National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC)

The NMEC in Fustat (Old Cairo) covers the whole of Egyptian history, and its basement hall holds 22 royal mummies, Ramses II and Hatshepsut among them. A foreign adult ticket including the mummies hall costs about 600 EGP; it is open 9 am to 5 pm.

The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, known to everyone as the NMEC, is Cairo's newer museum of the whole Egyptian story. It opened in stages from 2017 to April 2021, when the 22 royal mummies of the New Kingdom were carried here from the old Egyptian Museum in the Pharaohs' Golden Parade, an evening procession that brought central Cairo to a halt.

The layout follows themes rather than a strict timeline. The Central Hall runs through Egyptian history in order, with one or two headline pieces for each era. Six themed galleries then take up particular subjects: the Dawn of Civilisation, the Nile, Writing, State and Society, Material Culture, and Beliefs and Thinking. Many of the pieces are the sort Tahrir never had room to show well: everyday objects, scientific instruments and single items given proper lighting.

The main draw is the Royal Mummies Hall in the basement, with low light, climate-controlled cases and the preserved bodies of pharaohs including Ramses II, Seti I, Thutmose III, Hatshepsut and Amenhotep I.

What to see

• The Royal Mummies Hall, with 22 royal mummies including Ramses II
• The Central Hall's sweep through Egyptian history
• The themed galleries on writing, belief and more
• Medieval Coptic and Islamic collections that other museums tend to skip
• Views over Ain al-Sira and the Mokattam Hills

Visiting

• Opening hours: 9 am – 5 pm; the Royal Mummies Hall has its own ticket
• Tickets: about 600 EGP for foreign adults, including the mummies hall
• Best time: allow at least half a day and combine it with Coptic Cairo
• Nearby: Coptic Museum, Al-Fustat and Old Cairo, Cairo Citadel