An exciting visit to the Cairo Museum

Museum of Egyptian Antiquities is the name, but people commonly know it as the Cairo Museum. The enormous building shines as a key point to visit in Egypt.

On this virtual tour, you will see dozens of photos and tips for your visit.

Have you taken your Indiana Jones hat or maybe your Lara Croft garments?

No need to ask! Of course I have, Damas! Ready for this new adventure in Cairo!

I’m impressed.

Take my hand and come with me. May the good Egyptian gods be with us.

The unforgettable museum

The building has housed 120,000 items — not all available to visitors — since 1902. When th—

Oh, wait, Damas. You said “since 1902.” But how about the new Museum of Cairo? It’s been on the news.

That’s what I was about to say.

A new museum will open to the public soon to replace the Cairo Museum — a grand (pharaonic?) project, as Egyptian Antiquity deserves. It will be in Giza (part of Greater Cairo), conveniently close to the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx complex. I saw the construction works and got impressed.

The new museum and the archaeological site with the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx.

Egyptian authorities have postponed the inauguration of the new museum several times. Finally, they confirmed the grand opening for the second half of 2020, but Covid-19 ruined the excitement. I believe now it will be ready in 2023.

Because of this new unit, you will not see some items in the current museum during the coming months. They are being gradually transferred.

Location

The Cairo Museum is just a few steps from the famous Tahrir Square.

In front of the museum gates, I see Tahrir Square in the background.

You certainly want the precise location. Find the museum now on Google Maps.

Opening times

The Cairo Museum opens daily from 9 AM to 5 PM (the box office closes at 4 PM).

The new museum is a pharaonic project.

The schedule will be different if your visit happens during Ramadan. Local authorities decide the temporary opening times around one month before. You’ll need to check, but the doors will presumably open from 9 AM to 3 PM.

Tickets

Time to open your wallet!

The ticket costs 120 Egyptian pounds (± US$ 6.70 / 5.80 € / 5.20 £).

I suppose you will spend a little more because there’s an extra ticket of 50 Egyptian pounds (US$ 2.80 / 2.44 € / 2.20 £) to take photos inside the museum. Also, to ~~enter the unmissable Royal Mummies Room~~, 150 more Egyptian pounds (US$ 8.40 / 7.30 € / 6.50 £). (Update – 2022 – The Royal Mummies have already been moved to the new National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. But attention, please: This is one more new museum, not that one in construction in Giza.)

Oh, woooonderful, Damas! I was afraid of not being allowed to use my camera inside the museum. I will pay for that extra ticket and take pictures of EVERYTHING, plus hundreds of selfies in front of Tutankhamun’s gold mask! Oh wait, one thousand more selfies next to the mummy of Tutankhamun!

Well, well, well. I love your excitement about Ancient Egypt, but now I have two notes for you.

First, even if you buy that ticket to take pictures, you can’t use your camera or smartphone in ~~the Royal Mummies Room~~, nor in the crowded room that features Tutankhamun’s mask and other items. And don’t take hidden photos, because the staff monitors the rooms.

Tutankhamun’s treasures make our heart race.

Second, a correction. The mummy of Tutankhamun is not in the Cairo Museum. You can see him in his tomb in the enigmatic Valley of the Kings, Luxor. This blog will show you the mummy and the tomb in detail.

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The exterior of the building

I often try to use my camera to capture points of view that are not commonly known by the public.

When discussing the Cairo Museum, we always see its magnificent facade with the main entrance, but not other parts of the building and the space (garden) in front of it. I have some exciting things to show. For instance, have you ever seen papyrus (the plant) and the Lotus flower?

The main entrance.

This time, I was with the famous tour guide Ihab Hamdy. An exciting day with a group of pleasant people. (This is a VIP group organised by “Meu Egito,” which means “My Egypt” in Portuguese. I am a co-founder.)

Delighting people since 1902.

Statues in honour of great Egyptologists.

Papyrus: the source of the famous Egyptian papyri used for writing and drawing.

Next to the papyrus, we see beautiful flowers like this one. Any idea? People associate Egypt with which flower? That’s it: Lotus flower.

Here’s where we purchase tickets.

The queue to enter the museum.

I’m loving all of this, Damas!

Great! And the photo above reminds you of what? It’s a queue…

It reminds me to FINALLY enter the museum!

Exactly, my dear reader.

So, don’t make me wait more!

Sure. But before our first step into the museum, I warn you about one thing.

There’s no bar around. So, go to the Cairo Museum carrying a bottle of water. A small, easy-to-carry bottle. Except if your visit occurs in Winter, you will want a lot of water. In Egypt, we want water, water, WATER all the time.

Inside the museum

Finally, with our water bottle, let’s start the best part of the day.

This is the first sight inside:

Notice that there’s a security check here.

