We went to the museum around noon and found that we missed most of the morning and afternoon tour bus rushes, so it was nice to have a little bit of room to breath when we were walking through. The amount of history in this building is absolutely amazing! Any single artifact in there would be the crown of any Egyptian exhibit at home, and here they are scattered unceremoniously on the floor and in glass cases, which definitely adds to the charm. You feel like you're really able to interact in this museum. I can't say what my favorite part was, but the Tutankhamen display was really fascinating. There were very few people in the room containing his death mask so we were able to get really close and see all of the details. If he was buried with all of these treasures and he only lived to be 18 it really makes you wonder what must have been buried with the other pharaohs! Just a great museum, definitely the best one I've ever visited!

I had several options in planning my visit to the famous Egyptian Museum of Antiquity in Cairo. I could visit the museum early in my visit to Egypt as an aperitif to my adventure, or squeeze it in whenever it was convenient, or save it for last. After all my planning and consideration, I elected to have it as dessert and I’m glad that I did. It turned out that it was much easier digested, satisfying, and pleasurable. Much of what I experienced at the museum might have been easily lost had I not spent time in Egypt at the actual historic sites, like the Giza Pyramids, Luxor, Karnak, and Sakkara.
I awoke early in my bohemian, downtown, hostel and after a nice luke-warm shower and a filling breakfast, I made my way to the museum. The mercury was rising and it was already hot, so I was looking forward to getting out of the heat. It only took me a few minutes to walk to the museum. It took me an additional couple of minutes to ascertain where the entrance was located and having negotiated some serious traffic I was in que and ready to go.
The line went fast and I paid my entrance fee and proceeded to the front entrance of the museum. It was certainly an impressive building from the outside. I was excited about my opportunity to survey the many fabulous treasures of Egypt in one place. I felt certain I would leave Cairo with a better appreciation and fuller understanding of ancient Egypt.
As I approached the museum steps, I was approached by an official tour guide and he kindly offered his professional services. The price was right and his language skills and demeanor were to my liking, so I took him up on his offer. As we climbed the few stairs in to the museum, the size and scope of the museum became clearer. I had heard that it was a behemoth and now, I was certainly a believer.
Upon entering the museum, I was amazed at what lay before me. A previously unimaginable number of rooms and halls were filled with ancient artifacts. Patrons huddled in front of one exhibit after another, but it was not so crowded that I could not enjoy myself. My guide began explaining and directing my attention to particular artifacts within the exhibits. I was glad that I had hired him as I quickly found that many of the items on display were poorly labeled, and identified/described. With so much to see in the museum, my guide was succinct, but informative and entertaining. It was all very fascinating and my guide took me on journey through the museum that clearly showed me a glimpse into the Egyptian way of life, ranging from the pre-historic era to the Greco-Roman period. From the Funerary Works, Sculptures, Jewelry, Common Tools and Implements, to the grand King Tut exhibit, it was all tremendous.
The morning passed quickly and my time at the museum was ending. Around lunchtime, my guide concluded his tour and we settled up and said our goodbyes. I thanked him for a job well done. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the museum. I could have spent a longer time at the museum, as it would honestly take weeks to see everything on display. However, on this day I had my fill. I was pleasantly satisfied. I left the museum hoping to enjoy it again someday. The museum was a perfect dessert.

Good Journeys!

To get the most from the Museum (and Egypt) have an Egyptologist as a guide.
It would take you 9 months to see everything if you spent just one minute at each display so where to your start?
The Cairo Museum is not like Museums as we know them. There are 1.2 Million pieces on display over a floor space of 3 acres (until the new museum is finished in 2010). They are not presented very well with poor lighting and poor information (if any). An Egytologist who knows the museum is able to design a tour depending on what interests you most, the time that you want to spend or what they believe is the most important pieces. You can walk past a piece and not even realise its significance but an Egyptologist will tell you about things. Where they came from, what their importance was and the scientific discoveries that have arisen since discovery of pieces.
Then when you travel Egypt and visit a temple, you can picture the pieces that were recovered from sites. You will learn so much more about the history of items and the country by having an Eqygptologist guide you.

Saying that, the highlights for me were the gold of King Tut (not just in the King Tut room but in the hallway also) and the mysteries (past and present) of the mummies.

I'd also suggest that you take two shorter visits because at the end of one long visit, it is total information overload.

