My Visit to the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo

The museum opened last year. I’ve been counting down the days to visit ever since. All the main treasures of Ancient Egypt were gathered here under a single roof. A special date was awaited for the opening of the museum, November 4. It was on this exact day that the British researcher Howard Carter accidentally stumbled upon that tomb which fundamentally changed everything scientists knew about Ancient Egypt. What was found in that tomb became the main attraction of the museum. In fact, this entire massive structure was actually built for the sake of those treasures.

The Grand Egyptian Museum houses the world’s largest archaeological collection dedicated to a single civilization. The museum’s facade is decorated with triangles of different sizes and colors, serving almost as a tribute written to Ancient Egypt. Even the stones struck by water flowing from the fountains were designed in the shape of pyramids. There are twelve galleries in the museumand these galleries cover three main themes. Society, kingshipand beliefs. I visited each gallery. And would like to share the most interesting things I saw with you.

We were greeted by the colossal statue of Ramesses the Second at the entrance of the museum, in the massive hall. The statue is fully three thousand two hundred years old. According to the designers’ idea, this gigantic statue is illuminated by sunlight throughout the day. From 1954 to 2006, the statue of Ramesses decorated the square in front of the Cairo Railway Station. To bring the statue closer to the museum, they laid it on a special vehicle with twelve axles and one hundred twenty-eight wheels and transported it to Giza with great care. The statue was placed in its spot before the museum construction was even completed. Because it is so large.

We had to climb a massive staircase to reach the galleries. Statues, sarcophagiand remains of Ancient Egyptian kings and gods are lined up here. Resembling a magnificent avenue, this staircase takes us back thousands of years. The main galleres are the heart and soul of the museum. They take us to prehistoric Egypt, showing us the conqueror statues of the Middle Kingdom and the golden glory ofthe New Kingdom. At the highest point of the staircase, a wonderful view of the Giza Pyramids was waiting for us.

The first galleries of the museum tell the story of the Early and Old Kingdom periods that emerged approximately five thousand years ago. The first pharaohs and priests also appeared during this period. The most important things we know today about Ancient Egyptian life come from the realm of the dead. The tombs of the Old Kingdom priests were decorated with depictions containing emotional scenes of daily life. Upper and Lower Egypt were united under the rule of a single king during the Old Kingdom periods. It was these rulers who built the pyramids in Giza. Pharaoh Khafre is depicted seated in the statue at the museum. He was the founder of the Great Sphinx and one of the pyramids. His throne is decorated with papyrus and lotus, the symbols of the two kingdoms. Magnificent temples and pyramid complexes were built to immortalize the pharaohs and to provide everything they would need in the afterlife, even their armies. Four long rows of marching soldiers on a wooden model extend into the depths. Egyptian spearmen with large shields and Nubian archers beside them.

The Middle Kingdom period lasted about five hundred years. The city of Thebes became the capital of the country. Amazing statues began to be erected for kings not only in tombs and pyramids but also in temples throughout Egypt. As the wealth and power of Ancient Egypt grew, skilled craftsmen produced masterpieces of gold, stone, clayand glass. In the sixth galery jewelry belonging to the wife of Pharaoh Senusret the Second was exhibited. The king’s jewellers used new inlay techniques, complex clasp designs, high quality goldand glistening precious stones. During this period the high priests of the God Amun in Thebes possessed great influence and power. The magnificent statue of Ramessesnakht, High Priest of the God Amun, is also here. He is depicted writing, with his head adorned by Thoth, the god of wisdom.

And finally friends, we have reached the heart and soul of the entire museum. For the first time in history, all five thousand artifacts recovered from young Tutankhamun’s tomb have been gathered in one place. We will be able to follow step by step the story of life and death of perhaps the most famous ruler of Ancient Egypt. What is important here is not just gold. We are peeking inside a royal tomb that remained untouched underground for three thousand three hundred years. On November 4, 1922, Howard Carter’s team found a small step carved into the rock. By the end of the next day, all the stairs leading to the door had been cleared of sand. Making a hole in the corner of the door and holding candlelight inside, Carter looked carefully within. Thus took place one of the most sensational discoveries in history. The tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. It took Carter a full eight years to identify, photographand catalog every single object.

