Museums, much like candy stores for kids, are havens for my never-ending curiosity. Whenever I travel to a new country or city, I always look forward to visiting one. Imagine my astonishment when I finally stepped foot inside a museum in a country whose ancient civilization made substantial contributions to world history, literature, writing, religion, art, architecture, science, and human progress.
(Half) a Day at The Egyptian Museum in Cairo | Egypt
When one mentions the word "archaeology," one is easily reminded of Egypt. It is no wonder the classic film Indiana Jones takes place in many cities across Egypt in pursuit of priceless antiquities. Despite the countless ancient sites and relics discovered in Egypt, it is widely believed that they only represent a meager one percent, with the remaining ninety-nine percent yet to be excavated.
Fortunately, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which was built in 1902, holds the world's biggest collection of Egyptian antiquities. Over 170,000 objects are kept under its domed roof, with a representative amount on exhibit.
The Egyptian Museum, the Middle East's oldest archaeological museum, houses the world's greatest collection of Pharaonic antiquities covering the Pre-Dynastic Period (5500 BC) to the Greco-Roman Period (364 AD).
“Like a Bun in the Oven”
“Where are you going in Egypt?” asked the border security personnel. “Saint Catherine and then Cairo,” I replied. “Oh, Cairo—too hot there now. You’re like a bun in the oven,” the bearded officer tells me.
“Well, it’s the great Sinai Desert we’re heading to,” I thought to myself. I might as well embrace the extreme weather for the experience. Bun in the oven or not, my mind was firmly focused at that time on climbing Mount Sinai and seeing the Great Pyramid of Giza.
After spending a couple of days in Saint Catherine, we crossed the Suez Canal heading towards Cairo, tiptoeing along the border of the African continent and arriving finally within a Google Maps pin-drop of the Pyramids.
But before we visited one of the world’s greatest wonders—to which Napoleon famously pointed out to his troops, "Forward! Remember that from these monuments yonder, forty centuries look down upon you"—we set out on a bit of a city tour that included a fancy dinner aboard a boat cruising down the River Nile.
Oh, plus a visit to the Egyptian Museum.
A House that Unveils the Mysteries of Ancient Egypt
Located on the northern side of the historic Tahrir Square, which was the setting for numerous demonstrations preceding the Arab Spring, lies the Egyptian Museum. Designed by the French architect Marcel Dourgnon, the enormous structure has a distinctive pinkish hue. Within, you will find the shimmering artifacts of ancient Egyptian society's nobility, including the golden funeral mask of Tutankhamun and other famous pharaohs, as well as tombs, merchandise, mummies, jewelry, cookware, and a myriad of personal effects.
Seconds after entering, my gaze immediately darted from one artifact to another. Our guide told us, “You can spend a whole day here or maybe two and still, you would not cover everything.”
He wasn’t exaggerating. If someone asked for a volunteer to relive the plot of the movie “Night at the Museum,” I’d gladly raise my hand. Since we only had three to four hours tops inside, I made sure to listen to our guide and absorb as much information as I could.
As we made our way around the museum, I couldn't help but be amazed by the sheer magnitude of the collection. Imagine trying to grasp the entirety of Egypt's past—thousands of years and counting—all within arm’s reach.
Apart from the golden burial mask, I was entirely captivated by the many masterpieces housed inside the museum. Recalling them off the top of my head, they include the ancient papyrus that contained the Book of the Dead for the Priest of Bastet and Djoser, the diminutive statue of Cheops (Khufu), the great Pyramid builder, the statues of numerous pharaohs, especially the one of Ramses, the intriguing engraved images on limestone relief, one particular display that is a sarcophagus shaped like a mummy, and, of course, the numerous mummies displayed in glass cases.
.jpg "The Diminutive Historic Ivory Statuette of Pharaoh Khufu Builder of Giza Great Pyramid")
“If only we had more time,” I thought to myself as we exited the museum. As I began to psych myself up and calm my nerves at the thought of our next destination—the Great Pyramids of Giza—I took one last look at the facade of the Egyptian Museum. The building itself is an interesting fusion of Italian Renaissance, Greco-Roman elements, and nineteenth-century French Beaux-Arts. Muttering wishful thoughts to myself, I made a pledge to go back to Egypt for a longer stay, hoping to become more of an Indiana Jones than an average tourist.
