National Museum of Egyptian Civilization

(Redirected from National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation) History museum, Civilization museum in Cairo, Egypt

National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
المتحف القومي للحضارة المصرية



Established	3 April 2021
Location	Fustat, Old Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
Type	History museum, Civilization museum
Collections	Pre-Historic, Ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Coptic, Islamic, Textile, Modern
Collection size	50,000 items
Executive director	Altayeb Abbas
President	Sherif Fathy (Minister of Tourism and Antiquities)
Architect	El-Ghazali Kaseba
Owner	Government of Egypt
Public transit access	Mar Gerges Station, Cairo Metro
Nearest parking	On Site
Website	nmec.gov.eg Facebook

The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) is a large museum (490,000 square metres (5,300,000 sq ft) located in Old Cairo, a district of Cairo, Egypt.

Partially opened in 2017, the museum was officially inaugurated on 3 April 2021 by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, with the moving of 22 mummies, including 18 kings and four queens, from the Egyptian Museum in central Cairo, in an event termed the Pharaohs' Golden Parade. The museum displays a collection of 50,000 artifacts, presenting the Egyptian civilization from prehistoric times to the Modern era.

Background

The permanent collection is divided into two separate regions; one chronological and the other is thematic. The chronological areas are the following: Archaic, Pharaonic, Greco-Roman, Coptic, Medieval, Islamic, modern and contemporary. The thematic areas are the following: Dawn of Civilization, The Nile, Writing, State and Society, Material Culture, Beliefs and Thinking and the Gallery of Royal Mummies. UNESCO provided technical help to the museum.

The collections will be taken from other Egyptian museums such as the Egyptian Museum, the Coptic Museum, the Museum of Islamic Art, the Manial Palace and Museum in Cairo, and the Royal Jewelry Museum in Alexandria.

Museum Halls

Main Gallery

A captivating chronological voyage that guides visitors through the epochs and can obtain an integrated idea of the Egyptian civilization and its most important achievements through its various eras, starting from prehistoric times and through the Pharaonic, Greek, Coptic and Islamic eras and to the modern and contemporary era in addition to the traditional culture that the Egyptians inherited or what is known as Popular Heritage.

This gallery includes Nazlet Khater Skeleton, Tent of Purification, The coffin of Sennedjem, Nilos Statue, Minbar Aboubakr Ibn Mizhar, Al Falaha Statue among other pieces.

Mummies Hall

The Royal Mummies’ Hall is specially designed to display the mummies of the ancient Kings and Queens of Egypt. The design aims to give the visitor the feeling of strolling down the Valley of The Kings, where most of these mummies were originally resting. The hall includes 20 Royal mummies,18 Kings, and 2 Queens, from the 17th until the 20th dynasty.

List of mummies from 17th and 18th dynasties:

Name	Dynasty	Role/Notable Facts
Seqenenre Tao	17th Dynasty	Known for resisting the Hyksos.
Ahmose-Nefertari	18th Dynasty	Founder of the 18th Dynasty, wife of Ahmose I.
Amenhotep I	18th Dynasty	Son of Ahmose I and Ahmose-Nefertari, second ruler.
Meritamun	18th Dynasty	Possible sister-wife of Amenhotep I.
Thutmose I	18th Dynasty	Expanded Egypt’s borders significantly.
Thutmose II	18th Dynasty	Son of Thutmose I, husband of Hatshepsut.
Hatshepsut	18th Dynasty	Famous female pharaoh who assumed the throne.
Thutmose III	18th Dynasty	Renowned as Egypt’s greatest conqueror.
Amenhotep II	18th Dynasty	Son of Thutmose III, known for military campaigns.
Thutmose IV	18th Dynasty	Known for the Dream Stele at the Great Sphinx.
Amenhotep III	18th Dynasty	Brought Egypt to its peak of artistic and cultural power.
Queen Tiye	18th Dynasty	Great royal wife of Amenhotep III, influential in court.

List of mummies from 19th and 20th dynasties:

Name	Dynasty	Role/Notable Facts
Seti I	19th Dynasty	Known for restoring Egypt’s glory after unrest.
Ramesses II	19th Dynasty	Known as “Ramesses the Great,” ruled for over 60 years.
Merenptah	19th Dynasty	Son of Ramesses II, fought the Sea Peoples.
Seti II	19th Dynasty	Faced internal conflicts during his reign.
Siptah	19th Dynasty	Young pharaoh, possibly ruled under regency.
Ramesses III	20th Dynasty	Defended Egypt from invasions by the Sea Peoples.
Ramesses IV	20th Dynasty	Continued temple constructions but faced economic issues.
Ramesses V	20th Dynasty	Short reign, known from the Wilbour Papyrus.
Ramesses VI	20th Dynasty	Faced challenges in maintaining Egypt’s stability.
Ramesses IX	20th Dynasty	Last significant ruler of the 20th Dynasty.

Textile Hall

The Egyptian Textile Gallery offers a fascinating journey through the rich tapestry of Egyptian history and craftsmanship. This collection comprises approximately 600 artifacts that provide a captivating insight into the evolution of Egyptian fabrics and the textile industry spanning millennia.

Dye House

An ancient dye house that has withstood the test of time, dating back to at least the first century of the Fatimid period (A.D. 969–1171). This rare and well-preserved gem stands as the sole surviving evidence of Cairo’s ancient dye houses, offering a captivating glimpse into the vibrant world of textile dyes from centuries past.

Ain el-Sera Lake

The museum is located next to the Ain el-Sera Lake, the area which has been developed from slums into a touristic site in 2022. It includes a restaurants area, an open-air theatre, green areas, wooden pergolas, fountains and purification plant of lake water.

Gallery

Inside the museum
Mummy of queen Tiye, now displayed at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
Mummy of Ramesses II, now displayed at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
The coffin of Nedjemankh
Hapi, the scribe
Chariot of king Thutmose IV

Accessibility and Tickets

The museum provide easy access to suit all visitors such as free wheelchairs, designated parking spots, elevators, brochures in braille are available on request and reservations in advance are required for sign language tours.

The ticket prices for foreigners: 500 EGP (10$) for Adults, 250 EGP (5$) for Students.

Notable donations

In late 2017, Zahi Hawass reported that Francis Ricciardone, the president of the American University in Cairo, donated 5,000 of its artifacts to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.

Usage

The museum hosted the final draw of the 2021 World Men's Handball Championship. The museum also have a Conservation Center and a Storage.

References

Hussein, Wael (3 April 2021). "Egypt mummies pass through Cairo in ancient rulers' parade". BBC News. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
"The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization". UNESCO. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
El-Aref, Nevine (14 February 2017). "National Museum of Egyptian Civilization opens the temporary exhibit, free admission". Ahram Online.
"Main Gallery - NMEC Objects shows Egyptian civilization". NMEC. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
"Mummies Hall". NMEC. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
"Textile Gallery". NMEC. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
"Dye House". NMEC. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
"Old Cairo's Ain el-Sira: From a slum area into tourist destination". EgyptToday. 2021-04-07. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
"Accessibility". NMEC. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
Hawass, Zahi (6 August 2017). "AUC: A story to be remembered". Al-Ahram weekly.
"Conservation Center". NMEC. Retrieved 2025-01-05.

External links

Official website
Podcast on the Golden Parade, "History of Egypt Podcast" series by Egyptologist Dominic Perry, 4 April 2021

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