Cairo Museum

Back in the van/bus for a ‘quick’ 3.5 hours drive from Alexandria to Cairo to the national museum. What greeted us was a binary experience. The world’s greatest collection of Egyptian artifacts were presented in a manner and in a facility that completely diminished the pre visit excitement. The museum was constructed in 1904 by the French and doesn’t appear to have had any updates with only limited investment since. Magnificent items, centuries old, were strewn here and there without descriptions. Small cards produced on a typewriter decades ago were attached on limited displays. Very low lightning levels and many, many of ‘the same’ added to the frustration.

Notwithstanding these gripes there were some truly memorable items on show, highlighted of course, by the extensive collection recovered from King Tutankhamen’s tomb by Howard Carter in 1923. More than 5,000 different pieces were retrieved and a huge portion are on display. Unfortunately photos of the key items such as the coffins and gold burial mask are banned.

Other wings were devoted to the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms’ pharaohs with sarcophagus’, tomb art, statues and the like. Numerous alabaster pieces, golden jewellery, carvings and more filled the place. A bit overwhelming in fact, trying to keep the kings, dynasty’s and Capital locations in order. Mummies are obviously part of this history and a special room had a number on display but again, no information about the how and why of the process.

In fairness to the museum and those in charge, a massive new building is being constructed in Giza on the west side of the Nile albeit it is two years behind schedule. One hopes when it opens the modern application of different technologies and display methods will allow future visitors to truly absorb and appreciate the unmatched history before them.

A fairly quick lunch of Koshary, a pasta, rice, bean (and other stuff, I think) mixture that provided bulk without much flavour then back to the hotel by the pyramids for an an extended session of free time. Tomorrow brings a 5 a.m. start as we fly south to Aswan and the upper Nile.