The Illustrated Guide to the Egyptian Museum

By Maria Sole Croce, Araldo De Luca, Alessandro Bongioanni

An immense reservoir of art history, Cairo's Museum of Egyptian Antiquities contains fabulous collections of relics from the Mediterranean's most mysterious and ancient civilization, the true cradle of western culture. From the creation of the first state on the banks of the Nile to its submission to the Roman empire, the millennial story of ancient Egypt is recounted here through the artistic masterpieces, the everyday objects, the spectacular jewels, and the magnificent remains from the tombs of the pharaohs, all remarkably assembled within the walls of a single institution. Structured as a guide, but fully illustrated with superb color photographs, this book suggests a simple but comprehensive itinerary through the museum, subdividing the tour into chapters devoted to the most important episodes in Egyptian history. Collected during the course of over a century of archaeological excavations, jewelry, tools, toys, models, religious objects, mummies, and monumental sculptures offer vivid glimpses of a formidable civilization. The rich funerary cache of Tutankhamun, the treasures of Tanis, and the jewels of Queen Ahhotep reflect the glory of the Egyptian monarchy, but there are insights too into the day-to-day lives of the more humble sections of society. Previously unpublished photographs and plans alongside texts prepared by the museum curators themselves help readers to penetrate the corridors and halls of the great museum in search of a heritage unique in its richness and variety, following in the footsteps of the great figures in Egyptian history: from the pharaohs, suspended between heaven and earth, to the archaeologists who, with their patient excavations, have helped to shed new light on the land of the pyramids.

• Format: Flexibound
• Language: English
• ISBN: 977424608X
• ISBN13: 9789774246081
• Release Date: May 2001
• Publisher: American University in Cairo Press
• Length: 631 Pages
• Weight: 2.27 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Wonderful Book

The Ilustrated Guide to the Egyptian Museum is one of the most wonderful Books I've Known. I visited the museum two times and it was imposible to get a copy of it. The Book gives an almost complete image of the magnificent collection of Ancient Egyptian Art in the Cairo Museum.

Must have book

This book is wonderful in detail and pictures. I went to the Egyptian Museumm in May of 2008 and wish I had it with me then. I recieved it in about a weeks time. I highly reccomend it.

This book is your tour guide.

The Egyptian Museum is a show-stopping museum with limited object descriptions in English. I was considering hiring a guide for the museum, but then decided that I wanted to do it myself. This book has given me everything I need to guide our family through the Egyptian Museum. At the end of the book, there is a section to guide you through the museum (to see the highlights) if you only have a limited amount of time. With the floor plans, photos, and excellent descriptions, this book allows to you prepare and decide what is important to you instead of walking through the museum uninformed on your own or with a guide giving a generic tour.

Don't go to the museum without this book!

Nothing at the Cairo Museum is labeled... this book is a MUST if you want to know what you are looking at. Bring it with you!