Museums

The Museum of Islamic Art of MIA is the largest Islamic Art Museum in the world, as it houses close to a hundred thousand antique Islamic artifacts of various types collected from India, Iran, all the way to the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Egypt, North Africa, and Andalusia.

This collection is characterized by its breadth of coverage of all the branches of Islamic art throughout the ages (from the beginning of the Islamic era up to the period of the family of Mohamed Ali), which makes it a beacon of Islamic Art and Civilization for all times.  These collections vary between rare woodwork, plaster artifacts, metal, ceramic, glass, crystal, and textile objects. The museum displays these collections in 25 Halls. Some halls are a chronology, while some are thematic.

The history of MIA Originally, the museum did not be existing in this place. In 1881, Julius Franz suggested allocating a part in Al-Hakim Mosque to be a museum for displaying 111 objects of Islamic Art, and it was called the Arab Museum. These collections kept increasing, resulting in the construction of the current building in 1903 by Khedive Abbas Helmy II, in Bab al-Khalq in the heart of Historic Cairo.

This museum is the most famous landmark in Egypt, holding great and unique ancient Egyptian collections.

Let’s go back a little bit before building the Egyptian Museum Due to the discoveries of Napoleon Bonaparte’s expedition, Egypt built the Cairo Museum to conserve the objects. This museum was an initial house at Ezbakiyya. Unfortunately, in 1855, Abbas Pasha gave the museum contents to the Duke of Austria and ordered the closing of the Cairo Museum in Ezbakiyya.

In 1858, Auguste Mariette proposed to establish a new museum in Boulaq to house the ancient Egyptian monuments. But misfortune for the second time, this museum was washed away by the annual flooding of the Nile River.

In 1881, Maspero reopened the Boulaq Museum and became its director.  In 1891, the contents of the Boulaq Museum were transferred to the palace of Khedive Ismail.

On November 15, 1902, the current museum in Tahrir Square is opened by Khedive Abbas Helmy II result of Maspero’s suggestion to exhibit the contents which were in the palace of Khedive Ismail.

Let’s go on a tour in the Egyptian Museum The design of Museum building was selected in an international competition launched in 1895. The uniqueness in this design is that it is mixing between ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman styles.

The museum houses approx. unparalleled 160,000 objects dating from the prehistoric period to the Greco-Roman period displayed on two floors in 107 halls.

These unique collections are such as the statuette of King Cheops, Narmer Palette, Thuya and Yuya treasures, jewelry of Tanis, etc.

Gayer Anderson Museum, or Bayt Al-Kritliyya, is one of the most perfect examples of Islamic domestic architecture in Islamic Cairo; It is located beside Ibn Tulun Mosque. This museum consists of two houses.

The first house is on the east. It was founded by Hajj Mohammad Al-Gazzar in 1632. Later, this house was bought by a lady from Crete Island, so it is called Bayt Al-Kritliyya or Al-Kritliyya House.

The second one is on the west. It was built in 1540. It was called the house of Amna bint Salim. Later, these two houses were connected by a bridge.

But who is Gayer Anderson    Robert Gayer Anderson was a doctor in the British army. He decided to stay in Egypt and bought this house in 1935. After Robert Gayer Anderson’s death, this house is changed to be a museum displaying Gayer Anderson’s collections like oil paintings and ancient Egyptian collections.

Let’s take a tour in the rooms of this house 1 – The Sabil Room or the public drinking fountain. Now, this room displays collections exhibiting the legends of the house.

2 – Then, after ascending a few steps on the west side of the house, you with find the loggia. Enjoy its view and taking amazing photos.

3 – Then, the reception hall, distinguishing with its Islamic decorations.

4 – The picture gallery. In this room, you will find the oil paintings and drawings collected by Gayer Anderson.

5 – Then move to the museum room to see the ancient Egyptian collections of Gayer Anderson.

6 – You will ascend to the roof terrace to be amazed by this view overlooking Ibn Tulun Mosque.

7 – At the end of your tour, you will find a room displaying Gayer Anderson’s medical tools because he was an obstetrician and gynecologist.

Only a few steps away from the pyramids, the grandchildren come to repeat the glory of their grandfathers by building a new destination, the Grand Egyptian Museum (the GEM), linking between the past and the present.

The Grand Egyptian Museum is established on approximately 500,000 square meters. It takes a conical shape. This design was chosen in an architectural competition on the 2nd of June 2003. This competition includes 1557 contestants from 82 countries around the world, which made it considered the second largest architectural competition in history. The design of Heneghan Peng Company from Dublin, Ireland, is chosen in this competition due to its matching the surrounding archaeological area.

