Alexandria National Museum ,Alexandria, Egypt

Opened in 2003, and the Alexandria National Museum displays some of the artifacts discovered in 1800 and around Alexandria, Egypt. Many of the artifacts by not only on the screen, but hidden in the storage rooms of the other museums.

What to see

The museum is located in the National Palace restoration of Italian style (Al-Saad Bassili Pasha Palace, built 1926) with three floors.

Has been allocated the first level, with walls a dark blue color reflects the Egyptian symbolic of the afterlife, to the Pharaonic era.Before the number of statues of eminent personalities, including pictures of Menkaure (Giza Builder III) and Akhenaton (Amenhotep IV) and the female Pharaoh Hatshepsut. There is also a replica of the attention of the type discovered in the Valley of the Kings, complete with funerary treasures of the mummy and the original.

Mid-level artifacts from the Greco-Roman, Alexandria, where it flourished, such as statues of Greek women and the majestic statue of Serapis, bearded God. Also on this level of exploration under the water on the recent finds of Alexandria, including many of the prominent stone statues.

On the top floor presents the Coptic and Islamic treasures, which shows the rich heritage of these two religions which are still alive and well in Egypt. There are carved symbols of Christ and the Virgin Mary, and tombstones and clothes with silver and gold crosses. Among the most prominent Islamic objects 162 coins minted in Alexandria and religious supplies such as incense burners, chandeliers and pottery.

Nubia Museum in Aswan, Egypt

In the early 1960's, when Egypt built the High Dam at Aswan, Egyptologists and archaeologists the world over heeded UNESCO's appeal to salvage the monuments of Egyptian Nubia before the rising waters of Lake Nasser submerged them forever. More than sixty expeditions ultimately joined the "Nubian Rescue Campaign", which resulted in the excavation and recording of hundreds of sites, the recovery of thousands of objects, and the salvage and translocation of a number of important temples to higher ground.

Due to the quantities of material recovered from tombs, temples and settlements, UNESCO was encouraged in the 1980's to plan a new Nubian museum in Aswan where the objects could be stored and exhibited. It was universally felt at the time that they should be kept as close as possible to their principal places of origin.

Nearly twelve years later, the Museum became a reality and opened its doors in November 1997. It was designed by the late Egyptian architect Mahmoud al-Hakim, and Mexican architect Pedro Vasquez Ramirez designed the museum's interior display. The Museum won the Agha-Khan Award of Architecture 2001.

The total area of the complex is 50,000 square meters: 7,000 allocated for the building, and 43,000 for the grounds. The architecture of the Museum and the enclosure walls are intended to evoke traditional Nubian village architecture, as it was along the Nubian Nile before the region was flooded by Lake Nasser.

The building is set within a landscape, on graded levels, that includes a sequence of waterfalls. When the waterway reaches the lower part of the garden, it divides into 2 branches to surround an open-air stage and amphitheater where already many local and foreign groups have performed. The remaining 43,000 sq. m. have been planted with palm trees, flowers, and climbing plants, spread over natural rocks. An outdoor exhibit is planned for the garden, but at the moment only a small section is ready. The project is a beautiful resolution of a long-awaited dream.

The collections of the Nubia museum are composed of artefacts found on sites now submerged, during the Unesco salvage campaign. They are also composed of collections from a variety of museums in Egypt, collected in Nubia during the first half of the twentieth century. It displays in its permanent exhibition about 1500 artefacts showing, in chronological order, the material culture of Nubia, from Prehistory to present times. Virtually all the objects on display were found in Egyptian Nubia with the exception of a few pieces that are included because they clearly relate to Nubia and help elucidate Nubian history and its environment.

Open air museum

The site surrounding the Museum has received considerable landscaping work which has been designed to enhance and fit in with the major existing topographical features. It has been planted with palm trees, flowers and climbing plants, through which a watercourse flows to the rear of the Museum, falling both across and down the site, over a series of weirs to accommodate the natural fall of the ground.

The pathway around the site -along with other paved areas, sitting areas, etc. - is constructed from granite and sandstone paving and steps, and in addition to providing access around the site, also lead to the various artefacts composing the Museum's outdoor exhibition.

Islamic religious buildings and antiquities occupy the Northern end of the site. To the South can be found an artificial cave containing prehistoric paintings and carvings collected in the Nubian area, an open air theatre and the replica of a Nubian house, typically furnished according to Nubian habits, folklore and traditions.


Opening hours:


9:00 AM - 13:00 PM
17:00 PM - 21:00 PM winter
18:00 PM - 22:00 PM summer
Address: Nubia Museum, el Fanadek Street (Opposite Basma Hotel), 81111, Aswan, Egypt
Tel.: (+20) 97-319333
Fax.: (+20) 97-317998

E-mail: nubiamuseum@numibia.net

Entrance fee:
Adult: 20 LE
Student: 10 LE
Approximate length of guided visit: 2 hours

Access for handicapped people: Yes

Plan of museum:

Basement:

12. Main exhibition hall

13. Stairs to ground floor

14. Diorama

15. Class rooms

16. Open-air theatre

17. Toilets

18. Lifts

The Mummification Museum in Luxor , Egypt

Luxor's Mummification Museum is the only one of its kind in the world, housing around 150 relics of both human and animal mummies. A statue of Anubis, the jackal-god who presided over the dead, welcomes visitors at the entrance. Other pieces on display include coffins, paintings representing funerary rituals and the tools used in the mummification process. Cost: E£50; students E£25  Opening Hours: Daily 9am-1pm & 5pm-10pm  Directions: Located on the Corniche, opposite Mercure Hotel.

