Coptic Museum, History museum in Old Cairo, Egypt
The Coptic Museum contains 16,000 artifacts arranged in twelve sections, displaying stonework, textiles, manuscripts, woodwork, metalwork, and religious objects from ancient Egypt.
Marcus Simaika founded the museum in 1908 with two rooms in the Hanging Church, establishing the first institution dedicated to Coptic heritage preservation.
The museum exhibits demonstrate the evolution of Coptic art, which merged ancient Egyptian traditions with Christian elements during different historical periods.
The museum opens daily from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with earlier closing times at 3:00 PM during weekends, offering wheelchair access throughout the building.
The museum building stands within the walls of the Babylon Fortress, incorporating wooden ceilings and architectural elements from various historical periods.
Location: Cairo Governorate
Inception: 1908
Founders: Marcus Simaika
Accessibility: Accessibile in sedia a rotelle
Address: Metro Station Mar Girgis, 3 Sharia Mar Girgis, Old Cairo 11632 11632
Phone: +20227412088
Website: https://egymonuments.gov.eg/ar/museums/the-coptic-museum
GPS coordinates: 30.00578,31.23030
Latest update: May 11, 2025 02:18
Cairo preserves an architectural heritage spanning over fifteen centuries. This collection includes religious buildings, traditional houses, and utilitarian structures that reflect the Fatimid, Mamluk, and Ottoman periods. Mosques such as Sultan Hassan with its 68-meter minaret stand alongside ancient homes with mashrabiya windows, while the 9th-century Nilometer highlights the river's importance in Egyptian society. The route passes through various historic districts, from El Khalifa with its medieval monuments to Ottoman houses from the 16th and 17th centuries like Bayt Al-Suhaymi or those housing the Gayer-Anderson Museum. Aqsunqur Mosque stands out with its Iznik tiles showcasing floral motifs, a legacy of Ottoman influence. The City of the Dead, a cemetery stretching four kilometers, illustrates the continuity between burial sites and inhabited areas. Green spaces like Al-Azhar Park offer views of a dense city where traditions blend with everyday life.
Cairo is home to millennia of history. The Giza Pyramids, built between 2686 and 2494 BC, stand alongside Fatimid mosques like the Ibn Tulun Mosque from 879, and Mamluk fortifications such as Saladin's Citadel from the 12th century. Religious heritage reflects community diversity: Saint Serge Church dates to the 4th century, while Sainte-Marie Church from the 7th century reuses elements of the Roman fortress of Babylon. The Cairo Museum, opened in 1902, displays over 120,000 archaeological artifacts including Tutankhamun’s burial mask. Khan Al-Khalili market, established in 1382, continues traditional trade along its alleys lined with spice and craft shops. The Gayer Anderson House exemplifies 16th-century Ottoman residential architecture. These sites span Egypt’s history from pharaonic antiquity to the Ottoman period.
Al-Fustat
700 m
Hanging Church
46 m
Cairo Geniza
70 m
Manial Palace and Museum
2.4 km
National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
1.7 km
Coptic Cairo
156 m
National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation
1.7 km
Ben Ezra Synagogue
70 m
Pharaonic Village
1.7 km
Manasterly Palace
579 m
Nilometer in Rhoda Island
530 m
Church of St. George
78 m
Egyptian Geological Museum
1.1 km
Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church
62 m
Mohamed Ali Palace
2.4 km
Ahmed Shawki Museum
2.1 km
Saint Mercurius Church in Coptic Cairo
1.1 km
Church of Saint Menas
148 m
Umm Kulthum Museum
560 m
Sultan Qaytbay Roda Mosque
2.1 km
Powder magazine of Muhammad Ali
1.9 km
Qubbas of the seven daughters
1.7 km
Mausoleum of the family of Tabataba
2.3 km
German Cemetery, Cairo
971 m
Zoological Museum
2.3 km
Cairo War Memorial Cemetery
958 m
Salah ad-Din mosque
2.6 km
Fustat ruins
803 mReviews
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