My second day in Cairo, I decided to head to the Egyptian Museum. I had been unsure whether to try to get to the pyramids first or go to the museum. The hostel staff settled that by offering to arrange a car and driver to take me to the pyramids and to a couple of other sites with pyramids a bit south of the Giza site. It seemed a bit expensive to me, coming in at a price of about 30 dollars for the driver, but I figured that if he was waiting for me and at my beck and call, it was reasonable. So I went for that option over my usual reticence at spending that kind of money when it was quite possible I could easily do it myself. After spending almost 3 months in India doing it the hard way, I just wanted to have an easier time of things for a little bit.
So I headed down to the Egyptian Museum at a little past 8:30. It was a Wednesday and the hostel staff told me that the museum would close at 1:00 in the afternoon. I initially thought I would go to the museum, in that case, on the Friday. But when I suggested that plan of action, they told me that Friday was the day when people gathered in the nearby Tahrir Square in larger numbers and made larger, and sometimes dangerous, protests of the current government. So, scratch that plan. No sense in putting myself in danger. So Wednesday it was, and I would go to the pyramids on Thursday.
What struck me immediately was the burned out building behind the pink museum. I found out later that this was the headquarters of General Mubarak, the former head of the Egyptian government before he was ousted in the revolution earlier in the year. It was also burned out because his workers had wanted to destroy papers that could prove embarrassing for him and his government if they should ever come to light. So they burned them, and the building. But this was right behind the Egyptian Museum. And a couple blocks away from the Egyptian Museum is Tahrir Square, where protesters gather, where much of the action was over the past year, where people died only a few weeks ago. And none of it touched the museum. The revolution is internal. It has nothing to do with tourism and tourists. It does not target them. As long as one keeps one's wits about him and doesn't go courting danger, there is no particular cause for alarm.
I bought my ticket and then headed over to deposit my camera in the storage area. There are no cameras inside the museum. And I had left my bag at the hostel, not wanting to have to deal with any security issues. Then I went, after firmly telling one of the guides, who was also apparently an archaeology masters degree student, that I really didn't think I would benefit from a guide inside the museum and that, as just one person, I didn't have the resources for that kind of thing anyway.
And then I set off inside the museum.
It's not the best museum I have ever been in. There are many, many artefacts (someone told me over 125000). But not many have any explanation on them, and fewer have explanations in English. They were interesting to look at and it showed again the brilliance of the ancients in what they could do. But for the most part, it was really just about looking around. There were a few placards that explained the broad historical eras of Egyptian history, and they were helpful, but I learned most of what helped me inside by eavesdropping here and there on tours with guides that were moving about the museum. Aside from pure artefacts, there was a section for Tutankhamen, which was particularly interesting. There was a room of mummies, including some of the big rulers of the past. It was an extra fee, and quite hefty. I have seen a couple of mummies before and so I happily passed on the chance to go and visit the old kings. Seen one, seen 'em all.
I did go into the gallery with the animal mummies. People weren't the only ones given the mummifying treatment. There were different kinds of mummified animals, although almost any animal might have been mummified. Pets were big, but obviously only the rich would have their pets accompany them into the afterlife. Most often they would be mummified upon a natural death. Other animals were mummified for ceremonial reasons and these, unfortunately, seemed to have been bred for their purpose. Evidence shows that they were killed and then mummified. They were often used to make some special prayer for the dead. But even in those long gone days, there were the scam artists. There were some “mummified animals” that only had parts of an animal inside the wrappings. Perhaps that was due to some kind of shortage of ceremonial animals for mummification, and perhaps the people purchasing these partial animals knew of the fact, but I would bet that not all of them did.
There was a lot of refurbishment going on inside the museum, painting and cleaning. But there was a lot of dust and dirt and it seemed to be a musty, dusty sort of place that one expects museums to be. I read they are building a new Egyptian Museum at the site of the Giza pyramids. I imagine it will be a flash new building with lots of bells and whistles. And it will also probably cost a lot more. Sigh!!
After the inside of the museum, I checked out the outside grounds. There were a bunch of other artefacts there and there was no restriction on taking photos there.
From the museum, I decided to take a little walk to the river, which was very close. The Nile!!! One of the great rivers. But it loses a bit of its magic when seen flowing through a modern big city. But still, it was the Nile.
I arrived back at the hostel and got ready to go to see a free show in the market area. I wasn't too sure what it would be, and I wasn't sure if it would really be free or if it would one of those shows that is free to get in, only to have some kind of hat passed around for donations later. There was another person from the hostel who wanted to go as well and she and I caught a cab to the venue. We went in and got a seat.
It turned out to a show of Egyptian music and dancers. One part of it was whirling dervishes. And that was absolutely amazing. Unfortunately my camera battery was exhausted before he started, but for his portion, he came out and turned in place for about 25 minutes. Continuously. Around and around, in the same spot. For 25 minutes. I have no idea how you even train your body to withstand that. And he had some kind of heavy skirt that he was keeping up in the twirl. It was possibly the most amazing show of stamina and strength that I have ever seen. And it was truly free. Nobody asked for a dime after the end of the show. Perhaps I will go again on the night before I leave Egypt. I would like to have a photo of the guy doing that part of the dance.
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