Egyptian Museum
المتحف المصري
A pink-hued old museum that opened in 1902. Even after Tutankhamun's treasures were moved out, it still holds over 100,000 objects, including the Narmer Palette, Old Kingdom statues and the mummy room.
The Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square was built in 1902 and was the world's first museum dedicated to collecting Egyptian antiquities. Its pink neoclassical building is itself a landmark. Although all of Tutankhamun's burial goods have moved to the Grand Egyptian Museum, and 22 royal mummies have moved to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Fustat, the museum still holds over 100,000 pieces, many displayed in new arrangements since 2021. The ground floor is arranged chronologically, with highlights including the Narmer Palette (symbol of Egypt's unification), the seated statue of Khafre, the Seated Scribe, the painted statues of Rahotep and Nofret, and the colossal statue of Akhenaten from the Amarna period. The upper floor has grave goods from the tomb of Yuya and Thuya, Fayum portraits and animal mummies. Foreign adult admission is about EGP 550 (2025), photography tickets are extra, and opening hours are 09:00–17:00 (Thursdays and Sundays have night sessions until 21:00). The Sadat metro station exit leads straight to the museum. Allow 2–3 hours, and prioritise the ground-floor hall and the Amarna Room upstairs. Labels inside are limited, so an audio guide or licensed guide will add a lot. It can be scheduled on the same day as a Nile cruise and Zamalek. To see the royal mummies, visit the NMEC in Old Cairo (admission about EGP 500).
Opening hours
09:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Cairo Tower
- Abdeen Palace
- Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo
- Manial Palace
- Bab Zuweila
- Mosque of Ibn Tulun
- Gayer-Anderson Museum
- Wikala of al-Ghuri (Tanoura Dance)