette, the statue of Khasekhemwy, and various vessels and tools.[27][26]
Old Kingdom Period: Statues ofDjoser,Khafre, Menkaure, Sheikh El-Balad, the dwarf Seneb, King Pepi I, and his son Merenre, as well as coffins, wall paintings, and the collection of QueenHetepheres I.
Middle Kingdom Period: The statue of KingMontuhotep II, statues of 12th Dynasty rulers including Senusret I andAmenemhat III, and the treasures of princessesMereret,Sithathoriunet, andKhenmet. Also includes coffins, jewellery, daily life tools, and pyramid fragments from the Faiyum region.[27][26]
Tutankhamun's throne chair
New Kingdom Period: The treasures ofTutankhamun, statues ofHatshepsut,Thutmose III, andRamesses II, chariots, papyri, jewellery, Akhenaten's collection, theIsrael Stele, statues ofAmenhotep III and his wife Ti, amulets, writing tools, and agricultural instruments. The Royal Mummy Collection was displayed in a dedicated hall opened in 1994 until the mummies were transferred to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation inFustat during the Royal Mummy Parade in 2021.
Late Period: The treasures ofTanis (gold, silver, and precious stones from the tombs of 21st and 22nd dynasty kings and queens), the funerary masks ofPsusennes I,Amenemope, andShoshenq II, statues of Amun, Mentuhotep, and the goddess Tauret, theCanopus Jar Lid (Abu Qir), the stela of Baiankh, and Nubian artefacts, some of which have been transferred to theNubian Museum inAswan.[26][27]
Roman Period: Includes theDush Treasure, discovered in 1989.
In August 2004, it was announced that 38 artefacts had disappeared from the museum and could not be located. The incident was referred to the public prosecution for investigation.[28]
During the security turmoil following the 25 January Revolution, the museum was broken into on28 January 2011 by unidentified individuals, and 54 artefacts were stolen.Zahi Hawass, then director of theSupreme Council of Antiquities, stated "My heart is broken and my blood is boiling".[29] Hawass later toldThe New York Times that thieves looking for gold broke 70 objects, including two sculptures ofTutankhamun, and took two skulls from a research lab before being stopped as they left the museum.[30] In response, the military cordoned off the museum to secure it against looting and theft.[31]
In September 2025, authorities announced the theft of a 3,000-year-old gold bracelet dating from the reign ofKing Amenemope from the museum. Four people, including a restoration specialist, were subsequently arrested. The specialist confessed to stealing the artefact from a museum safe, then selling it to a succession of jewellers, who then sold it to a gold foundry worker, who melted it down.[32]
The museum is located in the heart of Cairo, on the northern side of Tahrir Square (Downtown). It is accessible by public transportation, private cars with parking available at the multi-story Tahrir parking lot, or the easier option of using the metro, exiting at Sadat Station, which directly overlooks Tahrir Square.[33] The museum is open daily from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, with special hours on Fridays from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM and from 1:30 PM to 7:00 PM.[34][35] Photography is not allowed inside the museum due to the negative effects of camera flashes on the small artifacts' colors. However, personal photography is permitted for a fee of 50 EGP for both Egyptians and foreigners, except in the Hall of the Golden Mask and the Royal Mummy Halls.[36][37] Occasionally, free photography is allowed on specific days to encourage tourism and increase visitors to the museum. Visitors can also rent an audio guide inside the museum for 25 EGP, providing detailed information about the displayed artifacts.[38]
TheDepartment of Antiquities (Service d'Antiquités Egyptien) operated a sale room (Salle de ventes) in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo from 1902 in room 56 on the ground floor, where original ancient Egyptian artworks and other original artefacts were sold. In addition, until the 1970s, dealers or collectors could bring antiquities to the Cairo Museum for inspection on Thursdays, and if museum officials had no objections, they could pack them in ready-made boxes, have them sealed and cleared for export. Many objects now held in private collections or public museums originated here. After years of debate about the strategy for selling the antiquities, the sale room was closed in November 1979.[39]
The museum is overseen by the Museums Sector of theSupreme Council of Antiquities, which is part of theMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt). The management of the museum is entrusted to the position of museum director, a role held by several prominent figures in the field of Egyptology, including:[40]
The museum has two main floors: the ground floor and the first floor. On the ground floor is a collection of large-scale works in stone, including statues, reliefs, and architectural elements. These are arranged chronologically in a clockwise fashion, from the pre-dynastic to the Greco-Roman period.[59] The first floor is dedicated to smaller works, including papyri, coins, textiles, and a collection of wooden sarcophagi.
