Beyond the Grand Egyptian Museum: Two Cairo Museums That Still Shine
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
Cairo’s new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) has drawn many of Egypt’s top treasures, but the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) and the old Cairo Museum remain must-visits. NMEC houses around 50,000 artifacts, including 18 royal mummies from the New Kingdom (c. 16th–11th centuries BCE) — such as Ramses II and Thutmose III — displayed in an underground burial hall where photography is strictly prohibited. Visitors can witness remarkable ancient embalming techniques; for example, the badly damaged yet preserved mummy of Sekenenre Tao reflects advanced preservative science. The historic Cairo Museum, founded in 1835, holds over 100,000 objects and itself is a modern historical relic: worn display cases, aged labels and a ‘storeroom’ atmosphere give a raw, authentic feel. Highlights still there include the Scribe statue (featured on the 200-pound note), the lifelike statues of Rahotep and Nofret, and a small statue from Khufu’s pyramid. Together, these museums offer complementary experiences: NMEC’s curated, respectful presentation of mummies and Egyptian history, and the Cairo Museum’s unpolished, evocative collections that showcase the enduring power of Egypt’s heritage.
