Often overlooked by tourists eager to explore the more famous ancient treasures of the pharaohs, Abdeen Palace Museum sits conveniently in the heart of downtown Cairo and offers visitors insight into the country’s more recent monarchy and its role in shaping the Egypt of today. Built in 1863 by an ensemble of Egyptian, Italian, French, and Turkish architects, this richly decorated palace became the seat of government for Khedive Isma’il Pasha in […]
Downtown Cairo Sites
National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
Destined to become another major hub for museum-going tourists visiting Cairo, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) is the first museum devoted to the entirety of Egyptian history. The museum will showcase Egyptian civilization from prehistoric times all the way through the present day and will be the new permanent home of the nation’s famous royal mummy collection. The NEMC complex is located overlooking a tranquil lake in the neighborhood of Fustat in Cairo, […]
Pet Mummies
We all know that the ancient Egyptians mummified the dead bodies of their loved ones with elaborate rituals and scientific rigor, whether they were a revered pharaoh or, if non-royal Egyptians could afford it, a beloved family member. But even in modern times, we can understand that human love and affection extend beyond just our […]
All About the Egyptian Museum
NOTE: This article is all about the Egyptian Museum located in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo. For information about the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), you can find a summary in Fun Facts about the new Grand Egyptian Museum here on Egypt Travel Blog. For more extensive information on the GEM, check out www.GrandEgyptianMuseum.org. There […]
The Khan el Khalili
Experiencing the Khan el Khalili always tops the list of things to do when visiting Cairo. While in any other Arab country you might just refer to the old city’s souk or bazaar, Cairo’s souq has its own special name because it is the undisputed souq of souqs. It is unique not only in size […]
The American University in Cairo
Many visitors to Egypt might be surprised to learn that one of Egypt’s leading educational institutions – and the top-ranked institution of higher learning in the country – is actually an American university, or rather The American University in Cairo. AUC, as it is known, was founded in 1919 by the Presbyterian Church’s mission to […]
The [Old] Egyptian Museum
The Egyptian Museum, which holds the largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts in the world, is centrally located right off of Cairo’s now-famous Tahrir Square, one block over from the Nile River downtown. The museum authorities keep changing whether you can or cannot bring cameras into the building every few years. If you do bring […]