The numerous pieces of papyrus are generally small fragments, owing to their decay over the past two millennia. Several languages are found on these pieces, including Greek,Latin, Arabic, andancient Egyptian. The coins found on this floor are made of many different metals, including gold, silver, and bronze. The coins are not only Egyptian, but also Greek, Roman, and Islamic. This has helped historians research the history of Ancient Egyptian trade.
Also on the ground floor are artefacts from the New Kingdom, a time period spanning from 1550 to 1069 BC. These artefacts are generally larger than items created in earlier centuries. Those items include statues, tables, and coffins (sarcophagi). It contains 42 rooms, with many items on view from sarcophagi and boats to enormous statues.
Collections are also being transferred to theGrand Egyptian Museum in Giza, including all the artefacts found inside Tutankhamun's tomb.[9] "Among the reasons that the GEM itself was conceived, the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir has been criticized for being overcrowded, displaying pieces in a way that is said to make the experience cumbersome for visitors."[9]
^Hawass, Zahi (7 December 2002)."آثار وأسرار المتحف المصري" [Antiquities and Secrets of the Egyptian Museum].Al-Ahram (in Arabic). Archived fromthe original on 9 January 2004. Retrieved2 October 2015.
^Tarabili, Abbas (16 November 2013)."حكاية المتحف المصري!" [Tale of the Egyptian Museum!].Al-Wafd (in Arabic). Archived fromthe original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved5 September 2016.
^Osman, Ahmed (10 July 2016)."الآثار يعتمد عقد تطوير المتحف المصرى بمليون و600" [Antiquities Approves EGP 1.6 Million Contract to Develop the Egyptian Museum].The Seventh Day (in Arabic). Archived fromthe original on 5 March 2020. Retrieved5 September 2016.
^Mansour, Ahmed (30 July 2018)."تعرف على خطة تطوير المتحف المصرى بالتحرير قبل افتتاحه 15" [Learn About the Development Plan of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Ahead of Its Opening on November 15].The Seventh Day (in Arabic). Archived fromthe original on 5 March 2020. Retrieved24 November 2018.
^Hashem, Razavi (15 November 2018)."وزير الآثار: انتهاء تجديد المتحف المصري" [Minister of Antiquities: Egyptian Museum Renovation Finished].Al-Watan (in Arabic). Archived fromthe original on 24 November 2018. Retrieved24 November 2018.
^abcd"المتحف المصري" [Egyptian Museum].State Information Service (Egypt) (in Arabic). Archived fromthe original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved2 October 2015.
^Lawler, Andrew (2011)."Archaeologists Hold Their Breaths on Status of Egyptian Antiquities".Science. Washington, DC, US:AAAS.Archived from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved25 January 2016.The current political upheaval in Egypt has put the country's famed antiquities, from its museums to archaeological sites, under siege. / On 29 January, a small band of looters entered Cairo's Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, slicing the heads from two mummies, smashing display cases, and damaging other artifacts, according to media reports and Zahi Hawass, the director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. Hawass, who, a source says, was promoted yesterday to the new position of Minister of Antiquities as part of a cabinet shakeup, faxed a colleague in Italy to say that 13 cases were destroyed. "My heart is broken and my blood is boiling," the U.S.-trained archaeologist lamented.
^Taylor, Kate (2011)."Middle East: Antiquities Chief Says Sites Are Largely Secure".The New York Times.Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved25 January 2016.A vast majority of Egypt's museums and archaeological sites are secure and have not been looted, Zahi Hawass, Egypt's chief antiquities official, said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. He also rejected comparisons between the current situation in Egypt and scenes of chaos and discord that destroyed artifacts in Iraq and Afghanistan. / 'People are asking me, "Do you think Egypt will be like Afghanistan?" ' he said. 'And I say, "No, Egyptians are different — they love me because I protect antiquities." '
Montet, Pierre (1968).Lives of the Pharaohs. World Publishing Company.
El-Saddik, Wafaa (2005). "The Egyptian Museum".Museum International.57 (1–2).
Tiradritti, Francesco, ed. (1999).Egyptian Treasures from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Photography by Araldo De Luca. New York: Harry N. Abrams.ISBN978-0-8109-3276-0.
Wilkinson, Toby (2020).A World Beneath the Sands: Adventurers and Archaeologists in the Golden Age of Egyptology. London: Picador.ISBN978-1-5098-5870-5.
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
