A new small museum, with 38 antiquities from various historical periods of time, opened at Cairo International Airport on Monday.
“The museum aims to boost transit tourism since it hosts unique pieces that represent different stages of Egyptian civilisation,” said Minister of Antiquities Mamdouh El-Domaty.
(Photo by Amany Kamal)
The museum is open 24 hours a day and tickets cost EGP 25. The showcased antiquities were previously shown at the Egyptian Museum, the Coptic Museum and the Museum of Islamic Art.
“We wanted those tourists who stay for a short period of time at the airport on transit flights to have the opportunity to discover Egyptian heritage,” said Hussein Abd El-Basser, general manager of Giza’s Antiquities sector.
The relics represent several periods throughout history, from the Pharaoanic civilisation to the modern era, passsing through the Coptic and Romanian civilisations en route.
“They were picked especially to show the history of all the eras in just a few pieces,” Abd El-Basser said.
Preparations for the display took several months, and followed the signing of a special protocol between the ministries of Antiquities and Civil Aviation.
“Many tourists started to visit the museum just a few hours after it opened,” he said.
