Egyptian Museum

Address	Tahrir Square in Cairo
Admission	Pricing: 20 L.E for adults, 10 L.E for children (The Mummy Rooms cost an extra 40 L.E. for adults and 20 L.E. for children).
Hours	Unlisted
Phone	202-5782448

Kick-start your trip to Egypt with a history lesson courtesy of the Egyptian Museum. Established by the government in 1835, the museum is currently housed in a neo-classical building that dates back to 1900. It offers an astounding 120,000 objects, ranging from the prehistoric era to the Greco-Roman period.

Walk into room 9 and you’ll spot the magnificent sculpture, the Colossal Statue of Tutankhamon, which dates back to the New Kingdom time period. There he stands, in classic Egyptian pose, wearing a double crown and a ceremonial beard. A falcon-headed handle appears under his belt, where he holds a dagger. Perhaps you’ve got children with you. Take them into room 22, where you’ll find the smooth blue scarab beetle, which symbolizes rebirth and the generative forces of the rising sun. They come decorated, as jewelry, in gold, glass and wood—many of which are inscribed with different text to commemorate historic events.