Perhaps no civilization has made so many contributions to the world than ancient Egypt.
The Egyptian Museum is unique as the first purpose-built museum in the Middle East, housing national treasures like jewelry, coffins, paintings, and papyrus documents.
In 1895, French architect Marcel Dourgnon won an international competition to design a building to house and exhibit Egyptian artifacts, relics, and masterpieces from prehistory to the Graeco-Roman Periods.
Opened in 1902, the Egyptian Museum showcases 5,000 years of Egyptian culture, arts, beliefs, traditions, and daily life. Its most famous exhibit is the 5,000-year-old King Tutankhamun, though his mummy remains in the Valley of the Kings. The museum currently displays his gold death mask and other treasures unearthed in 1922.
However, soon both the death mask and thousands of other related ancient artifacts will be relocated from the Egyptian Museum over to the new billion-dollar GrandEgyptian Museum. Slated to open towards the end of 2024, the impressive new facility will bring together nearly all the 5,000-plus priceless artifacts from King Tut’s tomb, many of which have never been seen by the public.
While the Grand Egyptian Museum promises to be well worth the 10-year wait, visitors will still find plenty of Egyptian artifacts, statues, relics, and jewelry left behind in the “old” museum. It may not be quite as “grand” as its much larger counterpart, but the Egyptian Museum still has a lot to offer.
Particularly memorable are the royal limestone statues of Prince Rahotep and his wife Nofret. The two remarkably preserved life-like painted figures are considered among the most famous private statues from ancient Egypt. They are also more relatable to modern sensibilities than the strange animal-head statues of gods and goddesses on display elsewhere.
Fortunately, the “old” Egyptian Museum will not suddenly become obsolete; rather, it will retain thousands of cultural treasures. Besides Prince Rahotep and his wife Nofret, also on display will be must-see marvels such as the three-gods-in-one statue of King Monkara as well as Narmer Palette, a giant ox-head figure that gives a historical picture of the very first pharaoh, Menes, who unified Egypt during the First Dynasty.
Of course, you do not have to be an Egyptologist or a world history buff to enjoy the fascinating displays of royal treasure, everyday artifacts, and scientific inventions that tell the fascinating story of a 7,000-year-old civilization.
Experience mummified pharaohs and their buried treasures on full display, where the legacy of ancient Egypt endures.
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