The Egyptian Museum
A Treasury of Civilisation
In the heart of Cairo, just off Tahrir Square, stands a museum that holds more of Egypt’s past than any other place on earth. The Egyptian Museum, opened in 1902, is itself a landmark — a grand, century-old building whose galleries contain the most extensive collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts in the world.
Here, more than 120,000 objects tell the story of over three millennia, from the earliest dynasties of the Old Kingdom to the last days of the Greco-Roman period. The sheer abundance is overwhelming: colossal statues carved from granite, delicate papyri inscribed with prayers, golden jewelry still gleaming after thousands of years, and everyday objects that speak of lives lived long ago.
Unlike the curated elegance of smaller museums, the Egyptian Museum is a treasure house in the truest sense. Its galleries are dense with history, row upon row of masterpieces that together form a panorama of the ancient world. To walk its halls is to journey through the entire span of Egypt’s civilisation — not in books or reconstructions, but through the very objects that once filled temples, palaces, and tombs.
Experience it
Among the countless objects in the Egyptian Museum, certain treasures stand apart, each one capable of drawing visitors from around the world.
The most famous are the treasures of Tutankhamun. Discovered in his tomb in 1922, they remain the most complete royal burial ever found. Here, behind glass, gleams the boy king’s golden funerary mask — one of the most iconic objects in human history. Around it are gilded shrines, jewelry, chariots, and amulets, each a fragment of the lavish world that surrounded him in life and death.
The museum holds masterpieces in every corner. The statues of Amenhotep III and Tiye, serene and lifelike. Ancient papyri inked with the spells of the Book of the Dead. Intricate jewelry, amulets, and tools that reveal not only power but daily life. Each gallery holds surprises, each case a story.
Experience it
More than a century after it first opened its doors, the Egyptian Museum remains a place of wonder. Its pink-painted façade overlooking Tahrir Square has witnessed revolutions, restorations, and generations of travelers. Inside, the atmosphere is unlike any other museum in the world: historic, almost chaotic, yet alive with the presence of the past.
Today, many of the treasures of Tutankhamun are being transferred to the new Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza, designed as a modern showcase for Egypt’s most famous pharaoh. Yet the Egyptian Museum retains its unique aura. Here, the galleries feel timeless — wood and glass cases filled with artifacts arranged much as they were in the early 20th century, statues looming in half-shadow, rows of sarcophagi stretching into the distance. It is a treasure house where history surrounds you at every turn, where masterpieces seem to appear suddenly, as if waiting to be discovered.
Visit one of the most spectacular museums in the world.
