Introducing two heavyweights in the museum world: The Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the Grand Egyptian Museum. Housing vast collections of Ancient Egyptian heritage, these museums are two greatly different spaces, but both aim to showcase predynastic and Dynastic ancient Egypt. Having visited both relatively recently, I aim to explain the differences and similarities between the ideas behind the two museums, all while focusing on the amazing spaces, objects, and curatorship within, and our own experiences and highlights. Visiting in January 2024 during the presumed height of the tourist season for Egypt, my two friends joined me experiencing all the highs (and lows) of the museums.
The Egyptian Museum in Cairo
The pink hued building, built in 1902 by Italian architects, was designed by a Frenchman following an international competition. Previously, the growing Egyptian collection was housed in the Cairo Citadel, to the east outside the city walls. This museum houses the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts. The building’s lengthy history has seen turmoil, especially in the 2011 Arab Springs riots. Artifacts were stolen and destroyed including wooden statues of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, luckily most have been recovered in subsequent years.
Located in Tahrir Square in Downtown Cairo, the museum is accessible by foot or tour bus. Walking was difficult as we had to cross between four and six lanes of busy traffic and move through various security checkpoints.
Opening hours of 0900-17:00. The prices are localized for Egyptians and foreigners but we paid 230 EGP for a student ticket – the equivalent of around 6 GBP. We entered at 13:30-13:45 and left at closing time.
With over a 100 exhibition halls, there is a lot to see. The museum itself is located over two floors with multiple storage rooms and large anterooms, with many a spare corner to stash artifacts.
Museum entrance
The main attractions are the entrance hall, housing pyramid capstones, granite sarcophagi, and the statue of Queen Tiye (wife of Amenhotep III, mother of Akhenaten and grandmother of Tutankhamun). Another large gallery upstairs is dedicated to Tiye’s parents; mother; Thuya and father; Yuya where we saw their mummified bodies and personal items once entombed in the Valley of the Kings. This was a very well curated exhibition, a highlight of our visit, with the showcase focusing on Thuya and Yuya’s lives and what each material item meant, the ill curatorship did not heavily impact the artifacts. Speaking of, the poor standard of the building showed raw and unfinished walls and posters in the gallery, along with a dirty floor.
The entire building was packed with all manner of artifacts, although most were not labeled. Some were, but illegible due to the weathered paper. In my opinion, over half of artifacts are inaccessible to those who do not understand Arabic . This means a tour or guide is necessary for some parts of the museum. Accessibility is varied – there are maps and lifts but they are run down. Benches are hard to come by if you want a seat and it was crowded in the main galleries.
Main Exhibition hall
The museum is in slight disrepair, which is extremely sad to see, as architecturally, the building is beautiful and almost glows pink in the sunlight. Sand covers the floor, cracks and potholes are littered around the second story, and windows are yellowed, with the glass ceiling panes threatening to collapse.
However, the main draw for this museum is the Tutankhamun exhibition on the second floor. It is astounding to see the famed treasure trove in person! This was the most polished aspect of the museum as it was expertly curated. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in the tiny gallery space even though it was very crowded. We did not expect to see Tutankhamun’s possessions as it was not advertised significantly nor accurately; we were under the impression the collection had been moved to storage and only replica items were on display. Once inside, it was magnificent! Excitingly, some of the oldest objects of ancient Egypt are housed here, including the oldest life sized human statue in the world.
The gift shop is questionable, as there was not much except a few pop-up stalls. We did not buy any souvenirs.
The cafe was poor; it was a single pop-up stand outside serving beverages. However, we had a lot of fun visiting, taking pictures, and saw some of the most famous ancient Egyptian artifacts including the Narmer tablet, Stele of Akhenaten, and Tutankhamun’s golden mask.
Most of the collection was being packed up at the time of our visit, and stored for the relocation to the Grand Egyptian Museum.
In spite of its evident flaws, if you are a first-timer in Cairo then this is a must-do attraction.
The Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) began as a competition won by Heneghan Peng Architects of Ireland in 2003. It is a feat of modern design and clearly aims to impress visitors with a huge open atrium and gardens, however the museum had major funding and building setbacks. Parts are still under construction so only the atrium and main hall, plus a handful of shops, are open to the public. Although most of the artifacts from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo have been moved into storage at the GEM, none of the exhibition halls are currently open to the public.
Once completed, it will be the world’s largest dedicated archaeological museum at 872,000sqft of exhibition space. Located 1.2 miles from the Giza pyramid complex, the museum is accessible by vehicle only. We had to take a taxi, due to it’s location in the center of a motorway junction. The museum is unconventional in shape and size, akin to a spaceship or train station. I especially love the entrance/exit as you walk under a golden pyramid. The triangular tiles, glass walls, and ceilings, and the way the light illuminates the statue of Ramesses II in the atrium, create a truly spectacular space.
A great feat of engineering; light, bright, clean. When we walked in we were blown away by the openness and style of the modern museum, having never experienced a museum like it before. The ceiling can be likened to that of the British museum in terms of how much natural light the atrium gets during the day. My photos did not do the GEM justice.
Opening hours of 09:00-18:00. At the time of writing (February 2024), tickets are expensive – with no student ticket for internationals. We paid full price to only visit the atrium and immersive Tutankhamun exhibit. This is part of a trial run for visitors (as the main museum galleries are yet to open – presumed opening in Spring 2024, but more likely 2025). So tickets prices will change. Expect to pay up to or over 30 GBP to visit all areas of the museum once open. However, for what you will get once open, the GEM is worth the ticket price. We entered around 14:30 and left after closing time.
