Egyptian Museum in Tahrir

The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir opened in 1902 in a purpose-built neoclassical building at the edge of what is now Tahrir Square. It was the first major museum in the region created specifically to house Egypt’s ancient antiquities and remains one of Cairo’s most important cultural institutions. Its collection spans thousands of years and includes monumental royal sculpture, funerary objects, papyri, jewelry, coffins and objects from excavations across the country. Highlights include the Narmer Palette, major statues of Old Kingdom kings, material from the royal burials at Tanis and the funerary assemblage of Yuya and Tuya. Even after the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, Tahrir remains valuable because it preserves a broad historical collection in the museum building most closely associated with the history of Egyptian archaeology in the twentieth century.