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- The Egyptian Museum in Cairo
The Egyptian Museum in Cairo

Topics Covered:
- Ancient Museum History
- Ground Floor Highlights
- The Royal Mummy Room
- Top Tips
- First Floor Treasures
Ancient Museum History
You cannot visit Egypt and miss the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known as the Egyptian Museum in Cairo houses the world’s most exquisite and extensive collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts, covering more than 3,000 years, from the Old Kingdom to the Roman period in Egypt. It’s said that if you allowed one minute for each exhibit, it would take nine months to see everything here. But if that’s a little too long, take at least a morning ( or better still two ) to see the museum’s many highlights, even though the exhibits are often badly lit and displayed. The ground floor is arranged chronologically, moving clockwise from the entrance hall, while exhibits on the first floor are grouped thematically.
If you're planning your visit as part of a broader discovery of Egypt, many Egypt tours include a guided stop at the museum, making it easier to appreciate its vast collection.

Ground Floor Highlights
The beginnings of Egyptian art are marked by the Narmer Palette which records the unification of Egypt by King Menes, and by the museum’s oldest statues- that of the seated King Zoser was found near his step pyramid at Saqqara. The smooth black statue of the pyramid builder Khafre is a masterpiece, as is the striking wooden man is known as the Sheikh al Balad or Village Chief.
Room 32 is dominated by the striking double statue of the harmonious couple Rahotep and Nofret, which has exceptionally well-preserved colors. Rather more bizarre is the statue of the dwarf Seneb and his wife, with his children placed to hide his short legs. The remarkably colorful chapel of Hathor, with a life-size statue of the cow goddess, was found at Hatshepsut Temple, Deir al Bahari, in Luxor.
One of the museum’s most fascinating collections shows the ground-breaking realistic art from the time of the rebellious Pharaoh Akhenaton.

The First Floor
The biggest crowd-puller among the museum’s many world-class treasures is undoubtedly Tutankhamun’s treasure. Akhenaton’s son-in-law ruled for only nine years, but he became famous when the English archaeologist Howard Carter (1874- 1939 )discovered his intact tomb in 1922 in the valley of the kings, packed to the roof with the dazzling objects that were intended to see him through the afterlife. You may have to queue in Room 3 to see the biggest treasure of all, Tutankhamun’s solid-gold death mask, encrusted with semi-precious stones, his golden sarcophagus, and his jewelry.
The discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb added to the allure of Luxor and the many Nile cruises that journey between this ancient city and Aswan.
The Royal Mummy Room
Room 56 houses the mummies of Egypt’s most illustrious pharaohs, including Seti I, his son Ramses II and Tuthmosis II.

