With a population of over 20 million people, Cairo, the capital city of Egypt is the largest city in the Arab world. Famous for the Giza pyramid complex and the ancient city of Memphis, Egypt’s sprawling capital is famous for world class art and exciting history. At its heart is the vast Egyptian Museum, housing a trove of antiquities including royal mummies and gilded King Tutankhamun artifacts. Nearby, Giza is the site of the iconic pyramids and Great Sphinx, dating to the 26th century BC. Cairo holds a lot of history which is evident in the different museums across the city. To learn more about Egyptian history and culture when visiting, head to the best museums in Cairo listed below.
Egyptian Museum
Located in perhaps one of the coolest centers of Cairo called Tahrir Square, the Egyptian Museum aka Museum of Egyptian Antiquities or Museum of Cairo, is home to an extensive 120,000 items of ancient Egyptian antiques. The museum contains many important pieces of ancient Egyptian history and houses the world’s largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities. No Cairo tour is complete without a visit to the Egyptian museum. The architecture and building itself is worth a visit for its beauty.
National Military Museum Egypt
The Egyptian National Military Museum is the official museum of the Egyptian army and is located in the Citadel of Cairo. This museum is great place to checkout Egyptian military history and some heroic events in the Egyptian history. The museum contains exhibits about the military operations of Egypt during World War II and more intriguing are the exhibits about the military history of Egypt from the time of the pharaohs till date. A trip to the museum promises an illuminating adventure into the military operations of the great Egypt, and offers very informative connection between the past and present on problems we face in modern society.
Egyptian Geological Museum
The Egyptian Geological museum Cairo is must-visit for science lovers and enthusiasts. The museum houses examples of the natural history of Egypt and how it’s geology and minerals helped make Egypt a world power. On display are several series of fossils unearthed years ago such as the Nakhalite meteorite that fell at the village of El Nakhla El Baharia in 1911, and is one of a very few meteorites known to have their origin in the planet Mars. The resident tour guides are always knowledgeable and friendly.
Coptic Museum
Founded by Marcus Simaika in 1908 to house Coptic antiques, the Coptic museum in Cairo holds the largest collection of Egyptian Christian artifacts in the world. If you’d love to learn about early Christian history, the Coptic museum is a treasure trove housing the world’s most important examples of Coptic art. The museum traces the history of Egypt from its beginnings to the present day. It was erected on 8,000 square meter land offered by the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, under the guardianship of Pope Cyril V. A trip to this Cairo museum allows visitors to experience a full day of learning and culture.
Mahmoud Mukhtar Museum
The Mahmoud Mukhtar Museum Cairo is named after Mahmoud Mukhtar, a world-renowned Egyptian sculptor and the founder of the modern art movement in Egypt. The Museum is dedicated to the works of Mahmoud Mukhtar, housing over 85 sculptures in bronze, stone and plaster, painstakingly worked by Mukhtar. Born in 1891 in a small village called Nesha in the Nile delta, Mukhtar is credited to have wrought many modern landmark monuments of national importance in Egypt. His well-known works are the statue called The Nahdet Misr, located in front of the Cairo University Bridge and the two statues of Saad Zaghlul that are located in Cairo and Alexandria respectively.
Museum of Islamic art Cairo
If you are a lover of Islamic art and heritage, the museum of Islamic art in Cairo is best described as a holistic adventure. For its immense historic and cultural importance, the museum is considered one of the greatest in the world. Housing exceptional collection of rare woodwork and plaster artefacts, as well as metal, ceramic, glass, crystal, and textile objects of all periods, from all over the Islamic world. It’s worth having a walk-around to fully explore the art and architecture as well. The museum is opened throughout the week from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Fridays is opened from 9:00am to 11:30am and from 1:30pm to 5:00pm.
We also recommend our guide to the 15 best places to visit in Egypt.
