# National Museum of Egyptian Civilization

The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) is a large museum located in Old Cairo, a district of Cairo, Egypt.
Partially opened in 2017, the museum was officially inaugurated on 3 April 2021, with the moving of 22 mummies, including 18 kings and four queens, from the Egyptian Museum in central Cairo, in an event termed the Pharaohs' Golden Parade. The museum displays a collection of 50,000 artifacts, presenting the Egyptian civilization from prehistoric times to the Modern era.

## Background

The permanent collection is divided into two separate regions; one chronological and the other is thematic. The chronological areas are the following: Archaic, Pharaonic, Greco-Roman, Coptic, Medieval, Islamic, modern and contemporary. The thematic areas are the following: Dawn of Civilization, The Nile, Writing, State and Society, Material Culture, Beliefs and Thinking and the Gallery of Royal Mummies. UNESCO provided technical help to the museum.
The collections will be taken from other Egyptian museums such as the Egyptian Museum, the Coptic Museum, the Museum of Islamic Art, the Manial Palace and Museum in Cairo, and the Royal Jewelry Museum in Alexandria.

## Museum Halls
### Main Gallery

A captivating chronological voyage that guides visitors through the epochs and can obtain an integrated idea of the Egyptian civilization and its most important achievements through its various eras, starting from prehistoric times and through the Pharaonic, Greek, Coptic and Islamic eras and to the modern and contemporary era in addition to the traditional culture that the Egyptians inherited or what is known as Popular Heritage.
This gallery includes Nazlet Khater Skeleton, Tent of Purification, The coffin of Sennedjem, Nilos Statue, Minbar Aboubakr Ibn Mizhar, Al Falaha Statue among other pieces.

### Mummies Hall

The Royal Mummies’ Hall is specially designed to display the mummies of the ancient Kings and Queens of Egypt. The design aims to give the visitor the feeling of strolling down the Valley of The Kings, where most of these mummies were originally resting. The hall includes 20 Royal mummies,18 Kings, and 2 Queens, from the 17th until the 20th dynasty.
List of mummies from 17th and 18th dynasties:
| Name | Dynasty | Role/Notable Facts |
| Seqenenre Tao | 17th Dynasty | Known for resisting the Hyksos. |
| Ahmose-Nefertari | 18th Dynasty | Founder of the 18th Dynasty, wife of Ahmose I. |
| Amenhotep I | 18th Dynasty | Son of Ahmose I and Ahmose-Nefertari, second ruler. |
| Meritamun | 18th Dynasty | Possible sister-wife of Amenhotep I. |
| Thutmose I | 18th Dynasty | Expanded Egypt’s borders significantly. |
| Thutmose II | 18th Dynasty | Son of Thutmose I, husband of Hatshepsut. |
| Hatshepsut | 18th Dynasty | Famous female pharaoh who assumed the throne. |
| Thutmose III | 18th Dynasty | Renowned as Egypt’s greatest conqueror. |
| Amenhotep II | 18th Dynasty | Son of Thutmose III, known for military campaigns. |
| Thutmose IV | 18th Dynasty | Known for the Dream Stele at the Great Sphinx. |
| Amenhotep III | 18th Dynasty | Brought Egypt to its peak of artistic and cultural power. |
| Queen Tiye | 18th Dynasty | Great royal wife of Amenhotep III, influential in court. |
List of mummies from 19th and 20th dynasties:
| Name | Dynasty | Role/Notable Facts |
| Seti I | 19th Dynasty | Known for restoring Egypt’s glory after unrest. |
| Ramesses II | 19th Dynasty | Known as “Ramesses the Great,” ruled for over 60 years. |
| Merenptah | 19th Dynasty | Son of Ramesses II, fought the Sea Peoples. |
| Seti II | 19th Dynasty | Faced internal conflicts during his reign. |
| Siptah | 19th Dynasty | Young pharaoh, possibly ruled under regency. |
| Ramesses III | 20th Dynasty | Defended Egypt from invasions by the Sea Peoples. |
| Ramesses IV | 20th Dynasty | Continued temple constructions but faced economic issues. |
| Ramesses V | 20th Dynasty | Short reign, known from the Wilbour Papyrus. |
| Ramesses VI | 20th Dynasty | Faced challenges in maintaining Egypt’s stability. |
| Ramesses IX | 20th Dynasty | Last significant ruler of the 20th Dynasty. |

### Textile Hall

The Egyptian Textile Gallery offers a fascinating journey through the rich tapestry of Egyptian history and craftsmanship. This collection comprises approximately 600 artifacts that provide a captivating insight into the evolution of Egyptian fabrics and the textile industry spanning millennia.

### Dye House

An ancient dye house that has withstood the test of time, dating back to at least the first century of the Fatimid period (A.D. 969–1171). This rare and well-preserved gem stands as the sole surviving evidence of Cairo’s ancient dye houses, offering a captivating glimpse into the vibrant world of textile dyes from centuries past.

## Ain el-Sera Lake

The museum is located next to the Ain el-Sera Lake, the area which has been developed from slums into a touristic site in 2022. It includes a restaurants area, an open-air theatre, green areas, wooden pergolas, fountains and purification plant of lake water.

## Gallery

* Inside the museum
* Mummy of queen Tiye, now displayed at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
* Mummy of Ramesses II, now displayed at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
* The coffin of Nedjemankh
* Hapi, the scribe
* Chariot of king Thutmose IV
* Chair of Queen Hetepheres I, Khufu's mother

## Accessibility and tickets

The museum provide easy access to suit all visitors such as free wheelchairs, designated parking spots, elevators, brochures in braille are available on request and reservations in advance are required for sign language tours.
The ticket prices for foreigners: 550 EGP (11$) for Adults, 300 EGP (6$) for Students.

## Notable donations

In late 2017, Zahi Hawass reported that Francis Ricciardone, the president of the American University in Cairo, donated 5,000 of its artifacts to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.

## Usage

The museum hosted the final draw of the 2021 World Men's Handball Championship. The museum also has a Conservation Center and storage.