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Plan Your TripTop Tips
- - Most tour buses get to the museum around 10 am, so avoid the crowds by going earlier, or later in the afternoon. The amount of things to see is staggering so try to spread your visit over at least two half days, maybe exploring one floor at a time.
- - Ones to miss: The eastern wing of the ground floor, mostly devoted to the Late Period, is badly labeled and less interesting than the rest, except for the Graeco-Roman art in Room 34. You could also skip the western outer galleries of sarcophagi on the first floor and the astern inner galleries (except Room 14) for the same reasons.
- - Hidden gems: Room 14 on the first floor is rather poorly presented but has a superb collection of Graeco-Roman mummies with beautifully painted face masks, known as the Fayoum Portraits. Do not miss the museum on your holiday to Egypt
A visit to the museum is often a highlight of many Egypt tours, especially for those who want to see the legacy of the pharaohs before exploring the temples of Upper Egypt.
For travelers seeking a deeper connection to Egypt’s past, combining a museum visit with one of the immersive Nile cruises is a perfect way to follow the journey of ancient civilization from Cairo to the heart of the Nile Valley.
Egypt Oases
- Farafra Oasis Egypt
- Siwa Oasis Egypt
- Bahariya Oasis Egypt
- Dakhla Oasis Egypt
- Kharga Oasis Egypt
- El Fayoum Oasis Egypt
- Oases Practical information
- Valley of El Heiz Western Desert
- English Mountain in Bahariya Oasis
- Black Desert in Egypt
- Badr’s Heritage Museum in Farafra
- White Desert Bahariya Oasis Egypt
- Crystal Mountain Bahariya Egypt
- Whale Valley
- Agabat
Red Sea and Sinai
- Dahab and Nabq Bay Sharm El Sheikh
- Taba and Taba Heights
- What to do in Hurghada
- Sharm El-Sheikh Egypt
- Port Ghalib Red Sea
- Mount Sinai & St. Catherine's Monastery
- El Gouna in Hurghada Red Sea
- Ras Mohamed National Park
- Things to do in The Red Sea and Sinai
- Safaga Port Red Sea Egypt
- Marsa Alam Red Sea Egypt
- The colored canyon and Pharoah Island in Sinai
- Red Sea Snorkeling
- Soma Bay Resort, Red Sea
- Sindbad Submarines Hurghada
- Burning Bush St. Catherine Monastery
- Red Sea & Sinai Practical info
- Do's & Don'ts
- Makadi Bay in Hurghada
Alexandria Attractions
Cairo Attractions
- Hanging Church (El Muallaqa, Sitt Mariam, St Mary)
- Bent Pyramid at Dahshur
- Djoser Step Pyramid in Saqqara
- Saint George Church, Old Cairo
- The Egyptian Museum in Cairo
- The Great Pyramids of Giza
- Khan El Khalili Bazaar in Cairo
- Ben-Ezra Synagogue in Cairo
- Suez Canal Egypt
- The church of Saint Barbara in Egypt
- The Great Sphinx in Giza
- Fortress of Babylon in Old Cairo
- Traditional Tanoura Show in Cairo
- Saqqara Stepped Pyramid
- Saladin Citadel & Mohammad Aly Mosque
- Memphis Necropolis in Egypt
- Coptic Cairo
- The Solar Khufu Ship Museum in Egypt
- Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids of Giza
- The Valley Temple in Giza Cairo
- Pyramid of Teti at Saqqara
- Snofru’s northern Red Pyramid
- Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo
- Al-Hakim Mosque, Cairo
- Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo
- Sultan Hassan Mosque in Cairo
- Al Rifai Mosque in Cairo
- Bab Al Futuh in Cairo
- Bab zwayla in Cairo
- Al muizz Street, Cairo
- Al-Hussein Mosque, Cairo
Luxor Attractions
- Mummification Museum in Luxor
- Colossi of Memnon in Luxor
- Hatshepsut Temple in Luxor
- Valley of the Kings
- Kom Ombo Temple
- Dendera Temple Egypt
- Temple of Edfu
- Temple of Khnum in Esna
- Luxor Temple of Egypt
- Luxor Museum Egypt
- Karnak Temple in Luxor Egypt
- Kalabsha Temple Near Aswan
- Edfu Sound and Light Show
- Sound and Light Show at Karnak Temple Luxor Egypt
- The Temple of Abydos in Egypt
- Temple of Hathor Egypt
- Valley of the Queens in Luxor
- Hot Air Balloon Ride in Luxor Egypt
- Ramses II Mortuary Temple
- Temple of Horus
- Seti I Temple
- Luxor Bird Watching
- Medinet Habu
- Ptolemaic Temple of Deir El-Medina
- Temple of Amenhotep III
- Howard Carter House
- Valley of the Nobles
- Asasif Tombs in Luxor
- Tomb of Tutankhamun
Egypt information
Diving in Egypt
Fayoum Attractions
The Nile Valley
- Abu Simbel Temples Egypt
- Cairo and Giza Egypt
- Do's & Don'ts Egypt | Know before you go Egypt
- Aswan City Egypt
- Long Nile Cruise Journey
- Luxor City Egypt (Attractions and Things to Do)
- Felucca Ride on the Nile River
- Which Nile Cruise is the Best for you | Best Nile Cruises
- Dammam City: The Eastern Province's Coastal Jewel:
Aswan Attractions
- Lake Nasser Egypt
- The majestic Philae temple of Aswan
- Abu Simbel Temples
- Aswan City Egypt
- The High Dam in Aswan Egypt
- The Unfinished Obelisk in Aswan
- Philae Sound and Light show
- Kitchener's Island in Aswan
- Nubian Museum in Aswan
- Nubian Villages in Aswan Egypt
- Aswan souk | Aswan Old Market
- Elephantine Island
- Fishing in Lake Nasser
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