The Egyptian Museum and Cairo Tower

On Sunday, we visited the Egyptian Museum, where countless treasures discovered in the tombs of the pharaohs are on display. The collection is truly impressive. I was able to see Tutankhamun’s famous golden mask, although photography of it is not allowed. However, it is permitted to photograph many of the other treasures from the tomb of the pharaoh who died at just 19 years old.

The museum houses an extraordinary range of artifacts: massive sarcophagi, intricate burial objects, and statues from across ancient Egyptian history. Among them are the statues of Queen Tiye, who lived around 3,400 years ago, and the colossal figures of Amenhotep III and Tiye. There are also exhibits depicting the everyday life of ordinary people in ancient Egypt, offering a glimpse into how society functioned beyond the royal courts.

The burial practices are especially fascinating. Animal mummies, including cat mummies and even baboon mummies, are displayed alongside elaborately decorated coffins. Small model boats placed in pharaohs’ tombs were meant to carry them into the afterlife. Particularly striking are the alabaster canopic jars that once held Tutankhamun’s internal organs, along with the chest that contained them, his throne, and his stone sarcophagus. We also saw the coffin of Thuya, the mother of Queen Tiye, the mummy of Yuya, Tiye’s father, and the sarcophagus of Ahmose-Merytamun, the sister-queen of Pharaoh Amenhotep.

After the museum, we headed to the Cairo Tower, completed in 1961, which was once the tallest building in the city. The tower stands 187 meters high and features a revolving restaurant near the top. Although it is no longer Egypt’s tallest structure — several much taller skyscrapers are rising in the country’s new capital — it still offers spectacular views. The observation deck, located at 143 meters, provides sweeping panoramas over Cairo, including the Nile, the line of luxury hotels along its banks, and the upscale villas on Gezira Island. From above, we could also see Tahrir Square, the focal point of Egypt’s 2011 revolution.

Much of the skyline’s future dominance will belong to the New Administrative Capital, a vast new city being built east of Cairo, beyond the airport. The project is estimated to cost around 60 billion dollars. Given the current economic situation, financing such an ambitious development poses serious challenges for the country. History offers an interesting parallel: in ancient Egypt, a pharaoh once built a new capital that ultimately drained the state’s resources. After his death, the city was abandoned and his images were defaced in temples across the land. Time will tell how this modern capital — and its current ruler — will be remembered.