The word "mummification" comes from the Persian word "mummya" meaning bitumen or pitch. In the Arabic language mummification means tahneet and it comes from the word "hanoot", meaning the substances that are used to aromatize the body of the deceased. From this is derived the word "hanoty", which refers to the man who does the preparation of the deceased from death to burial. The Mummification Museum in Luxor is the best place to learn about the most powerful secrets of the pharaohs. It is set in an underground hall on the Nile, next to the national ferry on the east bank.

The ancient Egyptians imagined the underground  world of the dead, where Osiris dwelt, though this actually changed over time. From very early times, they protected the afterlife of the dead by mummification, offerings, writing the name of the deceased and utterances in their calls. The collection of ancient funerary spells known as the Pyramids Texts tells us:

"Secure your head to the bones" (spell 13)
"Collect your bones, gather together your limbs, throw the sand from your flesh" (spell 373)
"The spirit is for the heavens, the corpse is for the Earth"

According to their beliefs, the ancient Egyptians thought that the survival of the body was necessary for the survival of the seven different elements of their being. These include:
The physical body, which was mummified, wrapped in linen and protected with various amulets in a coffin and deposited within it's tomb.
The Ka, which represented the vital life force, was created at the same time as a man's body, which it resembled in every respect. It was free to move between the burial chamber, the funerary statue and the offering place to collect the offerings.

The Ba, often represented by a human headed Ba bird with features of the deceased could take any shape and it revisited the world of the living and traveled across the sky in the sun-god's boat, always returning to reunite with it's corpse in the tomb.

The Akh was the most unearthly of spirits that severed all ties with mortal remains in order to join the cold and imperishable stars. This beneficent spirit gained through piety and good deeds.

The Ib represented the aware heart. The heart could determine the worth of its owner during judgment.

The Rn, or specifically the name of the deceased, was carved on the walls of the tombs and hymns were chanted to keep the deceased's name forever.

The Inseparable Shadow, called the "shwt". The shadow remained with the body.
Although all those seven elements were important, they believed that the preservation of the physical body form was essential for survival in the afterlife. This is because they believed that the destruction of the body would mean the decay of the soul.

All these elements are displayed in the Mummification Museum. There were also two other symbols that were vital for the Egyptians in the mummification process.

The Ankh, (key of life), which was the symbol of life itself.

The Djed Pillar, which is the symbol of stability, was thought to perhaps be linked with the backbone of Osiris.
Of course, the mummification process changed somewhat over time. In general though, shortly after death, the body of the deceased was brought to the pre-nefr, which means "the beautiful house" or the place of mummification. The body was stripped of its clothes, and the embalmers washed the body with scared water, which was taken from a sacred local lake.

A chisel was passed through the ethmoid bone into the cranial cavity, and with a spatula they cut the brain into small pieces. Then a hooked rod was inserted, and turned to make the brain liquefy in order to extract the brain through the nostrils. After that, they cleaned the skull cavity with palm wine, stuffed it with linen and poured resinous liquid into the skull. After treating the head, the embalmers moved to the trunk of the body.

The viscera were extracted through an incision, which was usually made in the left side of the abdomen. Through it, they extracted all of the entrails except the heart. The thoracic and abdominal cavities were cleaned and rinsed with palm-wine, and then treated with powder and ointment.

The museum shows a wonderfully mummified vertical section of a body to show the result of this process. They show, as well, the instruments used in the process like the scissors, scalpel, and cutters.

Lastly they placed each organ in one of four so-called canopic jars. These jars take the form of the four sons of Horus, who protected the mummified viscera.

After they finished the extraction of the viscera they washed the body cavity with palm-wine. Then they inserted into the thoracic and abdominal cavities temporary stuffing materials enclosed in linen packets containing dry natron to speed dehydration of the body tissues and fats. Other packets were full of sawdust to absorb liquids.

The next and final stage in the embalming process was the treatment of the whole body with natron. A type of salt, it extracts the water in the body tissues, drying it out to dehydrate the body. They placed the body in a heap of solid natron on a slanting bed and piled the natron around the body for forty days. The temporary stuffing packages and the natron dried the body, and were changed regularly by the embalmers. After the forty days, the body was taken out of the natron and the temporary stuffing packages were removed from the thoracic and abdominal cavities. They washed the chest and abdominal cavity with palm wine and stuffed it with fresh dry materials; these included aromatically perfumed cloth packing, Nile mud, myrrh, cassia, linen, resin, saw dust, and one or two onions.

They then closed the two lips of the incision with linen string. After that the body was anointed with cedar oil. The mouth, ears, and the nose were sealed with bee's wax or linen in molten resin and the body was wrapped with linen. The aim of the wrapping was to preserve the mummy. Binding was used to keep the wrapping tight and in place.

Many of the substances used in mummification are displayed at the Mummification Museum, including natron, which is still mined from the area of Wadi Natrun west of the delta near the north coast of Egypt. Other substances can even be purchased today from many spices dealers spread all around Luxor.

The museum even shows a bottle that contains the mummification liquid. When the tomb of Amun Tef Nakht of the 27th Dynasty was discovered, the embalmers who mummified him left much of the materials of mummification with him. This liquid came from the results of the interaction between these materials and the body.

The Mummification Museum demonstrates this process very clearly. There are drawings, copied from many tombs all over Egypt, that demonstrate the mummification process. There is, for instance, the scene of the deceased and his wife sitting down before the offering table. Their son wears the leopard skin and makes various offerings to his parents. This scene is displayed in the museum and was copied from the burial chamber of the tomb of Sennefer. Another scene from a papyrus of a royal scribe depicts the mummy on a funeral bier between Isis and Nephthys in the form of two birds.