Let’s go in a tour inside the GEM The GEM will be the largest museum in the world dedicated to exhibiting collections from a single civilization. In contrast, other museums around the world exhibit collections from several cultures.

The concept of the GEM is displaying the royalism in ancient Egypt through exhibiting the history and the glory of ancient Egyptian kings.

Firstly, you will visit the Obelisk Square housing an ancient Egyptian obelisk. Then you will enter the Atrium to see the colossal statue of King Ramses II.

Then you will move to the Grand Staircase surrounding impressive statues of the ancient Egyptian great kings for welcoming you.

At the end of the Grand Staircase, you will find the exhibition halls, where the wholeTutankhamen’s Collection will be displayed for the first-ever time since the tomb was unearthed in 1922 by Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings. Besides, there are the other four exhibition halls containing collections reflecting ancient Egyptian history.

In your tour in the GEM, you will see the Egyptian history ranging from the prehistory to the Greek-Roman period throughout 50,000 artifacts some of them never exhibited before; some of these collections from the new Cache of Saqqara and the two boats of King Khufu (Solar Boat) from the fourth dynasty.

The museum exhibitions will use new technological methods and devices like virtual reality and interactive technological devices, as you will be able to explore the amazing stories and secrets of ancient Egypt through a new experience in hololens hall in the GEM. Wear the hololens and interact with such a real world.

The GEM has the largest conservation center in the world. This center includes 200 restorers are working hard to conserve the collection of the museum to prepare it for display. The center contains 19 conservation labs, 7 of them are divided based on the types of objects.

The Grand Egyptian Museum will house a museum for children; it is an educational department center. In this small museum, replicas are helping them to understand ancient Egyptian history easily. Additionally, the museum will also contain several entertainment facilities like restaurants, theaters, etc.

Now, you will be able to visit this fabulous museum with our day tours the GEM & Giza Pyramids and The Grand Egyptian Museum Day Tour

Memphis is the first capital of united Egypt; It was considered a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1979. It lies on the west bank of the Nile River.

The history of this great city: According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Memphis city was established by King Menes, the first king of untied Egypt, to be the capital of ancient Egypt in 3100 B.C. It remained the capital of ancient Egypt from the first dynasty to the sixth dynasty.

Now, Memphis is located in Mit Rahinah – Al Badrashin in Giza Governorate. King Menes decided to build this city in this place to allow him to control Upper and Lower Egypt.

Memphis city had a great position in ancient Egypt, as it was the center for worshipping the sacred bull, Apis.

Also, this city was the center for the Memphis triad (Ptah, his wife Sekhmet, and their son Nefertem).

Memphis site distinguishes by housing the Memphis Museum, displaying the statue of Queen Hatshepsut, the second largest statue of the Sphinx after the one in Giza plateau, and the great statue of King Ramesses II. This statue of Ramesses II was discovered beside the statue of King Ramesses II, exhibited now in The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM).

The names of Memphis 1 – The first name for this site was (Inebu-hedj), meaning the white walls, referring to the fortress of King Menes constructed by the white limestone.

2 – The second name was (Men-nefer), meaning enduring and beautiful or magnificent monument referring to the pyramid of King Pepi I from the sixth dynasty.

3 – Then this name was changed in the Greco-Roman period to be Memphis.

4 – Hence, Manf in Arabic.

5 – But now this place is known with the name (Mit Rahinah). It is another ancient Egyptian name, meaning rams road.

Visit the first capital of Egypt by submitting on our day tours and packages and enjoy discovering it with our experts.

Now you will be to get a different experience in Hurghada city. Enjoy this article about Hurghada and its New Museum provided by Our team to know about this unique experience.

Hurghada is considered one of the most famous beach resort town in Egypt. It stretches some 40 km along the Red Sea coast.

In Hurghada resort, you will be able to entertain the beach tourism with windsurfing, waterskiing, snorkeling, and diving to see colored fishes and coral reefs. Additionally, you will enjoy walking through its famous markets as El Dahar area and El Sakala to see Bazaars, Cafes, Hurghada Marina, and Hurghada port.

But with the opening of Hurghada Museum, a new type of tourism is added to Hurghada. It is cultural tourism.

Let us take you on a tour in this museum The concept of Hurghada museum is presenting the beauty and luxury in Egypt throughout history through exhibiting approximately 2000 pieces selected from museums and storehouses in Cairo.

One of the masterpieces in this museum is the statue of Queen Meret Amun the daughter of king Ramesses II, displayed in the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, besides the portrait of Princess Fatma, daughter of Khedive Ismail.

• Furniture and cosmetics used by ancient Egyptians as jewelry, creams, perfumes, hair accessories, and clothes.
• Musical instruments and scenes from dance and musical performances.
• Sports by exhibiting the scenes of hunting and fishing in the Nile River.