The Egyptian Museum
From 6 Months in Cairo in Cairo, Egypt on Jan 18 '08
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The Egyptian Museum Housed in a an impressive fortress of a museum and guarded by eight lanes of bloodthirsty cars and buses lays the awe inspiring collection of the Egyptian museum. The layers of metal detectors add to the ominous expectation but are nothing next to the sight that greats the visitor upon entrance to the museum itself. There arrayed before them in no apparent sense of order, is a grade indoor courtyard presided over by a huge pharaoh and wife and cluttered with sarcophagi, sculptures, and mosaics. The madness does not stop here however for the tumble down, roughly chronological order of the artifacts extends around the whole first floor. The Museum was filled with tourists, though not exactly crowded except for when several large japanese groups completely obscured any object they set their eyes on. These tourists were often shepherded around by tour guides who seemed to speak at least 10 languages. In the midst of all this madness some of the smaller objects still assert their presence. A crocodile handled metal spoon discovered by Polish archaelogosits was hidden in the back of a display case and occupies a place of interest at the same level of guilded gold sarcophagus which seem straight out of Hollywood.
After stretching my mind to accomadate objects I had no idea the Egyptians had ever made I ventured on to the second floor. Here I was struck dumb once again. It may be unadvisable to go to the museum alone as on emind simply cannot process it but if there had been someone else with me I’m not sure I could have spoken. King Tut’s tomb was completely arrayed before us completel with a bored security guard attempting to nap on one of the cases. Throughout the rest of the second floor where weapons and sarcophagi, chariots, miniature jewels and a section devoted entirely to animal mummies. Here a sacred cow presided ove a gathering that included two crocodiles at least 15 feet long among te helter skelter of cats monkeys dogs and birds. Finally there was nothing else to see and as the rain fell otside on what I had always assumed was a desert I don’t think I had a single thought in my head. I walked my tired legs back down the stairs avoiding “papyrus” sellers as I went and walked back to six joaly street.
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