One of the most important displays in the Mummification Museum is the mummy of Masaharta, the son of King Panedjem, from the 21st Dynasty. He was a high priest of Amun and an army general during that dynasty. This mummy was found in the Dier El Bahari cache, which contained the mummies of some forty kings, queens and other royalty.

The funerary boat is another very important cultural display in the museum. These were used to carry the mummy to the west bank in the presence of the goddess Isis, mother of Horus, wife of Osiris and Nephthys, mother of Anubis, wife of Seth and sister of Isis.

Another important display is an Osiris statue. He is the father of Horus and the brother of Isis. He was thought to have been the first to be mummified by Anubis and the first one who was raised in the afterlife. He is the lord of the Judgment hall, the god of the dead, and one of the most famous Egyptian gods, particularly in later times.

There is also Anubis, the jackal god. The myth tells that Anubis mummified the body of Osiris with the help of the four sons of Horus. For this, the Egyptian religion gave Anubis many titles such as the god of mummification and the one who protected the dead.
In the Mummification Museum there is a very interesting collection of mummified animals. There is a mummy of a fish, which is the symbol of rebirth. The fish cult center was Esna. The Nile is famous for this kind of fish, called the Nile lattes fish. There is also a mummified baboon. Baboons were considered the manifestation of the god Thoth, who was considered to be the god of scribes, the measurer of time and the god of the moon. In the judgment hall of Osiris, Thoth stands by the side of the balance holding a palette and records the results of the weighing of the heart as announced by the dog-headed ape who sits on the middle of the beam of the scales. There is also a cat mummy, the sacred animal of the god Bastet. The most wonderful animal mummy is that of a ram because it was held inside a gold coffin. It represents the sacred animal of the god Khnum, who was a creator god whose cult center was Elephantine.

The last section of the museum is the coffins section. The pharaohs gave great attention to their afterlife, and a big element of this attention was the coffins. There is the beautiful coffin cover of Padi-Amun, the high priest of Amun. It has lotus flowers on its forehead and a wig. There is also the coffin cover of Masaharti, without the face and hands, because the thieves found it and took these golden pieces.
The lights in the museum are muted with only special spotlights on the displays. The museum isn't large but each display is a story in itself and reflects a very important section of the old Egyptian history and culture.
The Mummification Museum is useful because it provides an educational overview of the processes surrounding the death of ancient Egyptians, and therefore insight into the tombs that are frequented by tourists. Obviously, the traditions surrounding the funerary process were a key element in the ancient Egyptian belief system. Furthermore, Egyptian funerary practices can be said to form the basis of many funerary practices even today. Incidently, the bookshop at the Mummification Museum is an excellent place to pick up material on this fascinating topic.

Luxor Museum , Egypt

For those who like museums but find large collections such as that of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo both bewildering and tiring then Luxor Museum of Ancient Egyptian Art is the place to see. The museum was opened in 1975 and contains a modest collection of the highest quality artworks dating from the Predynastic Period right through to the Islamic era. The modern building is extremely spacious with plenty of room to move around and view beautifully displayed objects and sculpture in peaceful low-lit surroundings. The perfect place to spend a hot morning in Luxor.

1.  Colossal head of Amenhotep III, from his funerary temple in Thebes, Dynasty XVIII
2.  Head of a cow goddess,  From the tomb of Tutankamun, Thebes, Dynasty XVIII
3.  Amenhotep III with Sobek, from Dahamsha, Dynasty XVIII

The museum is built on two levels with a ramp leading from the ground floor to the upper floor and contains artefacts from around the Theban area. Many of the free-standing granite statues depict kings, queens, and high-status officials who left their images in the Theban temples. Tutankhamun of course is well-represented by some of the objects from his tomb in the Valley of the Kings which are not currently on display in the Cairo Museum. Included among these is the famous majestic head of a cow goddess, of resin and gilded wood, which is one of the first items the visitor will see when entering the museum. There are exhibits of funerary stelae, offering tables, papyri, tomb furniture, a cartonage mummy-case and many small statuettes and shabtis. In glass cases in the centre of the upper floor are smaller objects such as jewellery, funerary and ritual items and artefacts from daily life.

One of the main features on the upper floor is a reconstructed wall from a temple of Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten). The small decorated sandstone blocks (talatat) were discovered when the ninth pylon at Karnak Temple was dismantled for reconstruction work, where they had been used as infill in the original building of the pylon. Individual talatat blocks on which the famous reliefs were carved can be seen in many museums, but here the ‘Talatat Wall’ represents the only successful attempt at reconstructing a whole wall of the blocks. Over 40,000 decorated blocks from Amenhotep IV’s early Karnak building works have been found, but only those from the ninth pylon are well-preserved enough to allow their accurate reconstruction. Next to the talatat, mounted on the wall, is a sandstone head from a colossal Osirid statue of Amenhotep IV from Karnak.

1.  Akhenaten statue, from Karnak, Dynasty XVIII
2.  Amenhotep, son of Hapu, from Thebes, Dynasty XVIII
3.  Statue of Rameses III, from Karnak, Dynasty XX

An extension built a few years ago houses a collection of statues found in the ‘Luxor Cachette’. These beautiful sculptures were unearthed when a colonnade at Luxor Temple was dismantled for reconstruction in 1989. They had been buried (for reasons unknown) in the floor of the courtyard where they lay forgotten for over 2000 years. Many of these statues today look as though they have just come out of a sculptor’s workshop.

