If you come to get acquainted with the history and culture of the country of the Great Pyramids, do not miss the main attraction of the capital. The Great Egyptian Museum in Cairo keeps the richest collection of exhibits from the era of the pharaohs. It will take more than one day to see the entire exhibition. The museum is located in the city center next to the Urabi metro station. Address: 15 Meret Basha, Ismailia, Qasr-a-Nil, Cairo Province, Egypt.
History of Creation
The National Egyptian Museum in Cairo was founded by the French archaeologist Auguste Mariet in 1858. A young employee of the Louvre was sent to study ancient texts in the Nile Valley. But instead of working in a stuffy library, the archaeologist became interested in excavations.
It was Mariet who discovered the oldest building in the world - the Step Pyramid of Djoser. During his expeditions, priceless artifacts were found, many of which were sent to Paris. In 1858, the Egyptian authorities offered Mariet a position in the Department of Antiquities. The scientist happily agreed, and this time he left France forever.
The first building of the museum was located next to the Nile, but after the flood in 1878, many exhibits were damaged. The exposition was taken to Giza, where it was stored until a new two-story building was built in Cairo.
In front of the main entrance
Exhibits welcome guests in the museum's garden. There is a life-size statue of Marieta here. She is surrounded by busts of other Egyptologists. In the middle is a pond with blue lotuses - the sacred flowers of Ancient Egypt.
Sculptures found by Mariet are exhibited along the road to the main entrance. Noteworthy is the statue of Thutmose III, carved from red granite. Two sphinxes on either side of the entrance to the museum represent Upper and Lower Egypt. A very unusual sculpture of Amenhotep III with his wife, who stands behind the pharaoh and holds him by the shoulders. The spouses are depicted of the same height, which is not typical for the fine arts of Ancient Egypt.
It's worth taking pictures here for memory, there will be no such opportunity inside. Photo and video filming is prohibited in all halls of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Rotonda and atrium
Visitors begin to get acquainted with the history of the ancient state immediately at the entrance to the museum. The rotunda located in the lobby has collected sculptures from various eras. Here is a statue of Djoser, the founder of the III dynasty and the first pharaoh of the Old Kingdom. At the corners of the rotunda are the colossi of Ramses II, the greatest ruler in the history of Egypt. The oldest exhibit in the museum is a paletteNarmer, depicting the unification of the Upper and Lower kingdoms.
Pyramidions found in Dashur are exhibited in the atrium. These granite stones were installed on the tops of the pyramids. Attention is drawn to the sarcophagi, which belong to the period of the New Kingdom. The unique exhibit is located in the center of the atrium. This is a floor fragment from Akhenaten's palace. Another artifact is the Stele of Merneptah, which describes the military exploits of the pharaoh. Its main value is the first mention of Israel in history. An interesting model of an ordinary house of the Amarna period.
Exhibits of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo: first floor
The exposition is built in such a way that, moving clockwise, you can trace the development of civilization in chronological order. The review begins with the exhibits of the Old Kingdom. This is the era of the greatness of Memphis and the active construction of the pyramids. Along the walls are statues of the nobility and their servants. Sculptural images accompanied their masters to the afterlife. Bas-reliefs with scenes of hunting, farming and handicrafts give an idea of the life of ordinary Egyptians in the 3rd millennium BC. The only image of the builder of the Great Pyramid of Cheops is also kept here.
The Middle Kingdom is represented by statues of pharaohs and sarcophagi. The images of the faces are conditional and in many respects resemble the images of the ancient Egyptian gods. The views of anthropomorphic figures have nothing human. This emphasized the superiority of the rulers, hinting at their divine origin. Unlike statues, the interior painting of sarcophagi is full of life andcolors.
The halls of the New Kingdom show the highest flowering of ancient civilization. Such great names as Thutmose III, Hatshepsut, Amenhotep III and Ramses II belong to this period. An interesting sculpture of the goddess Hathor in the form of a cow. In front of her is the conquering pharaoh Thutmose III. In this part of the museum you can see a column from the temple of Hatshepsut, as well as several busts of the great queen. The exposition ends with Ramses II in the form of a child. He holds a plant in his hand, and the god Horus covers the boy's back with his chest.
Amarna Hall
The short period of Akhenaten's reign is distinguished by historians and art historians as an independent era. By the same principle, in the Cairo Museum, part of the exposition is reserved for masterpieces of Amarna art.
Amazing artifacts have been discovered on the site of the former palace of the heretic pharaoh in modern Tel el-Amarna, which are very different from other Egyptian finds. Four statues of Akhenaten have disproportionate faces with large lips and nostrils. Similar anomalies can be traced in the images of the heads of members of the pharaoh's family. The opinions of scientists are divided: some adhere to the hypothesis of a genetic disease, others consider it a stylistic device.
In the Amarna era, secular scenes with the participation of the royal family appear for the first time. Earlier in Egyptian art, everyday sketches described the life of commoners. Images of pharaohs looked like gods, and the plots were based on mythology and were inextricably linked with the afterlife. Here you can see the steleon which Akhenaten holds his daughter, and Nefertiti rocks the cradle.
Behind the Amarna Hall, the exhibition of the New Kingdom and the Greco-Roman period continues, and most of the second floor of the museum is occupied by the treasures of Tutankhamun.
Untouched Tomb
The tomb of the pharaoh, who lived only 18 years old, preserved priceless artifacts for posterity. It is hard to imagine how much we alth the robbers took from the nearby tomb of Ramses II, if all the treasures of Tutankhamun cannot be placed on one floor of a large museum.
The exposition of the burial items of the young pharaoh has 1700 exhibits. A separate room is reserved for Tutankhamun's gold. These priceless exhibits are often exhibited in other countries. The most famous of them is Tutankhamun's funeral mask, which, along with the head of Nefertiti, has become a symbol of ancient Egyptian art.
It is impossible to pass by golden thrones, chests and caskets. The Ark of Anubis occupies a special place in the exposition. The guide to the realm of the dead is depicted as a black jackal with gilded ears. A pair of wooden chariots is displayed at the exit towards the atrium. Their gilded bas-reliefs depict scenes of the enslavement of enemies.
Mummy Halls
The most mystical exposition is located on the second floor. There is an additional fee for entry. Mummies of pharaohs and animals are exhibited in the halls. Excursions are not allowed here and are not even allowed to speak loudly, so as not to offend the memory of the dead.
Many mummies are sowell preserved that you can see the hair and facial features. The remains of the pharaohs are exhibited in hermetic display cases, which maintain a constant temperature and humidity.
Prospects for development
In 2020, it is planned to open a new museum next to the Great Pyramids. The treasures of Tutankhamen will move to Giza, as they cannot be fully housed in the halls of the old building in Cairo.
The architecture of the Grand Egyptian Museum provides the opportunity to exhibit huge exhibits. At the entrance, visitors will be greeted by a statue of Ramses II. Gardens are laid out around the building, and a view of the pyramids will open from the windows. In total, the museum will house about 50,000 exhibits.
