National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC)
๐ Location: Fustat, Old Cairo, beside Ain al-Sira lake ย ยท ย ๐บ Focus: All eras of Egyptian civilization ย ยท ย ๐๏ธ Tickets: ~600 EGP foreign adults
The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization โ universally called NMEC โ is the new "story of Egypt" museum, opened in stages between 2017 and April 2021, when the 22 Royal Mummies of the New Kingdom were ceremoniously transferred here from the old Egyptian Museum in the celebrated Pharaohs' Golden Parade that closed down central Cairo for the evening.
The museum is built thematically rather than chronologically. The Central Hall runs through the whole of Egyptian history in chronological order with one or two flagship objects per era. Six thematic galleries then unpack particular themes: the Dawn of Civilization, the Nile, Writing, State and Society, Material Culture, and Beliefs and Thinking. The pieces are deliberately the kind that the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir never had space to display properly โ daily-life objects, scientific instruments, beautifully lit single pieces.
The biggest draw is the Royal Mummies Hall in the basement: dimmed lighting, climate-controlled cases, and the actual preserved bodies of pharaohs including Ramses II, Seti I, Thutmose III, Hatshepsut and Amenhotep I.
Highlights
- Royal Mummies Hall โ 22 royal mummies, including Ramses II
- Central chronological gallery โ full sweep of Egyptian history
- Themed galleries (writing, beliefs, etc.)
- Coptic and Islamic medieval collections often skipped at other museums
- Views over Ain al-Sira and the Mokattam Hills
Visiting
- Opening hours: 9 am โ 5 pm; Royal Mummies Hall has a separate ticket
- Tickets: ~600 EGP foreign adults including the mummies hall
- Best time: half a day at minimum; pair with Coptic Cairo
- Nearby: Coptic Museum, Al-Fustat / Old Cairo, Cairo Citadel