In the New Egyptian Museum, the entire collection from Tutankhamun’s tomb is gathered in the seventh gallery. There were four main rooms in the tomb. The antechamber, the burial chamber, the treasuryand the annexe. All objects in the tomb had a specific meaning. It was believed that every pharaoh was the earthly body of the God Horus. However, he had an earthly body that needed protection. To protect the mummy, the sarcophagus was placed inside four shrines and three coffins. Tutankhamun lay inside the innermost final coffin made of solid gold weighing one hundred ten kilograms. Tutankhamun’s mummy was wrapped in sixteen layers of cloth. Several solid gold necklaces and twenty amulets covered his neck. Protective amulets rendered the journey to the afterlife safe.

Among thousands of objects, several artifacts immediately catch the eye. The Golden Death Mask that legendary symbol of Ancient Egypt. Weighing over ten kilograms, it is made of solid gold, lapis lazuliand other precious stones. The Royal Throne, an incredible work of craftsmanship on wood plated with gold and silver. It features scenes from the lives of Tutankhamun and his wife Ankhesenamun. In the tomb four hundred thirteen Shabti figuresor servants, were found, meant to perform various duties on behalf of the deceased. Some of the household items were used by Tutankhamun during his lifetime. Beds, stoolsand chests decorated with ivory, goldand glass. One of the most remarkable items found is six war chariots preserved almost like new. Another significant discovery was ship models. For the first time in history, these gave an idea about the diversity of the Ancient Egyptian navy.

From the gallery onward, the museum begins to tell the story of the New Kingdom period, which was the brightest era of Ancient Egypt and the time when it transformed into an empire. The New Kingdom expanded southward into Nubia and northward toward the Levant region. The pharaoh and his family were deified and lived in luxury. Queen Hatshepsut’s sculptors were the first to create massive kneeling royal statues. Hatshepsut is depicted here offering sacrifices to Amun Ra. During the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten, whom some called a heretic and others a reformer, the statues of the old gods were destroyed and a new cult of the God Aten was established. However, after the death of the pharaoh, reverence for the chief god AmunRa was restored. Here is one of hundreds of statues ordered to replace those destroyed by Akhenaten. The colossal statue of Amun, Master of the Two Thronesand Mut, Lady of the Sacred Lake.

In the gallery gold and silver artifacts belonging to the Dendera tresure hidden during the Ptolemaic period are displayed. These treasures were hidden by the priests of the Goddess Hathor, who wanted to protect the most valuable items of their temples from looters and thieves. The wonderful hollow golden falcon served as a casing for the deceased sacred bird. The disk on its head emphasized the divine nature of Horus the Falcon. The power of both Egyptian and foreign kings rose and fell over time. Queens and priests played important rolesand religious offices gained political meaning. An emotional statue of a young man from the Late Period. This is a small shrine depicting the Infant God Horus the Falcon. This god was particularly revered by the rulers of the Ptolemaic dynasty. In the Late Period, different cultures brought exotic materials and skills to Ancient Egypt. Queen Henuttawy’s magnificent wooden box. The scene featuring a nude woman against a backdrop of river flora, ducksand flowers symbolizes beauty at the height of its glory.

One of the most striking artifacts of the museum is the Solar Boat of Pharaoh Khufu, for which a separate pavilion was built. This ship is more than four thousand six hundred years old. It was found dismantled into pieces beside the Great Pyramid at Giza. Just think one thousand two hundred twentyfour pieces of Lebanese cedar joined together by ancient master craftsmen without using a single nail. It was believed that the soul of the pharaoh would travel to the after life on this boat. When you look at this ship, you really understand the incredible level of mastery reached by Ancient Egyptian shipbuilders. This is not just a boat.It is a symbol of the eternal journey connecting the world of the living to the world of the gods.