1.  Statue of the goddess Iunyt, from Luxor Temple, Dynasty XVIII
2.  Statue of Amenhotep III, from Luxor Temple, Dynasty XVIII
3.  Horemheb before Amun, from Luxor Temple, Dynasty XIX

Another long-awaited new annex to Luxor Museum has now been completed and this spacious addition houses many artefacts new to the museum, as well as some of the artworks from the original galleries. The main section of the extension has a military theme and is partly devoted to Egypt’s glorious empire. The long hall has two glass-covered niches which are the new resting places for the mummies of two great warrior kings – Ahmose, founder of the New Kingdom and the recently repatriated Rameses I. The main gallery also includes weaponry and a hunting chariot of Tutankhamun. The upper level contains some superb statues, several old favourites relocated from other areas of the museum, as well as many fascinating objects related to technology and the arts. The new facilities include a visitor centre, bookshop and cafeteria. Set in a beautifully lit and temperature-controlled environment, Luxor Museum is a dramatic showpiece for ancient Egyptian cultural heritage for which the people of Egypt should be very proud.

How to get there

Luxor Museum of Ancient Egyptian Art is on the Corniche, a few hundred metres north of the tourist bazaar and the Etap Hotel. It is open daily from 9.00am to 1.00pm and 4.00pm to 9.00pm in winter. Hours may change in summer.

The Luxor Museum of Mummification

The Luxor Museum of Mummification which opened in May 1997 is the first in the world dedicated to this subject.

The modern purpose built museum consists of only one room, but the visitor is guided around well-lit and beautifully displayed exhibits and story boards which describe the process of mummification from beginning to end, as well as the religious customs associated with burials.

The purpose of mummification in ancient Egypt was to preserve the body of the deceased so that they could dwell in the afterlife, in the realm of the gods. The process began naturally when the ancient people discovered that bodies buried in the hot dry sand of Egypt would be preserved almost intact. Techniques were enhanced from very early times, using natron to dry out the body, removing certain organs and wrapping the remains tightly in bandages of linen, often covered with a thick resin. The peak of the art was reached by the end of the New Kingdom Period.

A collection of well-preserved mummy-cases, mostly from the dryer climate of Upper Egypt, is displayed in the entrance to the museum along with a statue of Anubis, the jackal-headed god who leads the dead into the underworld.

In glass cases inside the museum, many artefacts associated with the process are displayed with detailed descriptions of their use, including model funerary boats, amulets, wooden statuettes and a fine set of canopic jars. There are also animal mummies including a crocodile, a cat and a ram of Khnum with its gilded case from Elephantine.

How to get there

The Mummification Museum is opposite the Mercure Etap Hotel on the Corniche at Luxor. It is open from 9.00am to 1.00pm and 4.00pm to 9.00pm in winter (with different hours in summer).

The Pharaonic Village in Cairo , Egypt

The Pharaonic Village was founded by Dr. Hassan Ragab Ph.D., who was the person who rediscovered the ancient Egyptian art of paper – making (Papyrus).

The Pharaonic Village is Egypt's historic park. It's a unique place where Egypt's entire history is explained in 2 to 3 hours including our ancient history as well as our modern history. Visiting The Pharaonic Village is recommended to be at the beginning of the trip to Egypt. It is located on an island in the Nile, just 3 miles south of the center of Cairo. In this village you are transported by floating amphitheaters, and a hundred actors and actresses demonstrate scenes from ancient Egypt (Papyrus making, sculpting, home building….etc.).

Abdeen Palace Museum, Cairo, Egypt

Abdeen Palace (Arabic: قصر عابدين) is one of the official residences of the President of Egypt.

Address: Moustafa Abdel Raziq Street, off Abdeen Square,

Zone/Area: Cairo

Phone: +20 2 391 0042


Construction

Construction started in 1863 and continued for 10 years but the palace was officially inaugurated in 1874. Erected on an area of 24 feddans, the palace was constructed by the French architect Rousseau along with a large number of Egyptian, Italian, French and Turkish decorators. However, the palace’s garden was added in 1921 by Sultan Fuad I on an area of 20 feddans. The cost of building the palace reached 700,000 Egyptian pounds in addition to 2 million pounds for its furnishing. More money was also spent on the palace’s alteration, preservation and maintenance by consecutive rulers. The palace includes 500 rooms.

The Coptic Museum in Cairo , Egypt

The Coptic Museum

The Coptic Museum in Cairo has been closed for some time for remodeling, but we are now celebrating its recent reopening, a welcome addition to Old Coptic Cairo. It is located in the heart of Coptic Cairo.

Christianity has a long history in Egypt, and there continues to be a significant population of Christians in Egypt today. Besides the truly Egyptian heritage of Coptic Christians, there are also Roman Catholics, as well as a number of Protestant sects. Christianity spread in Egypt during the 2nd century in Egypt, just after and indeed during the Roman pagan period, and it became the dominant religion in Egypt up until the Arab invasion in 641 AD.

Christian art, specific to the Coptics of Egypt, began to emerge around 300 AD. Though Christianity marked the end of the Pharaonic period in Egypt, and even though many traditions from that more ancient religion were carried over to become a part of not only the Christian faith in Egypt, but later even the Islamic faith, the art in form, style and content was very different from those earlier times.

We can identify principally three reasons that Egyptian art made such a radical change. First of all, art was no longer such an imperial effort of the ruling elite, formalized according to the dictates of a small minority. The second reason is that Christianity delivered a very different message than that of the former pagan religion, and the art indeed changed to deliver this message. Finally, the social origins of Coptic art is perhaps best characterized as folk art. While there were certainly some professional artists centered mostly in Alexandria, at first, most of the Christian artists were local folk who did the best with their undertaking as they could.

