Mubarak Inaugurates Alexandria National Museum

In its bright new look and admirable image, Alexandira has become, by all means, an international city. Henceforth, the establishment of Alexandria National Museum comes as a necessity to match its prestigious history and admirable present, competing with all international museums of its kind.

Alexandria National Museum is located in the same place of the palace of Asa'ad Bassili, the famous wood merchant who built his palace in 1926, on an Italian style. Then, in 1954, he sold his palace for LE 53,000 to the US Embassy. In 1996, the Supreme Council for Antiquities purchased it for LE 12 million.

Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosni affirms that Alexandria National Museum stands as a real showcase, on equal footing with the most advanced international museums. He adds that it is a unique museum in terms of its magnificent ancient architecture and the state-of-the-art techniques of museum display and electronic safety.

On his part, the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Antiquities Dr. Zahi Hawas explains that Alexandria National Museum, together with the Greco-Roman Museum and Bibliotheca Alexandrina Museum would satisfy people's thirst for culture and knowledge, spanning Alexandria history from Pharaonic times, the Greco-Roman, Coptic and Islamic eras up to the modern age, beginning with the dynasty founded by Mohammed Ali Pasha and ending with the 1952 July Revolution.

1800 Artefacts :

The Museum houses 1800 artefacts and antiquities, which were selected and brought from several museums including the Egyptian, Islamic, Coptic Museums, the Confiscations Museum, Manial al-Roada Museum in Cairo and the Greco-Roman Museum. Besides, other pieces of antiquities were selected from sunk and Islamic antiquities in Alexandria.

The Museum Executive Manager explains that work at phase I of the project lasted for 10 months including all interior and exterior restoration works, removing all modern architectural components, restoring lost architectural components to its original shape and strengthening the structure of the building.


Work at phase II continued for 8 months, including museum display works. In this respect, it is worth mentioning that new techniques of museum display are unprecedentedly used in the Museum, salient of which are the diametral exhibition and the usage of the hanging windows. In addition, the Museum is distinguished by its annexes such as the open theatre, accomodating 1000 people, the lecture hall, enough for 150 people, the museum storehouses and the restoration lab.

Museum Structure:

The Museum is divided into three sections. The first section documents Alexandria's history during the Pharaonic Age, 3000 years ago. It houses a number of masterpieces that are on display for the first time such as the bust of Ekhnaton, a statue likely to be of king Khephren in addition to a complete graveyard of mummies, funeral jewellery and pottery.

The second section is devoted to shedding light on the Greco-Roman era. Within this section, a number of unique artefacts are displayed for the first time such as a statue of Emperor Caracala in addition to a number of sunk pieces of antiquities, salvaged (lifted) from sites in and around Alexandria. On the third floor, other artefacts are on display, spanning Coptic, Islamic and Modern times.

Restoration and Maintenance:

According to the General Manager of Alexandria Monuments Restoration, Alexandria National Museum, unlike other museums, has a lab for preparing antiquities that are taken out of storage.


Moreover, some pieces of textile, dating back to the Coptic and Islamic eras were restored, not to mention the busts of Pharaonic kings including those of Ekhnaton, Hetshebsut and god Amun which 1.5-ton-statue is considered the biggest in the museum. Furthermore, 2 wooden Pharaonic coffins were prepared and maintained. From the Roman era, the black granite 1.5-ton-statue of Isis was prepared and restored in the same place where it is displayed. On the other hand, Fayyoum five masks, representing people from the Roman age, were restored and maintained.

Furthermore, a silver and copper armor of a warrior, belonging to the dynasty of Mohammed Ali was taken from al-Manial Museum and maintained to be on display. Other glass ware from the Roman Era and earthen statues made of tenagra were restored.

A Rare Statue of a Pretty Woman:

Unprecedentedly, a rare statue of an extremely pretty lady, from the Ptolemic age, is on display in Alexandria National Museum. The marble - 46-cm - high statue had been found in Serabioum Temple in 1908. Defining the identity of this extra charming lady has been a controversial matter. Some archaeologists believe that this lady is Cleopatra I, the wife of Ptolemy V, others think that she is Cleopatra II, the wife of Ptolemy VI while the third group take her as a Greek goddess. This statue is considered one of the treasures of the Greco-Roman Museum; it portrays the ancient Egyptian civilization and sheds light on the pivotal role of women along the history of Alexandria.

1800 Artefacts, Spanning Alexandria's History