Summary
- The NMEC stands as a gateway to a world of majestic treasures, showcasing the beauty and hidden secrets of the ancient Egyptian civilization. It aims to provide a deeper understanding of Egypt’s rich culture and history, fostering open dialogue and the exchange of ideas.
- Situated in the ancient city of El, overlooking Ain El Seera Lake, the museum spans 33 acres with three levels of design by Egyptian and Japanese architects. Its futuristic architecture houses exhibitions showcasing the evolution of Egypt’s civilization.
- Open from Saturday to Thursday, the museum extends its hours on Fridays, providing evening access. Ticket prices vary for foreigners, Arabs, and Egyptians, offering accessible rates for students.
- The museum’s origins trace back to collaborative efforts between UNESCO and the Egyptian government. It showcases a vast array of exhibits spanning various historical periods, from Pharaonic to Islamic eras, offering insights into crafts, beliefs, and societal aspects.
- Hosting up to 50,000 artifacts, including royal mummies and coffins, the museum houses mummy rooms, providing an intimate look at historical figures. Additionally, it features specialized facilities like training centers, restoration workshops, and entertainment areas, ensuring a comprehensive educational experience for visitors.
The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization is a portal leading to a whole new world filled with majestic treasures that display the unique collections of monuments and artifacts ever created, showcasing the beauty, glory, and all the intangible and hidden secrets of the ancient Egyptian civilization, and displaying a deeper understanding of the Egyptian rich culture in the most relaxing, welcoming, and exciting environment. This awesome institution serves as a hot spot for debate, open dialogue, and the exchange of ideas.
The elements that led to the most advanced and scientific civilization can be explored vividly through the doors of the incredible museum. The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization aims to provide a clear vision of the past, present, and future of the Egyptian civilization and preserve & display all the monuments and artifacts of Egypt for all future generations.
It is one of the most ambitious projects done by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities with the help of UNESCO to construct an entirely devoted museum of the Egyptian civilization. The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization became a unique cultural hub in the whole region that sheds light on the diverse history and culture of Egypt across the ages up to more than 4000 of art and beauty that was able to cross the boundaries of time & space and shape the current awareness of the Egyptian land.
The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization Location
The location of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization is very unique as it is located on the archaeological site of the ancient city of El just in old Cairo, which was the first capital of Egypt during the beginning of the Islamic age, which overlooks Ain El Seera Lake.
This futuristic house of culture and entertainment sits on an area of 33 acres “960, 0000 Square Meters” and consists of three levels that were designed by an Egyptian architect, El Ghazzali Kosseiba, and the exhibition spaces are being designed by a Japanese architect, Arata Isozaki.
The NMEC Opening Time & Ticket Prices
The National Museum of Egypt Civilization hours span from Saturday to Thursday, starting at 9:00 AM and concluding at 5:00 PM, with the final ticket admission accepted at 4:00 PM during this period. On Fridays, they maintain the same daytime schedule, running from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with the last ticket admission again at 4:00 PM. However, they extend their service into the evening on Fridays, reopening from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM and accommodating visitors until 8:00 PM for the last ticket admission.
- The price of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization tickets for foreigners is 500.00 LE for usual visitors and 250 LE for students.
- The price for Arabs is 500.00 LE for usual visitors and 250 LE for students.
- The price for Egyptians is 80.00 LE for usual visitors and 40 LE for students.
The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization History
The story of the NMEC begins in 1982 when UNESCO and the Egyptian government started a new campaign was launched to find a design for the Nubian museum in Aswan and the National Museum in Cairo, the winner of the international architectural competition was an Egyptian architect. In 1999, Al Fustat became the home of the new NMEC.
The Egyptian Authorities, the Ministry of Culture, and the joint efforts of UNESCO have been able to establish a museological institution that is able to shed some light on the cultural aspects of Egypt’s diverse and rich history of Egypt with the help of advanced technology and aesthetically methods used in today’s museums.
On the 3rd of April 2021, at sunset, A huge event was organized under the name The Pharaoh’s Golden Parade to transport the 22 Mummies from Cairo’s Tahrir Square to the National Museum of Civilization across 5 km (3 mi) under massive celebrations.
Art Exhibits Inside the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
The NMEC showcases the amazing wonders of the Egyptian civilization and art pieces across the chronological areas, such as modern & contemporary Pharaonic, Archaic, Greco-Roman, Medieval, Coptic, and Islamic plus thematic galleries that will follow state and society, writing, the Nile, six thematic galleries covering the dawn of civilization, beliefs & thinking material culture, and the Royal Mummies gallery. The exhibits had broader objectives, including preserving Egypt’s tangible and intangible heritage related to these crafts, highlighting Egypt’s leading role in these fields throughout history, fostering patriotism and pride in Egyptian heritage, and promoting community engagement by addressing contemporary issues and advocating for societal development.
