The Egyptian Antiquities Museum, Tahrir Square
(Why it still matters — and why I still take people there)
With the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum on the Giza Plateau, a lot of people are asking the same question: “Do we still need to visit the old museum at Tahrir Square?”
My answer, without hesitation, is yes.
The Egyptian Antiquities Museum at Tahrir Square is not polished, not linear, and certainly not modern by museum standards — and that is precisely why it remains one of the most important places to encounter ancient Egypt.
This is the museum where Egyptology grew up, where Dorothy Eady felt at home. It is dense, overwhelming, sometimes frustrating — and absolutely unmatched when it comes to standing face-to-face with the story of how Egypt began, ruled, fractured, reinvented itself, and endured.
While the GEM showcases the golden treasures of Tutankamun, the museum at Tahrir now showcases the treasures of the “Silver King” Did you know that in ancient Egypt silver was more precious than gold?
The gold jewellery of the Tanis nobles is still at Tahrir and this is also where you can stand in front of the Narmer Palette, one of the earliest historical documents in the world, and watch the moment Upper and Lower Egypt become a single state.
Not far away, Hatshepsut sits in full royal regalia, calm and unapologetic, having solved the problem of power simply by taking it.
And then there are the surprises people don’t expect at all.
The Merneptah Stele, quietly displayed, contains the earliest known written reference to Israel.
This museum rewards curiosity — but it also punishes wandering without direction.
I’ve visited countless times, and I’ve learned this the hard way. I once spent far too long hunting for royal crowns by myself and only found one – not a very impressive one. Another day I exhausted myself trying to track down pieces from Abydos and Dendera — my favourite temples — going up and down staircases, doubling back through galleries, only to realise later that I’d walked past the door leading to them more than once. You need a guide at both Tahrir Sq museum and the GEM to get the most from your time in both
The museum is vast enough that a true history enthusiast could spend two full days inside. In reality, after about three hours, most people simply can’t absorb any more. The mind gets tired long before the legs do. The art becomes noise. Context dissolves.
A guided visit isn’t about seeing everything. It’s about seeing the right things, in the right order, while your brain is still open to wonder.
There used to be a small book you could buy in the museum that listed the exhibits and their locations. Sadly, that disappeared after 2011. What hasn’t disappeared is the museum’s role as Egypt’s narrative backbone — imperfect, crowded, occasionally chaotic, and irreplaceable.
If you want to experience the Egyptian Antiquities Museum properly, it pairs beautifully with a morning at Saqqara, followed by a focused afternoon at Tahrir.
If you’d like me to arrange a guided visit to the Antiquities Museum at Tahrir Square, just message me. And if you’re still deciding how you want to experience Cairo more broadly, you’ll find most of my current tours and offers here.
Last updated 20 December 2025