One interesting difference is that, by around 300 AD, three-dimensional art seems to have almost completely disappeared in Egypt, at least in the form of statuary. The last free standing sculptures in Egypt were those of Roman emperors, but the sculptures of the early Coptics, irregardless of the material used, were engaged, consisting more of an exaggerated raised relief. They usually faced the viewer directly, but they could also be half turned to one side. Over the centuries, these figures became flatter and more like conventional relief.

This shift from three-dimensional representations probably also affected two-dimensional art. In traditional Pharaonic art, figures were most frequently represented in a combination of profile and frontal views, but Coptic art abandoned this old formula and turned the figure around to face the viewer. It is worth noting that much of this sculpture was originally coated with painted plaster which would have shown many details that are now gone.

The most striking stylistic feature of Coptic figurative representation are the exaggerated rounded or oval eyes, under relatively thick eyebrows, and the contrapposto position (the weight of the body thrown onto one leg). Garments are often depicted with details of pleats and folds. The figures range from tall and slim to the short and thickset. Facial expressions usually span a narrow divide between non-committal to somber.

Yet, some influences remained. As Christianity arose, the old indigenous religion and that of the Greek educated ruling elite had not yet vanished.
Even though the style and form may have changed, Coptic Christian art featured a substantial amount of episodes from Greek religious thought, particularly the sculpture of Ahnas and textiles. The use of such motifs in a Christian context is somewhat puzzling, and we can really give no definitive solution to this, other than the overlap which occurred between these two cultures. In fact, it would certainly seem that a number of pagan themes were de-paganized and recycled to convey messages in keeping with Christian values. It has been argued that such themes themselves may have become a symbol of the triumph of Christianity over paganism.

The largest collection of Coptic Christian artifacts in the world, with some 16,000 pieces, belongs to the Coptic Museum in Cairo. Indeed, this museum represents more than simply a collection of ancient Christian art. Perhaps no more so than for its western Christian visitors, it embodies the very instant when the old, pagan world collided with that of their modern Christian world. It is an eye-opener for many, as it documents this not altogether gradual but very significant moment in time.

The first exhibition of Coptic art was held in Cairo during the nineteenth century in the "Salle Copte" at the Boulaq Museum. In 1908 Marcus Simaika Pasha founded the Coptic Museum on behalf of the Coptic Church. He chose for its location a unique place in Old Coptic Cairo, within the walls of the great Fortress of Babylon and surrounded by Cairo's oldest churches. With the support of Patriarch Cyril V he purchased artifacts from churches, monasteries, houses and private collections.

The old, original wing of the museum is in itself a fine piece of architecture consisting of a series of large rooms, roofed over with ancient decorated wood and containing beautiful mashrabiya. Its walls are overlaid with fine slabs of marble, arches a and tiles. In 1931 the Egyptian government recognized the significance of the Coptic Museum and made it a state institution. Afterwards, the greater part of the magnificent Coptic collection in the Egyptian Antiquities Museum was transferred to the Coptic Museum in 1939.

Then, in 1947 a large New Wing with a style complimentary to the old one was opened It too had carved wooden ceilings as well as picturesque fountains. It was later renovated with modern methods of exhibition and reopened on March 8th, 1984. Only recently was it once again renovated.

The "General Catalogue of the Coptic Museum", an ongoing international project, was initiated in 1986 to compile an current catalogue of all the objects in the museum. The Museum's rich collection is arranged mostly according to media.

Stonework

The provenance of most Coptic textiles and minor works of art is usually unknown, but Coptic sculpture and wall paintings are better documented. The most important sites for these items are Abu Mina, Saqqara, Ahnas, Oxyrhynchos, Antinoe and Bawit. Nevertheless, many of the excavations that unearthed these items took place in the 19th century, and were therefore not as well documented as one might suppose. Furthermore, the re-use of older architectural elements, often from pharaonic monuments, makes exact dating of Coptic sculpture difficult.

The majority of the monuments from which this collection was taken are in ruins. Mostly, architectural carvings, separate from their original context, including niches, pediments, friezes, lintels, consoles, columns and capitals, make of this exhibit. All of it was originally painted.

During the 4th and 5th centuries pagan mythological scenes, such as Orpheus and Eurydice or Leda and the swan, continued to be depicted alongside Christian themes. The cross, supported by erotes or angels, is a central element of Coptic sculpture. Often, scenes of the christological cycle appear isolated, such as the Madonna and Child and the Holy Virgin with the saints. Scenes from the Old Testament are also frequently incorporated into sculpture. Examples include Daniel flanked by two lions or the Three Hebrews in the Fiery Furnace. On the other hand, at the monastic sites of Bawit and Saqqara there was a clear tendency towards geometric and floral architectural sculpture with niches and friezes. Also, aspects of daily life, such as the grape harvest or fishing in the marshes, are not uncommon in Coptic sculpture.

Corinthian, basket and composite capitals were developed in a rich variety of abstract styles, especially discernable in the basket capitals of the 6th century.

The Stelae of Terenuthis (Kom Abu-Bellou)

Basically a part of the Stonework collection, these objects are mostly limestone gravestones (or stelae) discovered at Terenuthis which was for the most part a Graeco-Roman pagan cemetery. Almost all of them fall into one of two categories. The first type have the figure depicted frontally and often flanked by two small jackal-like dogs representing Anubis, the lord of the necropolis, or Horus, the life-giving solar god as well as Anubis. A second type depicts a figure reclining on a kline and holding a cup in the right hand. Many of the stelae are framed by an architectural structure of two columns carrying a triangular Greek pediment. These items are essential to the understanding and evaluation of the origins of Coptic art.