The museum launched a temporary exhibit called ‘The Egyptian Crafts Through the Ages’ in February 2017, covering a sprawling space of about a thousand square meters. The exhibit’s goal was to narrate the history of Egyptian craftsmanship, spanning various domains like hunting, agriculture, pottery, textiles, woodworking, jewelry, metalworking, and glassworking. However, the focus narrowed down to four crafts: pottery, textiles, woodworking, and jewelry. The exhibit showcased genuine ancient artifacts alongside replica objects. The Textile galley holds 600 pieces, some of which include dresses of Queen Nariman and some garments worn by servicemen.
The pottery section displayed items from the Badari culture, Naqada I, II, and III cultures, and pieces from different historical periods up to contemporary times. Similarly, the textile section chronicled Egypt’s renowned linen production and documented the evolution of textile manufacturing, featuring relics from ancient tombs and archaeological sites. Woodworking was highlighted through depictions on tomb walls and displays of furniture and wooden artifacts from various historical periods.
The jewelry section, tracing back to prehistoric times, exhibited stunning pieces from different royal lineages, showcasing crowns, pendants, earrings, bracelets, and amulets made of gold and silver, showcasing Egypt’s intricate craftsmanship and symbolism. The NMEC holds a rare archaeological dye-house that dates back to the first century of the Fatimid period, “969 – 1171 AD”. It will display temporary exhibition spaces, an education & research center, and an auditorium, plus an exhibition on the development of modern Cairo. It will be the host of a variety of events, such as film screenings, lecture conferences, and cultural activities.
The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization Artifacts
The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization is home to a number of amazing ancient Egyptian artifacts up to 50,000 that showcase the evaluation of the Egyptian civilization and offer the clearest vision of ancient Egyptian heritage, such as the birth plate from the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt era (1570 – 1050 BC), the breastfeeding statue, and Thutmose III sitting, statues of King Amenemhat III in the shape of the Sphinx, a red granite statue of the ancient Egyptian scholar, a Greco-Roman era statue of the deity Nilus, about fifty niches from the Islamic era, and variety of small statues & amulets made of blue vines and many more.
The many exhibitions aspired to showcase the brilliance of ancient Egyptian craftsmanship and instill a sense of cultural pride and heritage preservation among visitors while addressing contemporary societal concerns. The artifacts celebrate Egypt’s historical and creative contributions to global civilization and offer a glimpse into Egyptian heritage, convey messages about Egypt’s enduring character across ages, and provide historical and technical insights to visitors of all ages and backgrounds through interactive mediums like panels, banners, films, and mobile apps. Also,
The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization “NMEC” is planned to hold 22 royal mummies accompanied by 17 royal coffins that date back to the 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th Dynasties, 18 of the mummies are for kings, while the other 4 mummies are queens. Some of the transferred mummies are King Ramses II, King Seti I, King Seqenenre Tao, King Tuthmosis III, plus the great Queen Hatshepsut and Queen Ahmose Nefertari, the wife of King Ahmose I and Queen Meritamen, the wife of King Amenhotep I.
Mummy Rooms in the NMEC
The Royal Mummy Hall lies in the deep heart of the main exhibit hall and is an extraordinary resting place for 22 royal mummies once housed in the Egyptian Museum. Each mummy occupies its own room, which allows visitors to have ample space and a closer look at these historical figures. Next to each former pharaoh lies a plaque detailing their reign and significant events from that era in Egyptian history, enriching the experience by providing context and insights into their lives and times. Some of the most famous mummies include:
Seqenenre Tao, Ahmose-Nefertari, Amenhotep I, Meritamun, Thutmose I, Thutmose II, Hatshepsut, Thutmose III, Amenhotep II, Thutmose IV, Amenhotep III, Tiye, Seti I, Ramesses II, Merenptah, Seti II, Siptah, Ramesses III, Ramesses IV, Ramesses V, and Ramesses VI.
Facilities Inside The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
The NMEC’s floor possesses the International Training Center, the first of its kind in Egypt, where every participant undergoes training under the hands of specialists in the fields of preventive maintenance, archaeological restoration, museum sciences, heritage preservation, human strains, and excavations with the help of the UNESCO.
It is the first two of its kind to implement the antiquities Reception area that governs the entry of artifacts inside the museum, plus the packaging & unwrapping operations. The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization is home to a number of 14 archaeological stores and a number of maintenance laboratories, workshops, restoration factories, and printing and publishing centers. There is also a massive theatre, cafeterias, restaurants, gift shops, and more.
The center of the museum works to provide the necessary intellectual & educational resources through the most recent publications and periodicals on the most important archaeological discoveries, seminars, archaeological exhibitions, and conferences held in or outside Egypt, plus the latest printings of scientific journals and books.
