Arabic Museum
When we visit a museum, we are able to see different exhibits which throw light on the history and the culture of the place. When we think of any Museum which is located in the Arab world and which could do justice with the rich Arabic heritage, then our choice would be the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
This museum has the biggest collection of Egyptian antiquities. Visitors could find newer items every time they visit the museum. The biggest attraction of the museum is the tomb of King Tutankhamun.
The museum was first established in 1835 by the then king of Egypt Muhammad Ali. The museum has moved to various places before it was moved to its present location in Tahrir Square in 1902.
The museum consists of two floors. Ground floor has an extensive collection of papyrus and coins of the ancient times. The pieces of papyrus are generally small pieces or fragments because of the decay suffered over the last two millennia. These documents are written in various languages like Greek, Latin, Arabic and ancient Egyptian writings in hieroglyphics. The coins are manufactured using different metals like gold, silver and bronze. These coins are Egyptian as well as Greek, Roman and Islamic. By using these coins, it has been possible to find out details regarding ancient Egyptian trade. Artifacts belonging to the period of New Kingdom, covering the period from 1550 to 1070 BC are also stored in this floor. These artifacts are bigger in size and consist of statues, tables and coffins. The first floor contains artifacts from the last two dynasties of ancient Egypt. Some of the most important artifacts on this floor include the items from tombs of Pharaohs Tuhtmosis III, Tuhtmosis IV, Amenophis II, Hatshepsut and Maherpen, and many more articles taken from the Valley of the Kings.
The most famous exhibit of this museum is the remains of the tomb of King Tutankhamun because most of them were found in intact condition. The collection contains different items used by the king throughout his life. There are decorated chests which were most probably used as suitcases, ivory and gold bracelets, necklaces and many more pieces of jewelry, alabaster vases and flasks. Many weapons and instruments used by the king are also on display. The most well known piece of exhibit is the famous Golden Mask. This mask weighs 24 pounds and made of solid gold.
Another famous exhibit is the remains of Pharaoh Ramses III. The remains of other pharaohs are also on display here.
This is a brief description of the museum. Much more space is required to write about them in detail
This entry was posted on Sunday, August 31st, 2008 at 7:01 am and is filed under Arabic Museum. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.