Museums of Egypt: From Known to Unknown
By Kenzy Fahmy
From the four corners of the globe, people sat and watched in amazement as Egypt moved 22 royal mummies from the Egyptian Museum to their new home in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization on the eve of its inauguration. Egyptians watched with pride the beautiful performances and displays of the country’s history, and for days, people spoke of little else.
With a history as rich as ours, it’s no wonder that there are so many museums around the country. From grand museums dedicated to ancient civilizations to smaller ones that offer intimate glimpses into what life was like a hundred or two hundred years ago. There are museums dedicated to the military and to the royal family, museums housing collections of geological artifacts and those that are home to Islamic and Coptic art; there is no shortage of places to explore.
So to celebrate our many wonderful museums, and the opening of one more, we’ve put together a list of some of the most interesting ones from all over the country; keep reading for our top picks!
Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo
Without a doubt one of the Egypt’s best museums, and possibly one of the most underrated. After a period of restoration, the museum is now very well-kept and organized, making it easy to find your way around and take everything in, and there’s a lot. The museum reportedly carries over 100,000 artifacts relating to Egypt’s Islamic history, making it one of the largest collections of Islamic artifacts in the world. The idea can be credited to Khedive Ismail, like so many of Cairo’s gems, with its official opening taking place in 1903.
Open every day from 9am to 5pm (except for Friday prayers).
The Egyptian Geology Museum, Cairo
Founded in the early 20th century and filled with minerals, fossils and other pieces of Egypt’s geological history, this is another underrated museum that’s worth passing by. The museum is also home to an impressive (and valuable) meteorite collection, including the Egyptian “Nakhlite” which is believed to be from Mars, as well as a rare books library with volumes dating back to the 18th century.
Open weekdays from 9am to 2pm.
Mahmoud Khalil Museum, Cairo
With a collection of over 300 valuable works of art from Mahmoud Khalil’s (Prime Minister under Farouk I) private art collection, which he donated shortly before his death in 1953, this is a must-see for anyone who appreciates fine art. The museum has just reopened after 10 years, and to celebrate the occasion, entrance is free for the next month! The museum includes works by Gaugin, Monet, Renoir and many more, rivaling even European national collections.
Open Sunday to Friday from 8am to 5pm.
Sharm el Sheikh Museum
Newly open just months ago, this is the first museum to open in Sinai that’s dedicated to Pharaonic Egypt, giving tourists in Sharm el Sheikh a chance to experience ancient Egyptian civilization while on a beach holiday. The museum holds over 5,000 pieces from different time periods in Egypt’s ancient history, as well as a special exhibit dedicated to wildlife and the relationships ancient Egyptians had with the animals around them.
Open every day from 10am to 1pm and 5pm to 11pm.
Hurghada Museum
Another newly opened museum along Egypt’s Red Sea coast, and Hurghada’s very first, this museum houses over 1,000 artifacts of Egyptian history, from Pharaonic to Coptic. This is actually the first museum to open in the Red Sea Governorate, with its inauguration taking place in early 2020. You’ll find fascinating objects that give insight into the daily lives of ancient Egyptians, as well as oil portraits and a Torah scroll case.
Open every day from 10am to 1pm and 5pm to 11pm.
Wadi El Hitan, Fayoum
This one-of-a-kind open air museum is an experience that’s not to be missed. Just outside of Fayoum, within the desert canyons of Wadi Rayan Protectorate lies the valley of the whales, or Wadi El Hitan. A 1 to 2 hour trail leads you through the valley, speckled with the ancient skeletal remains of pre-historic whales and other sea creatures that got trapped in the Wadi many millions of years ago. It’s a fascinating walk and very pleasant during the cooler months. There’s also the beautifully designed Fossil and Climate Change indoor museum by the entrance that’s well worth a visit.
Open every day from 9am to 5pm.
Mummification Museum, Luxor
While quite small, this is still a fascinating museum to visit and highly recommended for anyone in Luxor. You’ll see just how ancient Egyptians preserved the remains of their dead, detailing the complex process from start to finish, including the tools they used and the stunning way they decorated the urns, coffins and mummies themselves. This museum provides amazing insights into how people at the time viewed death and the importance the afterlife held to them.
Open every day from 9am to 10pm.
Royal Jewelry Museum, Alexandria
Located in the former palace of Princess Fatma Al-Zahraa, this little-known museum is one of the city’s hidden gems; people have only just started to shine a spotlight on it in recent years, finally giving it the attention it deserves. The museum is home to a large collection of jewels and jewelry from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty, as well as fine art that dates back to the 19th century. The spectacularly designed palace itself was built in the early 1900s, and turned into a museum in 1986.
Open every day from 9am to 5pm.
The Gayer Anderson Museum, Cairo
Located next to Ibn Tulun Mosque in Old Cairo, this house-turned-museum is an intimate look into the life of Gayer Anderson, a British Major in the Egyptian Army during the early 1900s, later to be given the title of Gayer Anderson Pasha. One of the most well-preserved examples of a residence decorated and filled with Islamic art, restored by Anderson in the 30s, the museum is filled with fine art and exquisitely ornate furnishings, everything just as it was, a capsule of Old Cairo frozen in time. This is an experience that should not be missed!
Open every day from 9am to 4pm.
The Coptic Museum, Cairo
Home to thousands of precious Coptic works of art and history, one can easily spend hours here. Most of the museum’s collection was originally housed in the Egyptian Museum and moved to its current home near the old churches of Cairo in 1939, with all Christian discoveries made since then coming here directly. You’ll find artifacts that date from ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman times to more modern Islamic periods, including some stunning frescoes, sculptures, delicately woven cloths and tapestries, and various manuscripts. Hit two birds with one stone and pass by the Hanging Church nearby!
Open every day from 9am to 3pm.
The Egyptian Museum, Cairo
It’s hard to find the words to do this museum justice. Although it has a reputation for being neglected and for improperly storing and displaying artifacts, this museum is incredibly special; the phrase “If walls could speak” comes to mind. Housing one of the most impressive collections in the world dedicated to a single civilization, much of which is being distributed to the newer museums opening around the country, the Egyptian Museum is a place where you can truly get lost in the past, and in the building! It’s notoriously disorganized and full of clutter, which adds plenty of character and authenticity. It also means it is very easy to find yourself going in circles or missing an entire wing. This museum deserves a full day so make sure you go when you have plenty of time.
Open every day from 9am to 5pm.
The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Cairo
And last but not least, Egypt’s latest pride and joy; the museum is now open to visitors after welcoming the royal mummies from the Egyptian Museum just days ago. The museum takes you on a journey from Egypt’s pre-history and the Ancient Egyptian dynasties to the Roman and Greek periods and later Islamic and Ottoman times. It brings together all the parts that make up the whole to show anyone who passes through its doors just how great of a civilization Egypt has been.
The museum is open every day from 9am to 4pm, and there’s a 50% discount on ticket prices until April 17th, at which point the Mummies Hall will open to visitors as well.