Now, we explore the two main floors. Ancient Egypt is right in front of our eyes. All that is for us to see, smell and maybe touch. It’s jaw-dropping. Even when I return to the museum, I feel like the first time. I get involved in fresh ways to look at the same items, and there are always new things to discover.

Oh, this reminds me of two more warnings.

Not the entire museum

First: Don’t delude yourself by thinking you will see everything in the museum. With this assumption in mind, you will leave the place feeling frustrated.

Be realistic: Nobody can explore the totality of such a vast museum in just one visit. (The same applies to the British Museum, the Louvre Museum, etc.)

A [really] good tour guide

An excellent tour guide at your side is the only way to explore the Cairo Museum properly. That thing is too complex. Visitors need guidance. A tour guide knows where to go — according to the time available — and makes people understand what they see.

Oh, Damas! Very well! And one thing I will certainly see: the gold mask of Tutankhamun!

Of course! Visitors are always eager to see that mask. It is the most outstanding star in the museum. There are no words to express my feelings when I see it just a few centimetres away. I stay there, looking and looking and looking at it, in hypnosis that lasts for several minutes.

One more thing. We sho—

Wait. Enough talking! Damas, where are the PHOTOS? At the beginning of this post, you promised “dozens of photos.” Right?

Right.

Walking inside

So… let’s move on!

The tour guide Ihab Hamdy leads a group of tourists.

Mummies, mummies, muuuuummiiiieees!

The house of many mummies.

Detail of a mummy.

One of the most iconic images from Ancient Egypt is now in front of us.

You will see the only image (made of ivory) of Khufu in Egypt.

Hold your breath because you see here the viscera of Khufu’s mother.

Ancient Egyptians used alabaster to build statues, tombs, ornaments, temples, etc. Ask your tour guide to use a flashlight to illuminate this tomb from the inside (the tomb is just a few steps away from that small statue of Khufu). The alabaster has certain transparency: The stone glows in a reddish-yellow light.

The mummy of Ramesses II in ~~the Royal Mummies Room~~ (this photo is not mine).

The mummy of Queen Hatshepsut ~~in the same room~~ (this photo, exceptionally, is not mine).

So, what do you think so far?

Amazing, Damas! But, until now, nothing about Tutankhamun.

Of course not. This is a clever strategy to keep your attention.

Tutankhamun

But enough of the torture. Let’s visit the extensive zone dedicated to Tut.

Bust of Tutankhamun.

The main throne of Tutankhamun.

Tutankhamun’s throne used in religious ceremonies.

Tutankhamun’s sandals. Can you believe this? He put his little feet here! The drawings represent enemies he conquered in battles. Symbolically, he stepped on his enemies! Would you go for a walk using these sandals?

Tutankhamun’s fan. The feathers? Ostrich.

YES, this shining item is what you think: the sceptre of Tutankhamun!

A board game.

Fun fact: the tomb of King Tut, in the Valley of the Kings, was not originally made for him.

Alabaster. Always the famous alabaster. Inspect two of these items. First, at the left, in the foreground: The candleholder is a relic found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. I purchased a replica in a store in Luxor. Second, also at the left, but in the background, is a jar of perfume.

Inspect the jar.

Unbelievable: There’s a seal in the jar! With beeswax! Would you open this lid to appreciate the fragrance preserved for thousands of years?

Another jar, but this one is open. Who had the pleasure of smelling the perfume? I’m so jealous!

Tutankhamun’s mortuary bed.

Tutankhamun’s carriage.

Archaeologists found the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun inside three large “boxes” — one inside the other. This is one of them (see the opposite side in the next photo).

So far, you are walking in a spacious area dedicated to Tutankhamun. OK, great, fantastic. But where is the gold mask? You are anxious. Suddenly, you look at your side, and oh, wait, what’s that room behind the glass? What’s that in the middle of the room?

A zoomed photo through the glass (remember: they forbid cameras in this room). Imagine yourself losing your breath next to THAT! By the way, the mask is not the only item in this room. You will also see other parts of Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus and many of his jewels.

What now? Happy to see all of this?

Damas, I am drooling! Oh. My. God.

I could notice that.

I hope you visit this museum and tell me about your experience.

Wait! Don’t go now. Do you have more photos?

Sure.

More photos

I’m cute and cuddly, so here is the link for my Google Photos album created after one of my visits to the museum:

PHOTOS
Almost 300 photos.
Have fun!

May the Egyptian gods inspire your thoughts! 😉

G. DAMAS
» I live in Germany, after several years in Portugal (Algarve).

» My first fiction books, for young adults, were published in the early 2000s in Portuguese. I also wrote books and guides about travel and technology. Screenplays are my greatest passion.

» This blog is the English version of my G. DAMAS (Portuguese language, online since 2008). || English is not my native language.

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