National Museum of Egyptian Civilization opens in Fustat after the Pharaohs’ Golden Parade

On the evening of 3 April 2021, Cairo staged one of the largest cultural events in its modern history. Twenty-two royal mummies, 18 kings and 4 queens, left the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square and travelled about 7 km through the city to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Fustat. The procession, known as the Pharaohs’ Golden Parade, was broadcast live around the world, and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi welcomed the convoy on arrival and formally inaugurated the museum’s main exhibition hall that same night.

The Pharaohs’ Golden Parade

Each mummy rode in its own gilded carriage, decorated in ancient Egyptian style and fitted with shock-absorbing systems and nitrogen-filled capsules to protect the fragile remains. The vehicles were arranged in the chronological order of the rulers’ reigns, beginning with Seqenenre Tao II of the 17th Dynasty and ending with Ramesses IX. Among the most famous names were Ramesses II, Seti I, Thutmose III, Amenhotep I and Queen Hatshepsut. Horse-drawn chariots, musicians in pharaonic costume and a live orchestra performing a specially composed score accompanied the convoy along the Nile Corniche, while Tahrir Square and its newly restored obelisk were lit up for the occasion. The event was designed both to honour the kings and to announce Egypt’s new generation of museums to the world.

A museum of the whole of Egyptian civilization

The NMEC stands beside the lake of Ain El-Sira in the historic district of Fustat, the site of Egypt’s first Islamic capital, and was developed with the support of UNESCO. It covers Egyptian civilization from prehistory to the present day, including the Greco-Roman, Coptic, Islamic and modern eras. The site had a soft opening in February 2017, when a temporary exhibition hall opened with a display of around 400 objects on Egyptian crafts and industries through the ages, focusing on pottery, jewellery, textiles and woodwork.

The Main Exhibition Hall, opened to visitors on 4 April 2021, the day after the inauguration, presents objects thematically under subjects such as the dawn of civilization, the Nile, writing, state and society, material culture, and beliefs and thinking. Highlights include prehistoric finds, statues, textiles, manuscripts and everyday objects that show how traditions have continued over thousands of years.

The Royal Mummies Hall

After the parade, the mummies spent about two weeks in the museum’s conservation laboratory before being placed in new climate-controlled display cases. The Royal Mummies Hall opened to the public on 18 April 2021, coinciding with World Heritage Day. The hall is below ground level, and its dim lighting and winding route, leading from one king or queen to the next, are meant to recall the Valley of the Kings. Each mummy is displayed alongside its coffin where possible and explanatory panels on the ruler’s life, health and burial, as well as information on mummification and ancient beliefs about the afterlife. Photography is not permitted inside the mummies hall.

Visiting the NMEC

The museum is in Fustat, Old Cairo, close to the Mosque of Amr ibn al-As and the churches of Coptic Cairo, so it combines well with a day in the old city. The nearest metro station is El-Malek El-Saleh on Line 1, a short taxi ride away; ride-hailing apps are the easiest option. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the museum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm (ticket office closes at 4 pm), with additional evening opening from 6 pm to 9 pm (tickets until 8 pm). During Ramadan the hours are 9 am to 4 pm.

Tickets for foreign visitors cost EGP 550 for adults and EGP 300 for students; Egyptian adults pay EGP 90 and students EGP 45. Children under six enter free, and the ticket covers both the Main Exhibition Hall and the Royal Mummies Hall. Facilities include a cafe, gift shop, library, parking, lifts and step-free access. Prices and opening hours change from time to time, so check the official website before visiting (last checked October 2026).

Sources: egymonuments.gov.eg, en.wikipedia.org, nmec.gov.eg, english.ahram.org.eg, businesswire.com.