Se si ama l'Egitto, la stria e la loro cultura, si è affascinati dai faraoni e dalle piramidi non si puo' non visitare il famoso ed importantissimo museo egizio del Cairo.
Ultima tappa del tour, ci facciamo abbandonare dal minibus davanti all'ingresso e ci chiedono di lasciare le macchine fotografiche in auto, all'interno è vietato fotografare e addirittura portarle, se si ha la macchina fotografica viene chiesto di consegnarla in esterno dove un ufficio apposito prende in consegna gli oggetti che non è possibile introdurre all'interno. Dall'esterno gia' ci si fa un'idea della grandezza e maestosità del museo ma l'interno è sicuramente la culla di un patrimonio inestimabile per gli Egiziani e per tutti noi!
All'ingresso si passa per un metal detecor dove alcune guardie controllano con rigore ogni turista, una volta entrati ci vorrebbero giorni per visitare tutto quello che è conservato qui dentro, statue, sarcofagi, mummie, parti di pareti antiche, ricostruzioni di tombe, papiri, libri, oggetti e maschere funerarie..... noi in un paio d'ore abbiamo fatto un tour mirato con la guida di cio' che era davvero fondamentale vedere.
La sala delle mummie è spettacolare e si paga un biglietto d'ingresso a parte, una sala piccolissima con una decina di mummie ottimamente conservate di faraoni di millenni fa che ancora mi chiedo come siano arrivati fino a noi cosi' ben conservati!
Da Ramses a Tuthmose e cosi' via... scorriamo le mummie e usciamo alla volta del piano sottostante dove ci attende il corredo funerario del famoso faraone Tuthankamon con sarcofago e la famosissima maschera funeraria d'oro.
Ammaliati da Tuthankamon e dal suo tesoro trovato nella sua tomba, nella Valle dei Re, è un vero peccato che non si possano scattare fotografie all'interno, pero' li capisco, hanno un valore immenso e devono salvaguardare il tutto.
Da qui passiamo per corridoi, stanze, su e giu' per il museo tra statue, monili, oggetti, tesori e molto altro. Quello che stupisce è la conservazione massima degli oggetti che hanno millenni e sono ancora li, intatti, splendenti, coloratissimi e bellissimi.
Il trono di Tuthankamon, il suo letto, i suoi sandali, i suoi bracciali, sarcofagi di altri faraoni importanti scorrono sotto gli occhi di milioni di turisti, qui' è anche conservata l'unica piccola statuina di Cheope, ritrovata nella piana di Giza.
La guida ci delucida su tutto, rapita dalla storia dell'Egitto mi faccio cullare tra reperti e narrazioni della guida.
Nel museo non c'è tantissima gente, è domenica e per loro la domenica è il primo giorno di lavoro della settimana. Noto con dispiacere che il museo è pero' sporco e gli oggetti sono davvero tanti, ammassati in stanze grandi ma non abbastanza per contenere tutto il tesoro dell'antico Egitto.
La guida ci svela che è in progetto la costruzione di un nuovo museo grandissimo che conterra' tutti i reperti in modo piu consono ed ordinato.
Rimango comunque affascinata dalla visita e direi che davvero ne vale la pena nonostante comunque il prezzo del biglietto sia abbastanza caro, non per noi europei ma per loro, è in biglietto piu caro che abbiamo pagato in tutto il tour.
All'esterno si puo' fare qualche fotografia e riesco solo a fare quella dell'ingresso e della facciata, è tardi e siamo in attesa del bus per rientrare, noto la quantità smisurata di guardie e polizia all'esterno del museo.
Certamente avessi avuto piu tempo, avrei dedicato una giornata intera alla visita del museo, ho comunque un bel ricordo e spero di tornarci un giorno......
Hanno una bellissima storia, affascinante ed importante, hanno reperti magnifici e una terra stupenda, si, un'altra capatina in egitto ci vuole proprio!

One of the most fascinating places I've ever been. There is so much stuff crammed in here, and apparently what's on display is only the tip of the iceberg!!! The Tutankhamen exhibit is fabulous, and if you've visited his tomb, you'll find yourself wondering how they ever managed to fit that much stuff inside it! I loved the Mummy room - well worth the extra fee if you're even remotely interested in Egyptian history. I would recommend getting a guide, and plan to stay for most of the day, to maximise the experience. It's also best to leave this til the end of your Egyptian experience, as it will make more sense.