The House of the Cretan Woman, Bayt al-Kritliyya is an example of upper class medieval Cairene tastes. The house is located in the southeast corner of the Ibn Tulun Mosque in Sayeda Zainab and is now part of the Gayer Anderson House complex. The Gayer-Anderson House is actually made up of two 17th century houses stuck together. This complex is named after a British major who lived in it and restored it earlier in the 20th century. He filled the house with French, English and oriental furniture and other fixtures. The house has a large reception room with a balcony that overlooks it. The balcony is enclosed with a screen through which women of the harem could discreetly watch the male visitors below. The legends about this house are almost as intriguing as the house itself. Inhabitants of the house were said to have had the blessings of the patron saint al-Hussein who was the grandson of Muhammad. Another legend says that the well of the house gets magical and curative waters from the Great Flood. This well is said to have been the entrance to the palace of the King of the Jinn. Vast treasures are said to have been guarded by magic. Jinn is believed to be evil spirits.

Agriculture has played a major role in the Egyptian history and always affected the lives of Egyptians from the days of the pharaohs up to our modern time. There is much truth in the famous saying: “Egypt is the gift of the Nile”. This is because the Nile is the major source of water used in agriculture in Egypt. Therefore, because of agriculture's ancient and continuing importance to Egyptian life, during the 1930s the Egyptian government decided to build an agriculture museum. The museum was built during the period of King Farouk to mainly serve two purposes. These are to provide information agricultural and economic knowledge and to record the history of agriculture over a long period that extends form prehistoric to modern times.

The palace of Princess Fatma, daughter of Khedive Ismail, was chosen to house the museum in November, 1930. The Ministry of Agriculture made a lot of changes in the palace to make it suitable as a museum. The museum was first opened on 16 January 1938 and was the first museum of this kind in the world.

The facade of the old palace was adorned with engravings and other decorative designs of plants and animals, and additional buildings, all designed in the style of the original palace, were constructed to serve various functions. The grounds of the museum are huge, covering about 125 thousand square meters. The actual buildings occupy 20 thousand square meters. More than 15% of this space is occupied with gardens that contain a lot of different flowers and plants, including trees, bushes, rare plants, green areas and greenhouses, in addition to two pharaonic gardens. It also has a cinema hall, a lecture hall, a library, laboratories for reparation, maintenance, embalming, preserving and storing.

The museum is located in the well known area of Dokki in Cairo. One can spend an hour walking around its walls. When the entrance is finally unearthed, one will be stunned to find that the ticket cost only 10 piasters (the price of a small match box), but one will have to pay the enormous sum of another 20 piaster to carry a camera inside.

The museum contains ten halls or what might be considered subsidiary museums. Some of them are open for visitors, while others are closed for maintenance, and still others are under construction or not ready to be opened yet. One of the most interesting halls is the New Museum of Ancient Egyptian Agriculture and the Museum of Acquisitions. Unfortunately these halls are not opened yet.

Another of the most fascinating halls is the museum of bread. It includes information about bread in Egypt since ancient times. It contains old, interesting pictures of different agriculture aspects such as pictures of peasants, waterfalls, and agriculture tools. All kinds of bread that Egyptians eat from different regions are displayed in the main hall of the museum. The most popular Egyptian pastry (the Meshaltet patty) is also displayed there. Maps and statistics that show the development of bread are also on display.

The second hall of this museum contains a display of different gadgets used in the baking of bread. A cleaning machine, used to filters the wheat and wash it before baking it is on display. Then, there is a display of various kinds of baking ovens both old and more modern. There are small models of workers baking bread as well, and all kinds of Egyptian wheat are displayed in this museum . Obviously, bread has played an important role in Egyptian life from the most ancient of times until the present.

The Museum of Plant Wealth contains all kinds of field and orchard items. It consists of two sections. The first one is field crops, which includes samples of grain crops, oil-producing crops, leguminous crops, sugar crops and fiber crops with an emphasis on the most up-to-date scientific methods of increasing productivity. 

The second, orchard section includes samples of all kinds of fruit and vegetable, medicinal and aromatic plants and some types of wooden trees. Information for each fruit and vegetable is written under it to inform the viewer. The hall also includes ways of enhancing the seeds and protection against insects and pests. And like all the other halls of the museum, different pictures of the Egyptian agriculture life are included on the walls.

