Egypt’s illustrious history is the protagonist in a one-of-a-kind drama that unfolds within the thick walls of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Centrally located on the edge of Maidan Al-Tahrir (Tahrir Square), the first purpose-built museum in the country, has been a tenacious memory-keeper for 121 years. Visitors pause when confronted with its spectacular neo-classical facade. Spread over two floors, it is an intriguing and contemplative space containing illuminated busts of Pharaohs, the mysterious treasures of the Nile, the burial collectives from faraway excavation sites, and the mummies, of course.
Once inside, you must buckle up for an adventure ride of a lifetime. The first stop is the remarkable Narmer Palette, carved on both sides on a single piece of smooth greyish-green siltstone between 3,200 BC and 3,000 BC. Engraved with the earliest hieroglyphic inscriptions found, it is often considered a blueprint for Egyptian art.
The first few rooms overflow with collectives and statues of the god kings of Egypt, symbolising the mystery of divine belief and power at every step. In the first gallery, the oldest known life-sized statue of King Djoser, who ruled during the third dynasty (around 2,650 BCE) period recalls the mood of Ancient Egypt. A tiny ivory statuette, the only intact masterpiece of King Khufu, (the second king of the fourth dynasty) is not an indication of the ruler’s stature. He is said to have ordered the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Ironically all that remains of the king who built a nearly 500-ft-high pyramid is a tiny ivory statuette, which is just three inches tall. The room dedicated to Tutankhamun and his glittering treasures are marvels left behind by a great dynasty and an enigmatic king whose curse has reportedly haunted archaeologists for centuries. A gold chest surrounded by statues of the four tutelary goddesses of the dead is a reminder that even great emperors are mortal.
While attempts were made to remove all traces of the first female Pharaoh of Egypt— Queen Hatshepsut—from history, the museum has her head standing proud on a pedestal defiantly claiming her place. In the centre of the gallery stands a colossal statue of Amenhotep III, his wife Tiye. Spoiler alert: the museum houses the Monalisa of Egypt, an incredibly detailed painting of an extinct species of goose, called Meidum Geese. It is worth taking a gander.