This is not the first post we dedicate to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, as we already wrote this other one some time ago. But its collection is so large that it deserved to be the protagonist of another. Additionally, we take the opportunity to give you information for visiting the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, with details that will be useful to you. And despite the inauguration of the pharaonic (never better said) Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, this other museum still has many arguments to convince any visitor, Egyptologist or not.
Five Additional Masterpieces
In the past post we mentioned, we highlighted four masterpieces that every visitor should contemplate with their own eyes: the Triad of Menkaure, the Narmer Palette, the Statue of Akhenaten, and the Portrait of Two Brothers. However, this museum inaugurated in 1902 and considered the largest institution in Egyptology has about 150,000 pieces in its inventory, although only a small part are actually exhibited.
So the visit will take you through many masterpieces, of which five more examples can be highlighted:
- Cairo Scribe: statue made during the times of the 4th Dynasty (around 2500 BC) and receives this name to distinguish it from the Seated Scribe of the Louvre Museum. Made of polychrome limestone, it also captivates with the quartz and glass used in the eyes of this character, a former official of the pharaohs
- Statue of Kaaper: another scribe, in this case also a priest and Nubian nobleman who came to hold a position of responsibility at the end of the 4th Dynasty or beginning of the 5th. It’s worth contemplating up close as a surprising example of realistic wooden sculpture
- Statue of Mentuhotep II: one of the most fascinating examples of art during the Middle Kingdom (11th Dynasty, around 2000 BC). It stands out for the ‘Osiriform’ position of this pharaoh, showing his desire to equate or invoke the god Osiris, lord of the Afterlife and judge of the Dead
- Sarcophagus of Kawit: funerary structure that contained the mummy of the queen consort of the aforementioned pharaoh Mentuhotep II. Despite lacking polychromy, the reliefs are very well preserved and allow you to admire the clean and polished style of Egyptian art, with striking scenes such as the grooming of her hair
- Masks of Yuya and Thuya: prominent nobles during the times of the 18th Dynasty (grandparents of Akhenaten and great-grandparents of Tutankhamun), they commissioned funerary masks of extraordinary beauty, covered with gold leaf
Information for Visiting the Egyptian Museum in Cairo
In addition to these highlighted masterpieces, it will be useful for you to know the following practical data for the visit:
- Hours: open every day from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (until 3:00 PM during the month of Ramadan)
- Price: 550 EGP for foreign adults, 275 EGP for students. Egyptian or Arab citizens have reductions: 30 EGP for adults and 10 EGP for students. Some visitors enjoy free entry: children under 6 years old, Egyptian citizens over 60 years old, and Egyptian people with disabilities
- Address: Tahrir Square, Cairo
- Visitor services: cafeteria, souvenir and book shop, elevators, library, braille panels, sign language service, parking
The information we show above corresponds to March 2025, the time of writing this post. You can check the official museum website to learn about possible updates regarding prices and opening hours. On this website, recently renovated, interactive information, maps, and other useful resources for the visit are also offered.
