Egyptian Museum in Downtown
This is the earliest museum in the Middle East, bearing the largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts in the world. It houses an enormous collection of artifacts associated with the pre-dynastic periods to the Greek and Roman eras.
It started in 1895 with an international architectural competition won by Marcel Dorneo—the French architect—to design the museum building. Khedive Abbas Hilmi II opened it in 1902.
The museum contains many artifacts and statues, such as the statues of King Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye. This statue is considered a group statue of the family of the king, his wife, and his three daughters. The museum also includes the coffin of Mbakah Kawit, the wife of King Mentuhotep II (Nebhepetre), the founder of the Middle Kingdom. The coffin is engraved on the outside with aspects of daily life.
On one side of the coffin, the queen is shown drinking, and in front of her is a table full of food. On the other side, the queen is shown holding a lotus flower, and in front of her is her jewelry box, topped with a view of the jewelry inside it and other engravings.
The museum also contains a group statue of the dwarf Seneb and his family, found inside a naos in his funerary mastaba in Giza, which is the first tomb to have a dome-shaped roof and circular rooms. Seneb is depicted sitting cross-legged, and his wife sits next to him, embracing him affectionately (her hand on his shoulder). She is of normal height.
It was carved in this way to achieve symmetry in the statue. The sculptor depicted Seneb's sons in place of his legs so that he became the same height as his wife. As per the rules of ancient Egyptian art, the two children are depicted with each of them putting their index fingers in their mouths. The boy stands on the left and has a darker skin tone than his sister standing beside him.
The two large statues flanking the main entrance were designed by Ferdinand Weber to represent Upper and Lower Egypt. The foundation stone of the Egyptian Museum was laid by Khedive Abbas II on April 1, 1897.
Gaston Maspero was responsible for the scientific supervision and the task of transporting and displaying the museum's artifacts after construction process.
Latest Articles
Admin
Wadi El Rayan in Faiyum | Waterfalls in Wadi El Rayan
Wadi Al-Rayan Nature Reserve is one of the distinguished tourist areas in Fayoum Governorate, and one of the most important areas is the picturesque Wadi Al-Rayan Falls with its charming nature, which made it a destination for hundreds of thousands of tourists from different countries of the world who visit it during the year and enjoy practicing various tourist activities around the waterfalls, such as sand skiing, bird watching, and others.
Admin
Tourism in Aswan | Aswan Tourism in Egypt
Aswan Governorate has a huge wealth of diverse natural attractions, including the great Nile River, a large number of nature reserves, vast areas of deserts and mountains, and other areas of attractive nature. It is also characterized by an ancient, unique, rich and diverse civilization, as it possesses a civilizational and cultural heritage that bears witness to all the periods of history that have succeeded in it during thousands of years.
Admin
The Medical Tourism in Egypt | Therapeutic Tourism Egypt
If you are planning medical tourism in Egypt and you don't know what medical tourism places you can visit, let me tell you, dear reader, about places rich in natural resources that provide effective treatments to get rid of diseases and get the most energy and vitality.
Admin
The Nile River information
The Nile River is the longest river in the world and is located in the continent of Africa, and it divides the land of Egypt from south to north to branch into two branches that flow into the Mediterranean Sea, namely the Rosetta Branch and the Damietta Branch, its length is from its headwaters in Lake Tanganyika to its mouth in the Mediterranean Sea
Admin
Goddess Isis | The Egyptian Goddess Isis
In the first millennium BCE, Isis and Osiris became the most worshipped Egyptian deities, and Isis took on many of the traits of the other gods. The rulers of Egypt and its neighbors to the south in Nubia began building temples specifically dedicated to Isis, and her temple at Philae was one of the most important religious centres for Egyptians and Nubians alike.
Admin
God Amun Ra | Amon Ra The Master of the Ancient Egyptian gods
By merging with Ra, Amun manifested himself in creation, thereby combining in himself the two divine opposites: as Amun, he was invisible, mysterious, and detached from the world, and as Ra, he was visible and the giver of everyday life. Similarly, he was associated with Maat, the Egyptian concept of justice and balance in the universe.