131 foot ceilings of glass and concrete, rising to 165ft on the outside, this is, by far, the biggest museum entrance hall I have visited! In comparison, the British Museum’s domed, glass entrance hall is 85 feet from floor to ceiling.
The first main attraction is the statue of Ramesses II, visible from every angle in the main atrium due to it being 36ft. The statue was moved from Ramesses Square in Cairo in 2006, and erected in the atrium in 2018 after a period in storage.
There are huge gardens surrounding the museum and, although these were not open when we visited, we could watch the construction taking place. The gardens contain a high level of curatorship to help the flow of visitors. At the top of the main staircase, after you pass through a second set of ticket barriers and over a water feature, you get a perfect view of all three Pyramids of Giza. Lining the staircase are exhibits detailing the life of Egyptian Pharaohs and Gods, in chronological order of the Egyptian Dynasties. We found the steps hard to see as they are the same colour of exhibit bases, and would be tough to navigate for those with impaired vision.
At the time of writing, the entire collection of Tutankhamun is due to be moved for the Spring 2024 opening. However, There is an impressive immersive experience explaining the life of Tutankhamun, which is a must-do activity! Very colourful and sensory, good for families with children. We enjoyed the whole experience.
There are some cafes and restaurants which are expensive but offer decent food options. The building, which also functions as a shopping centre, features several gift shops, where we all purchased quality souvenirs.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience seeing the building of new exhibition spaces. A unique day out, but accessing the museum and exiting back to a hotel is tough if you do not know a taxi company.
Differences:
Clearly these two museums have significant differences. I prefer the traditional aspects of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, but appreciate the modernity and ideas behind the Grand Egyptian Museum.
The GEM is very neat, clean, and modern, where every aspect is organized and clear. Toilets being fully accessible. Whereas, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo is dusty, even dark in some places, with not much space to move throughout in the height of the tourist season. The building has run out of space to house artifacts, even though most have already been moved to the GEM. The halls are crowded and artifacts are placed in mismatched time periods in randomly allocated spaces, corners, and in badly signposted store rooms, of which we accidentally entered. Toilets are not signposted clearly and look like semi-permanent portaloos.
The aim with the Egyptian Museum in Cairo was to create a space for the Department of Antiquities to document, store, and display the artifacts of Egypt. Howard Carter used the museum as a storage facility when removing items discovered in Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922. - fulfilling the museum's aims. The aim of the GEM is to continue this, but modernize, adapt, and move away from the turmoil of the previous museum’s history. It wants an international appeal, which might be too ambitious for the Egyptian Government to pull off. The financial cost currently outweighs the benefits and profit, however, the GEM is predicted to generate 55 million GBP a year so will in theory pay itself back, but it is a risky venture.
The impressive space of the GEM fully allowed our group the luxury of avoiding a few large tour groups which dominated the atrium of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. However, tours skipped the more hidden corners. There were a few benches and seats in the exhibition spaces, but if you want a longer sit down, visit the cafes. We spent a solid 3 + hours inside the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, thanks to the plentiful exhibition spaces and thousands of artefacts to see. We also spent 3 + hours in the Grand Egyptian Museum simply due to its size, spending an hour walking the cafes, gift shops, and other attractions the museum has to offer was rewarding for the effort we put into getting there from Downtown Cairo. Once fully open, you would have to visit over multiple days because of its size. Are they both worth it? Yes. They offer similar experiences of the same ancient empire, yet with hugely differing ideas of curatorship and the impact of tourism, making both experiences incredibly exciting.
Similarities:
Both museums are card payments only, a surprise to us considering Egypt heavily relies on cash. Taxis were checked by security guards for authenticity, and to protect tourists from scams.
My friends and I loved the GEM, the staircase being a firm favourite. Equally, we loved the Egyptian Museum in Cairo because of its lengthy heritage and revered place in international tourism. Visiting was at the top of our agenda, making the trip on the first day we were in Egypt.
Both museums have vast collections and exhibition halls. Both have a great ticket price for what you experience inside. And both present a space for education and conservation. However, the GEM takes the win with a secure and modern space for better conservation, with a highly polished atmosphere and a will to excite its visitors with bigger collections. We enjoyed the duality of both these museums.
Miscellaneous visiting notes:
When the GEM fully opens (now planned for 2025), the Egyptian Museum in Cairo will become, essentially, obsolete – but still absolutely worth the visit depending on what collections they display, if any. Although the old museum will become a dedicated learning and educational center with an attachment for Universities and schools.
We recommend buying a souvenir from the GEM rather than the Grand Egyptian because of the quality and variety in the shops.
The GEM was empty. We were the only Western tourists visiting that day.
My friend almost stood in the GEM water feature by the statue of Ramesses II. I am unsure of the health and safety regulations surrounding this feature as there are no barriers, so small children may fall in, bags might be dropped, or pushchair or wheelchairs could potentially slip off the edge.
The security checkpoints are quick to get through, just a bag search. However, you cannot bring binoculars into the GEM, which we found strange.
Take note of the tour guides offering services and be wary of scam deals and overpricing in both museums.
Wear sensible footwear for the miles of walking you will undoubtedly cover.
I thoroughly enjoyed my many hours in each museum, I really felt enveloped inside ancient Egypt and all it has to offer as a tourist and ancient history enthusiast.
Accreditations:
The HERstory Project
The Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the Grand Egyptian Museum
Emily Knight
Morgan Edwards
Museum Spotlight
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