The Alexandria National Museum
The Alexandria National Museum
Undoubtedly, Alexandria is one of the ancient civilized cities wherein so many important landmarks date back lots of years or centuries, such as museums, and one of the most prominent museums in the city of Alexandria is the Alexandria Museum because it is considered one of the important museums and one of the museums to which lots of tourists from abroad, students, and persons visit to see these archaeological holdings; thus, it is one of the factors of tourism in Alexandria.
The museum collection comprises 1800 artifacts that have been set up in ascending order, starting from ancient to modern eras. The museum also has a special exhibition hall for sunken artifacts.
The various artifacts were taken from several museums: the Egyptian Museum, the Islamic Museum, the Coptic Museum in Cairo, and the Greco-Roman Museum.
The museum's artifacts
It is a hall of currency that also includes the various ages of coins, such as a group of coins found underwater in Abi Qir Bay and a group of other coins dated to the Byzantine and Islamic ages. This part also includes a group of weapons from the Islamic era, along with a group of metals, glass, and ceramics from different Islamic ages.
One hall in the Alexandria National Museum only has sunken artifacts and can boast a wealth of recovered items. It does have the capability to display some images taken over live recovery ops regarding what form or shape something might have held previously. The most important pieces in this area are a statue of Isis from black granite; one of the priests of Isis; a collection of marble statues; and imagery of some of the Greek gods, including but not limited to Venus, goddess of love, and the head of Alexander the Great.
During the Middle Kingdom, there is a set of statues that show the change of art in this period from idealism to realism, such as the statue of King Amenemhat III.
During the Late Ancient Egyptian period, there is a set of statues of the kings of this period and a model of a tomb with a mummy, a sarcophagus, and a set of amulets.
While most of this New Kingdom era is actually thought of as the most prosperous era artistically, as art in that period combined between the school of Thebes' realism and the idealism of the school of Manif to give the most beautiful pieces of art, some of which are rare. This includes a chair for Queen Hatshepsut, a head for King Akhenaten, and a group of statues for Thutmose III, the god Amun, and King Ramses II.
The Greco-Roman section includes different ages, such as Hellenistic, Greek, and Roman. In the Coptic section, one may find a group of tools used in daily life; it consists of a number of metal tools made from copper, silver, and bronze. The icons of wooden paintings depicting a religious theme, the most important of which is the icon of Christ and the Last Supper, were also added, in addition to a group of Coptic textiles made of linen and wool and decorated with floral and animal motifs, and a group of pottery utensils used in life.
Information about the Museum
The original function of the museum building was Assad Basili Pasha's palace, which was built in this style in the Italian architectural tradition.
In 1996, the High Council of Antiquities purchased the structure and undertook a restoration project that lasted until the opening as a museum in September 2003.
This museum consists of three floors and houses a very special collection.
During your tour inside the museum, you will get acquainted with the ages that have passed in Egypt; it features chronology since it contains the ancient Egyptian, Greek, Coptic, Islamic, and modern sections. It contains a model of the cemetery, including a simulation of everything the cemetery contains in the Ancient Egyptian Era.
You can visit the modern section and see what it includes, including the silver, gold, and jewelry belonging to the Muhammad Ali family that was used by the princes.
