A Look Inside the Egyptian Museum in Cairo

For history fans, getting inside the Egyptian Museum in Cairo is a dream. It is filled with intriguing and exciting collections that would blow your mind away. The artifacts aren’t just there to give us a glimpse of the ancient Egyptian civilization;; they’re there to remind us of the vast wealth of Pharaohs and their cohorts.

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo is the largest in the country. It is home to 120,000 items collected from numerous archaeological sites across the country. If you’re a keen historian or archaeologist, a day spent here wouldn’t be enough to see all of these items. But, if you’re here for a visit, it’s better to get in with a guide so you will be shown with more interesting artifacts. If you go alone, you’ll be overwhelmed with the relics around you. Many of these relics don’t even have descriptions, and you’ll be lost in the middle of this massive museum. If you’ve got more time and money to spare, get one of those audio guides and explore it alone.

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo is also known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.

Egyptian Museum in Cairo is also known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.
Egyptian Museum in Cairo is also known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.

It has the most extensive collection of pharaonic artifacts in the world.

Egyptian Museum in Cairo is also known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.
Egyptian Museum in Cairo is also known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.

And this is the only museum I’ve been to where there’s no replica of any antiquity.

Egyptian Museum in Cairo is also known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.
Egyptian Museum in Cairo is also known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.

Once you pass the human scanner in the lobby, you’ll be in dilemma on where to start.

Egyptian Museum in Cairo is also known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.
Egyptian Museum in Cairo is also known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.

The ground floor houses the heavy statues, papyrus, and coin collections.

Things to do in Cairo / Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.
Egyptian Museum in Cairo is also known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.

There are solid coffins (sarcophagi) of pharaohs and other royals, too.

Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.
Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.

On the first floor, you’ll find small statues.

Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.
Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.

You’ll find mummies, too.

Things to do in Cairo / Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.
Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.

And some hieroglyphs were painted inside the tombs.

Things to do in Cairo / Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.
Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.

This one intrigued me.

Hostel Cairo Hotel Egypt
Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.

You’ll find treasures discovered inside Tutankhamen’s tomb on the first floor, too.

Hostel Cairo Hotel Egypt
Egyptian Museum in Cairo is also known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.

This huge box was carefully designed and plated in gold.

Hostel Cairo Hotel Egypt
Egyptian Museum in Cairo is also known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.

And there’s this bed plated in gold.

Hostel Cairo Hotel Egypt
Egyptian Museum in Cairo is also known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.

There’s a special room (and additional fee) for all things Tutankhamen, where you can see THAT shiny, gold-plated bust you see in the pages of history books.

Tourist attractions in Cairo

Unfortunately, I couldn’t enter the room because, by the time we finished, the museum doors were closing. Once you enter the museum, walk to your right and go to the first floor. It’s on your right, adjacent to the stairs, and you you can’t miss it. 

The builder of the oldest and largest of the three Pyramids (Khufu) is reduced to this tiny figurine.

Tourist attractions in Cairo

Statues of the Royal Family.

Tourist attractions in Cairo

She’s broken but she still looks beautiful. Her smile could rival that of Mona Lisa’s.

Tourist attractions in Cairo

(Left) Queen Nefertiti.

Tourist attractions in Cairo

Note for Improvement
The artifacts aren’t presented well enough to make it more interesting. They are placed close to each other and it looks like the museum is hoarding a lot of things inside.

Tourist attractions in Cairo

After walking around for 10 minutes, I felt like I was in a warehouse rather than a museum. And there are so many things that remained unlabelled, making it boring.

Tourist attractions in Cairo

The Good News
They’re building a multi-million dollar museum that is in the Pyramids area. It could have been opened some time ago if it had not been for the Egyptian Revolution that happened in 2011. Hopefully, they won’t stick to their tedious organization of artifacts. It has to be arranged like a visitor is on a journey of discovery or history.

How to Save Time and Money in Cairo

Cairo is still cheap, and Egypt is the second cheapest country I’ve ever been to. However, taking public transport is a challenge – crowded and hot. If you’re a solo traveler and up for it, I recommend you do it. Taxi? Good luck! Either the driver will pretend to take the shorter route or fool you with the meter. Both happened to me. And not to mention lousy driving skills. 😂

On the other hand, if you have little time in Cairo and want so much to explore – join a tour! It’s more informative and hassle-free from harassment in public transport and avoids the scorching heat.

Where to stay in Giza with Views of the Pyramids

If you are on a budget, I recommend three guest houses/accommodations: Giza Pyramids View Guest House, Giza Pyramids Inn, and Comfort Pyramids Inn. All these three guesthouses have views of the pyramids. Jimmy’s Pyramids Views and Marvel Stone Hotel will suit you if you can afford more.

KeepCalmAndWander

A wanderer. A frustrated photographer. Hiker. Lover. Half extrovert, half introvert. Solo traveler.

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