Ramses II statue from the Temple of Gerf Hussein surveys the main exhibition hall.
Traveling in Egypt, you become accustom to expect everything to be rather old and dusty. From the markets to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, things are not well labeled and lighting is almost non existent. So when visiting the Nubian Museum it was a pleasant surprise to find a modern museum! Finished in 1997 with UNESCO’s help, it covers the history of Nubia, the area from Aswan and into Sudan, from pre-history all the way up to its more recent Islamic past to the international effort to save tombs and temples during the construction of the Aswan Dam.
Besides good lighting of the exhibits (although the museum itself is dark for effect) and great labeling of the exhibits the museum also has a chronological flow that guides you through the ages of pre-history, Pharaonic, Roman, Coptic, Islamic and present day. You’ll also see different vignettes of traditional Nubian life.
I wanted to share some of my favorite items in the collection!
Noble Gilded Mummies from Kashmatkh town.
Shawabti/Ushabti with prayers written on their forms.
Nubian Lion statue
Small rock temple saved from the flooding of the Aswan Dam
Early Christian arch with various cross designs.
If you go:
The hours change depending on the season. When I went in late October it was open from 9-1 and then 4-7.
Admission for foreigners without any student discounts is 60 EGP. I believe the student discount put it at 40-45 EGP.
Museum Monday is an every other week series about museum news, objects, and reviews.
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