The National Museum Of Alexandria
The National Museum Of Alexandria is located on Horeya Street and is the former residence of a prominent timber-trading businessman, Asa'ad Basily. He constructed his villa in the Italian style. It stretches over an area of 3,480 meters. The palace was a popular gathering place for many high-level people in the past century, particularly in the 1930s and 1940s.
Basily lived in this house until 1953, then sold it to the American embassy for 53,000 Egyptian pounds. In 1996, Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities bought it for 13 million pounds and converted it into a museum by the beginning of the 2000s.
Opening Of The Museum
The museum was first opened to the public in September of 2002 and displays more than 1,800 items from different eras, including the Pharaonic, Ptolemaic (which flourished greatly in Alexandria), Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic.
The museum's first floor contains Pharaonic items, including many statues of different ancient Egyptian rulers and gods and fascinating portraits of Menkaure, Ikhnaton, and Hatshepsut.
There are also some replicates of the tombs that were discovered in the Valley of the Kings. These tombs include Canopic jars and many other exciting items.
The middle floor of the museum contains the antiquities of the Greco-Roman period. There are various statues of Greek ladies, a fantastic statue of the god Serapis, and a granite statue of Caracalla. Some scientific studies were made in the Greco-Roman period concerning the human body.
The last floor of the museum displays items belonging to the Coptic and Islamic civilizations, which reflect how prosperous these two periods were. The collection includes 162 Islamic coins, candle holders, and other items.
The Coptic section includes many everyday items made of bronze, copper, and silver. Some attractive icons demonstrate religious scenes of Christ and the Last Supper. This is in addition to a lot of cotton and textile products.
There are also some displays from the intermediate Pharaonic period that reflect how this period's arts became more realistic. Afterward, there is the section of the family of Mohamed Ali that includes a lot of jewelry made out of silver and gold that belonged to the royal family.
The most exciting section of the Alexandria National Museum is the section that displays antiquities that were found under the sea in Alexandria. The museum also displays live pictures of how these items were pulled out of the sea. This section includes a black bronze statue of Isis, some portraits, and statues of Greek gods, which consists of an exciting sculpture of the head of Alexander the Great and another of Venus, the goddess of love.
The museum gives a comprehensive picture of not only Alexandrian history but the history of Egypt. Visiting the National Museum of Alexandria is essential for anyone interested in Egyptian antiquities and history.
Hours
The museum is open from 9 in the morning till 5 in the afternoon
Please note that cameras are not allowed inside!
