The Egyptian Museum, Tahrir Square

Is the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square still open?

Yes. At the time of writing the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square remains open daily as a working museum, even though its two most famous collections have moved. The distinctive salmon-pink building was designed by the French architect Marcel Dourgnon and opened in 1902. Auguste Mariette, founder of Egypt's antiquities service, is buried in a sarcophagus in its front garden.

For more than a century this was where every visitor came to see Egypt's treasures, and its crowded wooden cabinets and handwritten labels became famous. Over the past decade, as the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) near Giza and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Fustat were completed, thousands of objects were transferred out. Tahrir has been reorganised, but it still holds one of the largest collections of Egyptian antiquities in the world.

What moved from the Egyptian Museum, and where to?

Tutankhamun's treasures went to the Grand Egyptian Museum, and the royal mummies went to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. Here is what changed:

• Tutankhamun: the complete collection, including the gold mask, the gold coffins, the shrines and the chariots, is now displayed together at the GEM, which opened in full on 1 November 2025. Our Grand Egyptian Museum guide covers it in detail.
• The royal mummies: 22 kings and queens, including Ramesses II and Hatshepsut, were moved in the Pharaohs' Golden Parade in April 2021 to the Royal Mummies Hall at the NMEC. The old mummy room at Tahrir no longer holds them.
• Other major pieces: many large statues and other objects also went to the GEM to fill its galleries and Grand Staircase. Transfers, loans and gallery changes are still happening, so if one particular object is the reason for your visit, check where it is before you go.

What can you still see at the Egyptian Museum?

Tahrir still displays masterpieces from every period of ancient Egyptian history, from the Early Dynastic period to Roman times. Exact displays change, but highlights widely reported to remain at the time of writing include:

• The Narmer Palette: a carved slate palette from around 3100 BC, often described as one of the first historical documents in the world, showing a king of Upper Egypt triumphant over his enemies.
• The Tanis treasures: gold and silver funerary masks, coffins and jewellery of the Twenty-first and Twenty-second Dynasty kings found at Tanis in the Nile Delta. They rival Tutankhamun's gold for craftsmanship and are seen by a fraction of the visitors.
• Old Kingdom statuary: painted and carved figures of officials, scribes and royal couples from the age of the pyramids.
• Funerary goods of Yuya and Thuya: the parents of Queen Tiye, whose richly furnished tomb was found in the Valley of the Kings in 1905.
• Papyri, jewellery, coffins and everyday objects: rooms of material that help explain daily life, writing and burial practice.

Because the collection is being reorganised, treat this as a guide rather than a guarantee, and ask staff or your guide what is currently on show.

Should you visit the Egyptian Museum or the Grand Egyptian Museum?

If you only have time for one museum, choose the Grand Egyptian Museum; add Tahrir if you have an extra half day and a genuine interest in Egyptology. The GEM has Tutankhamun, modern displays, the Solar Boat of Khufu and a location close to the pyramids. It is the museum almost every first-time visitor should prioritise.

Tahrir suits a different traveller: someone on a second trip, a history enthusiast, or anyone who enjoys the old-world atmosphere of a museum barely changed in layout since the early 20th century. It is also much quieter than it was before 2025. A balanced Cairo stay of three or four days could include the GEM on your Giza day, the NMEC's mummies with Coptic Cairo, and Tahrir combined with a downtown walk or Islamic Cairo. Our Egypt itinerary guide shows how to fit it in.

How long do you need at the Egyptian Museum, and when should you go?

Allow two to three hours for a guided visit of the highlights, or half a day if you want to explore both floors properly. The ground floor runs roughly chronologically clockwise from the Old Kingdom; the upper floor is arranged by theme, with the Tanis treasures, jewellery and funerary material.

Weekday mornings and early afternoons are quietest. The building is not fully climate-controlled in every gallery, so it can be warm inside in summer; in winter it is comfortable all day. Opening hours have changed several times in recent years, so check current times on egymonuments.gov.eg, where tickets can also be checked and, at the time of writing, bought online. Photography rules have also changed over time; at present, personal photography without flash is generally allowed, but confirm when you arrive.

How do you get to the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir?

The easiest way is by taxi or ride-share app; the museum sits on the north side of Tahrir Square, beside the Nile Ritz-Carlton hotel. From hotels in Zamalek or Garden City it is 10–20 minutes. From Giza, allow 45–90 minutes depending on traffic, which is a good reason to visit it on a day you are already downtown rather than on your pyramids day.

The Cairo Metro's Sadat station, an interchange for Lines 1 and 2, has exits directly onto Tahrir Square. Entrance security involves a bag scan, and large bags may need to be left in the cloakroom. From the museum it is a short taxi ride to Islamic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili, making an easy afternoon combination.