Ivory and Bone Carvings

Alexandria was one of the principal markets for African ivory during the Greek Period of Egyptian history. By the Roman Period, Persia became more important for Indian Ivory, while bone, a much cheaper substitute, began to be widely used as well. The Coptic Museum's collection of ivory and bone carvings consists of wooden bridal caskets of engraved bone or ivory plaques with naked human figures and nymphs, pyxides, bone figurines representing schematized female figures with cylindrical bodies; bone spindle whorls; pots and other objects of daily use. Included in this collection is the famous 6th century ivory comb depicting the Raising of Lazarus and the Healing of the Blind.

Metalwork

Not surprisingly perhaps, considering Egypt's historic quest for rare metals, the Coptic museums collection of metalwork is a rich one, containing gold and silver, but also copper, bronze and iron. These pieces represent some of the oldest objects in the museum, dating from the 3rd to the 19th century. They come from monasteries, churches and towns, and may therefore be either religious objects or items intended for everyday use. The main group includes crosses, censers, lamps, bells, bible caskets, chandeliers, church and monastery keys, liturgical implements. Other items include household utensils, such as bowls, dishes, pans and cooking bots, while for women there are kohl boxes, necklaces, earrings and bracelets, and there are also medical instruments, weights and measures and agricultural implements. Many of these items are well executed and adorned using different techniques.

The majority of these objects are difficult to date, though a few, such as the famous Luxor silver treasure of Abraham, bishop of Hermonthis (c. 600) and some of the Bible caskets, which are inscribed with dates, or objects found with coins, can be securely dated.

Woodwork

Egypt lacks good quality wood for the most part, which has always made it a valuable commodity. During the Pharaonic Period find wood, and especially ebony, was imported from the south (Kush, or Nubia and Punt) and cedar from Lebanon and Syria. During the Roman and Byzantine Periods, Egypt was much less prosperous then in much of the Pharaonic Period. Therefore, one might expect that fine imported wood should have been used mainly in Alexandria, but it is known, however, that indigenous wood such as tamarisk, acacia, sycamore, lebbakh, jujube and willow were widely and skillfully used by Coptic carpenters, and that imported woods, such as box, cedar, ebony liquidambar, olive and pine were employed for fine and important works. The main centers of Coptic carpentry were Babylon (a section of Old Coptic Cairo), Antinoe, Bawit and Akhmin.

Many churches and monasteries were once adorned with elaborate sculptures in wood, consisting of lintels, doors, panels and friezes, decorated with saints, Nile themes, floral and animal ornaments, geometric patterns and scenes taken from the Old and New Testaments. Smaller items made of wood for daily life include toilette equipment, combs, caskets, toys spindles, stamp seals and musical instruments.

Woodwork, particularly screens, doors and panels of the 10th through the 14th centuries, reflects clearly the influence of Islamic Art.

The Coptic Museum houses three of the most important wood artifacts from the churches of Old Coptic Cairo. They are the door of the Church of Saint Barbara, the altar of the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus and the lintel from Al-Mo'allqa. They are very valuable for the study of Coptic sculpture during the period between the 4th and 6th centuries.

Glass

Glass has, since its first use in Egypt, been a very important and prosperous industry in Egypt. Unlike wood, sand, lime and soda, the raw materials of glass, were abundantly available in Egypt. In the 1st Century BC, it was discovered that molten glass could be blown through a hollow tube, thus allowing it to be produced in quantities that made it available to the general public. Blown, engraved, opaque and millefiori glass have all been produced by Egyptian glassmakers. Literary sources revel that liturgical vessels in the early Coptic church were most frequently made of glass, rather than gold or silver.

The Coptic Museum maintains a small collection containing glass vessels, goblets, pots, candle holders, toilette bottles and lamps, mostly of opaque glass.

Ceramics and Terracotta

Pottery is a cheap material and a huge quantity of various wares have been unearthed in Egypt. The study of Coptic pottery in particular has progressed remarkably in the last three decades are so thanks to carefully recorded excavations at many sites. Of particular interest are those of Abu Mina, Kellia, Athribis, Naqlun, Antinoe and Esna.

Most are made of brown, red, orange, yellow, cream and pink clay, some coarse and some polished. The Coptic Museum houses a fine collection of pottery made for everyday use, including huge storage jars, amphorae and wine jars, cooking pots, spouted vessels, vases, jugs, bowls and dishes. There are also terracotta ampullae, lamps and figurines.

Many of the pieces on display have intricate designs and motifs of which animals are the most common, including hares, doves, fish, lions, gazelles and fantastic animals. Many human figures, mostly in the form of busts, were also painted on pottery, similar to some of those from Bawit.

Characteristic of Coptic terracotta are frog-shaped lamps and ampullae depicting Saint Menas standing between two kneeling camels. The Coptic Museum also exhibits some examples of Islamic glazed pottery from Al-Fustat.


Wall paintings

Almost all Coptic wall painting is monastic. They were never intended to be great works of art, but some of them, and in particular those at Bawit and Saqqara from the 6th and 7th century, show a relatively high standard. These murals were applied to mud-brick walls which had been plastered and white-washed. The only technique used for Coptic murals was tempera.

