1.5 million
Annual Visitors
170,000+ objects
Collection
3–4 hours
Recommended Visit
Marcel Dourgnon (1902)
Architect
About The Egyptian Museum
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum or Museum of Cairo, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. It has 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display and the remainder in storerooms.
Built in 1901 by the Italian construction company Garozzo-Zaffarani to a design by the French architect Marcel Dourgnon, the edifice is one of the largest museums in the region.
The museum's collection includes artifacts from the Pharaonic era, Greco-Roman period, and beyond. It has served as the primary repository for discoveries made by archaeologists throughout Egypt for over a century.
While many items, including the treasures of Tutankhamun, are being relocated to the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, the original institution remains a historic monument and a vital part of Egypt's heritage.
Masterworks & Must-See Highlights
The works that define The Egyptian Museum — and why they matter.
Mask of Tutankhamun
Ancient Egyptian craftsmen · c. 1323 BCE
Royal Mummies Hall, upper floor
The solid gold death mask of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun weighs 10.23 kg and is inlaid with lapis lazuli, obsidian, quartz, and coloured glass. One of the most instantly recognised artefacts in the world.
Narmer Palette
Ancient Egyptian craftsmen · c. 3100 BCE
Ground Floor, Room 43
A ceremonial slate palette commemorating the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt — among the world's oldest historical documents. The palette shows King Narmer wearing the crowns of both Egypts.
Statue of Khafre
Ancient Egyptian craftsmen · c. 2530 BCE
Ground Floor, Tutankhamun Gallery
The seated diorite statue of Pharaoh Khafre (builder of the second Giza pyramid), with the falcon god Horus spreading protective wings behind his head. One of the finest sculptures of the Old Kingdom.
Khufu Ivory Statuette
Ancient Egyptian craftsmen · c. 2570 BCE
Ground Floor
At just 7.5 cm tall, this tiny ivory figure is the only confirmed three-dimensional representation of Pharaoh Khufu — the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza — in existence.
Collections & Highlights
Frequently Asked Questions
A small ask before you go
You've just explored one of humanity's greatest collections of beauty. Art has the power to move us, inspire us, and change how we see the world. But millions of people will never see beauty like this — not because the art isn't there, but because they can't see at all.
Preventable blindness, caused by conditions like cataracts and trachoma, affects people of all ages across the world's poorest communities. A small gift — for the cost of a museum ticket — can provide a simple surgery to restore someone's sight and transform their life.