The Last Hurrah

The Cairo Museum was one of the stops we had looked forward to the most and saved it for last. We were so disappointed to find out that the museum had changed its photo policy and all cameras had to be left with security outside the museum. So, except for the pics outside, all the shots are off the internet.

Both Cameron and I could have spent more than a full day in the museum. It hasn't been updated in 100 years, so even the most beautiful things are in plain glass cabinets with wood trim. Some cards are typed, with stains on them, some are in Arabic only, while other displays aren't labelled at all. The walls are a bit dingy and there's no spot lighting or anything to draw your attention to certain items. Interestingly, the result is a feeling that you've somehow stumbled into an attic of treasures. This is also where we finally had it with a guided tour. There is clearly
a "path" that they follow. I know this because there were certain exhibits where 90% of the people were crowded around with their guide. Noah and Ava quickly became bored standing in front of one thing for 10 minutes while the guide talked so we finally convinced her that we were perfectly happy to use our guide book and just enjoy seeing the displays and didn't need to be shepherded through (I was also a bit concerned that we were going to be the first family to break priceless artifacts if we didn't keep the smaller ones engaged more!)

Everything was breathtaking. From giant stone statues to mamzingly detailed painted figure hand painted papyrus, everything was fascinating. The level of preservation of some items, especially wooden ones, was unbelievable. There was almost an entire floor devoted to painted coffins of all shapes and sizes, and a hall of sarcophagi, which lent an air of mystery to the entrance. There were rooms of jewelry, gold chariots, and paintings of birds so realistic scientists can use them today to identify different species.

One of the best rooms was the hall of mummies. The room was dim and very hushed. No one spoke above a whisper. I didn't think it was at all gruesome to see the bodies. Itw as fascinating to see actual hair, teeth, and fingernails on some of the bodies. Up close you could see that this one had a large jaw, or that one's eyes were close together, or this one over here had been much taller. I thought it would be like seeing statues but I clearly felt that I was in the presence of actual people. Cameron and I felt that it was a fitting end--we had seen the monuments they had built, then seen their tombs, and now were able to stand in front of the actual men (and woman) who constructed these amazing sites. Throughout this trip I kept thinking that the Eyptians showed a tremendous amount of respect in terms of their beliefs and arrogance in their ideas of immortality. I think they've come closer than perhaps any other people at achieving that level of longevity. I wondered what they would have thought about what we were seeing. Honestly, they'd probably be quite annoyed that the afterlife didn't quite turn out the way they had planned and they were relegated to a glass display for as much of eternity as possible! We made it a point to spend some time at each of the mummies who were responsible for the temples we had visited and whose tombs we had seen.

There was also an additional room of other mummies--animals and birds, mostly--that have been found in the tombs (they really did believe in taking everything--and sometimes everyone--with them). Noah and Ava found the mummified cats, crocodiles, and birds very interesting.


The crown jewel of the museum, of course, is the King Tut exhibit. We were thrilled to see it, of course, because it is so famous, and it is spectacular, but there are so many spectacular things in the museum that none of felt that it stood out head and shoulders above so many other things. What is truly amazing is how complete the collection is. King Tut was a relatively minor and unimportant king, yet the treasure in his tomb is almost beyond belief. What much have been in the tombs of Ramses and Ahkentatan, those important and long-ruling pharoahs?!

There is a room devoted to King Tut--the solid gold death mask (that weighs almost 30 pounds) and the solid gold (almost 500 pound) coffin, as well as the jewelry that was found tucked in the layers of the linen wrapping. But the display covers most of a floor. There are the gold plated boxes (at least 4 that were as big as shipping crates) that nest one inside the other that held the coffin, the alabastor canopic jars, the hundreds and hundreds of statues that were placed in his tomb, furniture--beds, couches, and chairs. There was a display of his clothes that had been preserved--leather, brass, and gold sandals, robes, underwear, socks, even a leopard skin robe. There were even boquets of flowers that had been placed at the entrance to the rooms in the tomb! There were chariots, wooden and gold, as well as statues of jackals, soldiers, and servants. Everywhere there were large photos of what the items had looked like and how they were placed in the tomb when it was first opened. I somehow had thought that they were arranged neatly, maybe a bit like a display even back then, but they basically just stacked and stuffed everything in, like you would do in a storage locker. There was also his solid gold throne, which has a picture of him and his mother detailed in precious stones.

In a number of places there were pieces missing with a note that said "on temporary loan or display." We found out that many of those items were part of the King Tut tour that is currently in the US. I thought about how amazing it would have been to be able to see the Tut exhibit (we had planned to go to Chicago before we found out we were coming to Tanzania), and yet what a tiny fraction of the artifacts are being shown compared to the total amount. There are definitely other pieces in the museum more impressive (well, maybe not more impressive than the gold mask and coffin) but for sheet volume the Tut exhibit is truly overwhelming.

Two days wouldn't have been enough for Cameron and I, so 4 hours definitely didn't do the place justice. We were off to the enormous market the defies description for some shopping, coffee, and ambiance before heading home to Tanzania. We had a last meal at Pizza Hut and it was heavenly. Everyone, even Ava, realized the importance of pacing and eating slowly and methodically so as to eat as much as possible! We stuffed ourselve and headed for the airport, tired and immensely satisfied.