Those paintings from the Monastery of Saint Apollo at Bawit (in the Bahariya Oasis), dating between the 6th and 8th centuries, consist of figural scenes including episodes from the Old Testament, representations of Christ the Pantokrator and the Holy Virgin and Child, often flanked by apostles, figures of monks and saints, medallions depicting the virtues, floral and geometric dadoes, and even hunting scenes.

The murals of the Monastery of Saint Jeremias at Saqqara are more or less similar to those of Bawit. The figures are strictly frontal and usually distinctly separated from each other. The presence of Byzantine influence can be seen, but the wall paintings are nevertheless not without originality in some themes as well as in style.


Icons

Most of the icons in the Coptic Museum were acquired from Cairo's oldest churches. The majority of them are relatively modern, dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. They are, nevertheless, interesting for their themes, including scenes from the Old and New Testaments, the Holy Virgin, saints and martyrs, and especially soldier saints. Coptic churches, both ancient and modern, are always adorned with icons since they are used in the liturgy of the Coptic Church. Indeed, the older churches are perhaps a better venue for seeing the older icons than the Coptic Museum.

However, several icons stand out. One, for example, dating to the 18th century, depicts Ahrakas and Oghani, who wear masks in the forms of dog heads. They pear towards a fruit tree. Another depicts the Virgin and Child. He raises a crown with a cross, and is flanked by Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Another touching icon represents the Virgin Mary holding the Christ child, and dates to the eighteenth century. Many others depict various saints.

Epigraphy and Manuscripts.

The manuscripts and documents of the museum date from the 4th through the 19th centuries, and are written in Greek, Coptic, Syriac, Old Nubian, Arabic and Ethiopian. Some are even bilingual, written in both Coptic and Arabic. They are printed on Papyrus, parchment, paper, bone and wood tablets, as well as pottery and limestone. Some are complete manuscripts, while others are fragments, mostly biblical, hagiographical and liturgical.

Clearly, the documents and ostraca provide valuable insights into the ecclesiastical, social, economic and legal aspects of different periods. Some of the illuminated manuscripts are remarkable. The Coptic Psalter from the 4th or 5th century, recently discovered, is now considered the oldest complete biblical text possessed by Egypt. The Coptic Gnostic codices from the 4th century could be considered one of the most valuable collections of papyri in the world.

Textiles

Coptic textiles are well known and almost certainly the most characteristic product of Coptic art. Coptic textiles is used to describe a huge number of textiles, tens of thousands in fact, found in Egypt and dating from the Roman, Byzantine and Islamic periods. Most Coptic textiles were unearthed from burials, but those excavated during the 19the and early 20th century at such sites as Akhmim and Antinoe were little more than treasure hunts rather than systematic scientific undertakings. There were also illegal digs that saw thousands of Coptic textiles reach the antiquities market, and there are more than a few of these that ended up outside Egypt. It is therefore very difficult to date most of them with precision. In most cases, the style of the textile is all that can be used to date them.

 Among the various textiles preserved are complete garments, particularly tunics, parts of garments such as tunic ornaments (vertical tapestry bands or clavi, roundels or orbiculae, and panels), curtains and hangings, cushions, covers, napkins and parts of shrouds. The major types of fiber used in making these textiles were linen and wool, although cotton was occasionally used, and even silk, mostly imported, played an important role in the industry. Dyes were usually derived from plant, animal and mineral sources, the principal ones being alkanet (red); woad, indigo, kermes and suntberry (blue); saffron, pomegranate and weld (yellow); leaves of the iris plant, berries of the buckthorn plant (green); and minerals such as iron (black). Purple dye was obtained from shellfish.

Coptic textiles are notable for the richness of their decorative motifs, including geometric patterns, human figures, birds, animals, fish, flora, mythological themes, Nile and marine scenes, episodes from the Old and New Testaments and crosses.
 Hence, Coptic textiles are much more than colorful pieces of cloth. They provide a rich source of information about the social classes, daily life, beliefs and customs of the people who wore and wove them.


Nubian Material

When the Aswan High Dam was constructed, an international effort was mounted to salvage the Nubian monuments that would be submerged once the construction of the Dam was completed. Included among these monuments were Christian structures dating between the 5th and the 14th or 15th centuries. The Coptic Museum now exhibits a number of frescoes from these churches, including ones from the Church of Abdallah Nirqi (10th century). Other items include Nubian Christian gravestones, pottery and textiles. Old Nubian and Coptic texts from Nubia are also on display.

Towards the end of the museum are a few of the most masterful pieces within the museum collection. These include the patriarchal throne build of bronze and copper, resting on four strong columns surmounted by crosses. A second piece is a wooden litter inlaid with bone and mother of pearl used to carry wealthy ladies in Jerusalem. It dates to the Ottoman period and is rich with decorations. The last item is a wooden box with ivory inlays. It was originally intended to store clerical vestments during the 17th through 19th centuries. It is adorned with very remarkable geometric decorations.

Opening Hours

9 am – 5 pm


Ticket office closes at 4 pm


Ramadan

9 am – 3 pm
Entrance Fees

Foreigners 40 EGP
Foreign Students 20 EGP
Egyptians 2 EGP
Egyptian Students 1 EGP
Please note that photography is not permitted unless you have written approval from the Supreme Council of Antquities
Address
Metro Station Mar Girgis
3 Sharia Mar Girgis
Old Cairo
Telephone
Director 23628766
Operator 23639742


 

Egyptian Museum

Egyptian Museum

The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museums, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. It has 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display, the remainder in storerooms.

The museum's Royal Mummy Room, containing 27 royal mummies from pharaonic times, was closed on the orders of President Anwar Sadat in 1981. It was reopened, with a slightly curtailed display of New Kingdom kings and queens in 1985. Today there are about 9 mummies displayed. One of them is the newly discovered mummy of Queen Hatshepsut.


