National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) is located in Al-Fustat. This was Egypt’s first capital after the Arab Islamic conquest in 641 A.D. The area was a natural choice for the museum because it is rich in history. You can find Coptic churches, monasteries, and the Coptic Museum here. The Ibn Ezra Synagogue and Egypt’s first mosque, the Amr Ibn Al-Aas Mosque, are also in the area. From the museum’s outdoor spaces, you can see the Saladin Citadel. This highlights the museum’s unique location overlooking Lake Ain El-Sira, Cairo’s last natural lake.
The museum, which opened in stages in 2017, will house a collection of 50.000 items depicting Egyptian civilization from prehistoric times to the present. The permanent collection is split into two areas, one chronological and the other thematic. Archaic, pharaonic, Greco-roman, Coptic, Medieval, Islamic, modern, and contemporary will be the chronological areas. The following will be the thematic areas: The Nile, writing, state and society, material culture, beliefs and thinking, and a museum of royal mummies are all featured in this exhibition. In a Royal parade in 2021, the royal mummies were transported to the museum.
Artifacts on display
Prehistoric Period Artifacts in Civilization Museum (NMEC)
Since man lived in caves and rock shelters, prehistory has witnessed the evolution of humans and their experiences. As a scavenger and hunter, the prehistoric man fashioned stone tools to assist him in meeting his requirements and protect him from harm.
Egypt has the world’s earliest known lithic tools, which date back more than two million years. These artifacts support the existence of humans in Egypt, as it was the route used by human migrations from Africa to the ancient world.
Man has relied on producing pebble tools from the Eolithic era, which have developed into stone hand-axes over time. According to the nature of the Flintstone’s use, artisans used to slice the edges to remove the flints from the core. The oldest traces of human existence on Egyptian soil may be found there. The earliest known skeleton in Egypt comes from the Qena Governorate, and it confirms the civic presence in Egypt from prehistoric times to the present.
Predynastic Period Artifacts in Civilization Museum (NMEC)
The predynastic period is the final stage of the Neolithic epoch, preceding the development of writing and the foundation of the state in the Dynastic epoch.
Sedentary communities on the Nile’s banks and the rise of cultural centers define this period. Egyptians understood how to farm in the 6th millennium BCE, and they built grain storage silos. Furthermore, they created ceramics in a variety of styles to differentiate each stage of this time. The Egyptians built dwellings out of reeds and mud bricks and created tombs with funerary furnishings in the 5th millennium BCE.
It was also around this time that the first evidence of keeping the corpses of the deceased surfaced. The Egyptians discovered and smelted minerals around the 4th millennium BCE, and developed the first known writing system in history, which was one of the predynastic period’s major achievements.
Dynastic Period Artifacts in Civilization Museum (NMEC)
Before the founding of the Egyptian state in the third millennium BCE, the ancient Egyptians united the nation and established a system of government. They then passed this system down through numerous Egyptian royal dynasties.
From 3200 BCE to 332 BCE, the Egyptians divided their government into thirty dynasties. This period had relative stability. However, there were many periods of governmental breakdown, internal wars, and foreign aggressions. According to ancient Egyptian theology, the Egyptians believed that all virtuous rulers descended from one divine seed. They believed the king was the image of God and his descendent on earth.
As the keeper of God’s heritage, the king ruled the state according to the Maat. He was responsible for the people’s wellbeing and for preserving the country’s boundaries. The Dynastic Period also saw the formation of the world’s earliest administrative apparatus.
The army maintained internal security and extended the country’s boundaries. Ministers represented the administrative power in the state. They supported the king in administering the country’s affairs and managing its resources. Egypt’s advancements in medicine, astronomy, and engineering peaked during this time. Wisdom and literature also reached their pinnacle. Each stage of the Dynastic Period had distinct architectural and artistic qualities. Egyptian artists developed art styles in reliefs and sculptures that lasted until the end of the Roman Empire.
Greco-Roman Period Artifacts in Civilization Museum (NMEC)
After Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 332 BCE, it became part of the Hellenistic culture. Ptolemy I, one of Alexander’s most important leaders, then ruled it. In 305 BCE, he declared Egypt an autonomous Ptolemaic state. Many cultural changes occurred during this time, and people established Alexandria as Egypt’s capital.
It quickly became a global hub of science, culture, and the arts in the Mediterranean, thanks to its library and museum. The lighthouse of Alexandria, which was one of the ancient world’s seven wonders, and the reconstruction of the Egyptian temples of Philae, Edfu, and Dendara thrived.
Coptic Period Artifacts in Civilization Museum (NMEC)
As early as the reign of Augustus, Egypt had been linked to Christianity because of the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt when Herod I sought out the child in an attempt to kill him.
Later, when Saint Mark the Evangelist came to Alexandria, Christianity spread among the Egyptians despite Roman oppression. Furthermore, Egypt had become the center of Christian monasticism when Saint Antony the Greco arrived.
Islamic Period Artifacts in Civilization Museum (NMEC)
In 21 AH/642 A.D., Egypt became an Islamic state associated with the Rashidun Caliphate’s headquarters in Medina.
Since that time, Egypt has served as the wellspring of Islamic culture and civilization, moving through the Abbaside, Tulunid, Ayyubid, and Mamluk Sultanates on its way to the Muhammad Ali dynasty.
Furthermore, Egypt became a breeding ground for scientists, academics, and authors. It was one of the Islamic world’s most important cultural hubs. Architectural and creative features developed there, including religious, civil, philanthropic, and military. Glass and lamps, woodwork, and lathe wood thrived, as did weaving, ceramics, and pottery. Inlaying, grooving, and bracing were among the metalworking techniques used by Muslim artists.
As of July 2024, the National Museum of Civilization displays some of its most significant antiquities. You can get a spectacular guided tour of this museum with Egypt Fun Tours. Book one of our Egypt Vacation Packages. Or, if you’re an Egyptian resident, check out our Cairo Tours and Excursions. We offer the Best of Cairo Tours, including the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and the Royal Mummies Exhibit.
