Egyptian Museum in Cairo: Masterpieces and What Has Moved

17 سبتمبر 2026

The Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo is one of the most important collections of ancient Egyptian art in the world. The pink neoclassical building opened in 1902 and for more than a century was the home of Egypt's greatest treasures. With the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, some famous pieces have moved, but the Egyptian Museum is still a must for anyone who loves ancient Egypt.

What Has Moved and What Stays

The complete Tutankhamun collection, including the golden mask, is now displayed at the Grand Egyptian Museum. The royal mummies were transferred to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in 2021. The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir still holds tens of thousands of objects covering more than 3,000 years of history.

Highlights of the Egyptian Museum

The Narmer Palette: a carved stone slab often linked to the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt around 3100 BC
The statue of Khafre: the builder of the second pyramid of Giza, protected by the falcon god Horus
The triads of Menkaure: showing the king between the goddess Hathor and a regional deity
Rahotep and Nofret: a painted couple from the Old Kingdom with lifelike inlaid eyes
The Sheikh el-Balad: a realistic wooden statue of an official, over 4,000 years old
Amarna art: statues of Akhenaten in the unusual style of his religious revolution
The treasures of Tanis: gold and silver funerary objects of kings of the 21st and 22nd dynasties

Tips for Your Visit

The museum is large and not always well labeled, so a guide makes a big difference. Plan at least two to three hours. Photography rules and ticket prices can change, so check before you go. The museum is only a short drive from other top sights in Cairo, such as Khan el-Khalili and Islamic Cairo.

Egyptian Museum or Grand Egyptian Museum?

If you have time, visit both. The Grand Egyptian Museum is modern and presents Tutankhamun's treasures in full, while the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir shows masterpieces from every period in a historic setting. With limited time, most first-time visitors choose the GEM together with the pyramids on our Giza Pyramids and GEM full-day tour.