 
 

Museum History:

The Egyptian government established the ‘Service des Antiques de l’Egypte’ in 1835 mainly to halt the plundering of archeological sites and to arrange the exhibition of the collected artifacts owned by the government. The Azbakian garden in Cairo was first used as a storage place for these artifacts.The collection was later transferred to another building in the citadel of Saladin.

 

In 1858, a museum was prepared at Boulaq, its contents collected by the French archeologist August Mariette. In 1880, the contents of the Boulaq museum was transferred to an annex of the Giza palace of Ismail pasha, the ruler of Egypt. The present museum was built in 1900, in the neo-classical style by the French architect Marcel Dourgnon.

Museum Overview :

The mummies of some pharaohs of the 18 to 20th Dynasty found in Thebes. The first group was found in Deir el Bahari cachette and these consist of the mummies of: Seqenenre, Ahmose I, Amenhotep I, Tuthmosis I, Tuthmosis II, Tuthmosis III, Seti I, Ramses II, Ramses III.The other group was found in the tomb of Amenhotep II, consisting of the mummies of: Amenhotep II, Tuthmosis IV, Amenhotep III, Merenptah, Seti II, Siptah, Ramses IV, Ramses V, Ramses VI, (and three women and a child.)

This museum exhibits over 120000 objects, some of the important groups of these objects are : Artifacts from the tombs of kings and members of the royal families of the Middle Kingdom found at Dahshur in 1894.The contents of the royal tombs of Tuthmosis III, Tuthmosis IV, Amenhotep III and Horemheb and the tomb of Yuya and Thuya.Artifacts from the tomb of Tutankhamun, consisting of more than 3500 Pieces, of which 1700 objects are displayed in the museum (the rest are in storerooms).

Objects from some royal and private tombs at Tanis (in the Delta) dating from the 21st and 22nd Dynasties. Artifacts from the Amarna period made for Akhenaton and members of his family and some high officials. These were found in Tell el Amarna, Hermopolis, Thebes and Memphis between 1912 and 1933. Collections of artifacts from the royal palaces.

Interior design
 

There are two main floors of the museum, the ground floor and the first floor. On the ground floor there is an extensive collection of papyrus and coins used in the Ancient world. The numerous pieces of papyrus are generally small fragments, due to their decay over the past two millennia. Several languages are found on these pieces, including Greek, Latin, Arabic, and the Ancient Egyptian writing language of hieroglyphs. The coins found on this floor are made of many different elements, including gold, silver, and bronze. The coins are not only Egyptian, but also Greek, Roman, and Islamic, which has helped historians research the history of Ancient Egyptian trade. Also on the ground floor are artifacts from the New Kingdom, the time period between 1550 and 1070 BC. These artifacts are generally larger than items created in earlier centuries. Those items include statues, tables, and coffins. On the first floor there are artifacts from the final two dynasties of Ancient Egypt, including items from the tombs of the Pharaohs Tuhtmoisis III, Tuhtmosis IV, Amenophis II, Hatshepsut, and Maherpen, and also many artifacts taken from the Valley of the Kings

 

King Tutankhamun

Unlike many of the tombs discovered in Egypt, that of King Tutankhamun was found mostly intact. Inside the tomb there is a large collection of artifacts used throughout the King’s life. These artifacts range from a decorated chest, which was most likely used as a closet or suitcase, to ivory and gold bracelets, necklaces, and other decorative jewelry, to alabaster vases and flasks. The tomb is also home to many weapons and instruments used by the King. Although the tomb holds over 3,500 artifacts, it should be noted that this tomb was not found completely intact. In fact, there have been at least two robberies of the tomb, perhaps soon after Tutankhamun's burial. The most well known artifact in King Tutankhamun’s tomb is the famous Gold Mask, which rests over the bandages that wrap around the King’s face. The mask weighs in at 24.5 pounds of solid gold, and is believed to represent what the King’s face really looked like. Many features of the mask the eyes, nose, lips and chin are all represented very well.

 
Pharaohs



The remains of many famous Pharaohs are stored in the Egyptian Museum. One of these is Pharaoh Ramses III, who was an extremely skilled warrior. For many of the mummified pharaohs, it has been very difficult to determine when they were born. Also, historians can only estimate a time when they reigned over Egypt. For Amenhotep IV, historians have estimated that he reigned around 1372 B.C. They knew this because they found out when Amenhotep IV's father, Amenhotep III died. Also, that Amenhotep IV's tomb inscribed five names he gave himself and one of them, Golden Horus, proves that he was crowned on the bank of the Nile, his father's favorite domain. Before he even became pharaoh, however, he was already married to Nefertiti. When Amenhotep IV did become pharaoh, he destroyed the religion of Amun. He did this because he wanted start his own new religion of Aten, the disc which sent out rays ending in hands. King Sneferu was believed to be the first king of the Fourth Dynasty. The year Sneferu was believed to have started his reign over Egypt was around 2620 B.C. Sneferu is believed to have been a fair and just king. Master of Justice or Truth was his other chosen name. Sneferu, like many other kings, built many temples and structures. All of Sneferu’s structures and buildings had a signature. His signature was having a statue of a woman symbolizing the foundation. The statue of the young women is presenting the sign of life and votive offerings, as well as the signs of the city and the stronghold. There are about four or five of these in each province. A lot of the pharaohs had coronation names and they all seemed to be alike. For example, Sneferu, Tut, and Amenhotep all had the name "Golden Horus".

  

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