The Arab Hall is a specialized section for rural and Bedouin agriculture and trades. It was opened Sunday 30 of July 1961 during the rule of Gamal Abel Nasser. It also shows the customs and traditions in Syria, as well as Egypt. When completed, the museum will include displays on numerous other Arab countries. The most remarkable thing is the statues shown all around the hall. They are actual human size and they seem so real that one feels they would suddenly begin speaking.

The Scientific Collection Hall includes scientific collections sorted according to scientific classification and partly sorted according to the history of agricultural elements and development. The area is in two floors.

The ground floor is mainly associated with the farmer’s life. Inside this hall, one will feel almost like one is inside the Egyptian country side. Statues are all over this hall displaying most of the Egyptian farm jobs like pottery and glass making. The farm market is also represented with all its aspects. In addition, there is information on prevalent diseases in the Egyptian countryside and means of dealing with them. Various land topics, such as formation, projects of land reclamation and improving and protecting it against deterioration. Various methods of irrigation are also displayed.

The upper floor includes displays of animal wealth, animal and poultry products and means of manufacturing them. Collections of embalmed local and migratory wild birds in their natural habitats are displayed as well  as a collection of insects and rare luminous bugs (terflies).

Another new museum, which may in fact not yet be completely opened, focuses on cotton. It traces the history of Egyptian cotton since its introduction by Mohammed Ali. The museum includes rare manuscripts and decrees concerning cotton, rare, embroidered cotton textiles from ancient times, illustrations, information and samples of old extinct types of cotton as well as the most recent species. Also included are exhibits displaying models that illustrate growing methods and the various processes of spinning, weaving, dyeing and finishing. It should be noted that cotton has played a most important part in modern Egyptian history.

The museum has a wonderful garden area all about the complex itself, which seems to be a relaxing place to stroll about. And while the museum is indeed interesting, it is unfortunate that some of the most important halls are currently not open. Doubtlessly, when the other halls are open, and especially the New Museum of Ancient Egyptian Agriculture, the museum should become a much more visited site by Tourists.

The New Museum of Ancient Egyptian Agriculture, soon to be opened, will trace the history of Egyptian agriculture from prehistoric times to the end of the pharaonic period. Its design will. It will use the latest scientific museum methods for lighting the and exhibiting the various displays. It includes laboratories for repairing, storing and maintenance as well as the latest system of recording, documenting and saving information using modern computer technology.

This new part of the overall Agriculture Museum will have two stories. The first story will be devoted to implements for hunting and agriculture field and orchard crops, including some that date back seven thousand years. The second floor will have displays of animal wealth including exhibits of fossilized animals and birds that ancient Egyptians once caught, including ducks, geese, cranes and the ibis. There will also be a display of Apis bulls.

The Carriage Museum, within the Citadel, is housed in the building once used as the British Officers' Mess during the colonial period. It has a collection of eight carriages, including that of the Khedive Ismail used when he opened the Suez Canal in 1869 and a golden state carriage presented to the Khedive by Napoleon III. In fact, most of the carriages date from this period.

The Postal Museum is located on the second floor of the Central Post Office, and contains a collection of artifacts, pictures and documents illustrating the ways in which messages have been delivered within Egypt over the centuries.

t was with great excitement that the new Imhotep Museum was opened in April 2006 by Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. A modern museum, both in technology and security, this is a place not to be missed on your next visit to Saqqara. Located twenty kilometers south of the Giza Pyramids, Saqqara is the site of the Step Pyramid and the funerary complex of King Zoser (Djoser), the Pyramid of Unas, the Teti Pyramid, Old Kingdom tombs with scenes of daily life, and much more. The Step Pyramid of Zoser is Egypt's first pyramid, designed by Imhotep, for whom the museum is named. The sands of Saqqara have yielded treasures from the Archaic Period, the Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, New Kingdom, Late Period and Greco-Roman Period. And there is still much yet to be discovered! The excavations are continuing and each season more treasures are found.

In 1997 the building of the new museum began. The idea was to have a special place dedicated only to the many discoveries from this area. Located near the entrance, not far from where the ticket office was formerly located, visitors will be pleased to find artifacts that are attractively displayed, well air-conditioned buildings and modern toilet facilities.

The museum consists of five halls: 1) Theater and model of the funerary complex, 2) Main Hall including the architectural elements, 3) New Discoveries, 4) Model Tomb Hall, and 5) Library of Jean-Philippe Lauer.

In the theater visitors can watch a short film made by National Geographic about the Imhotep Museum. In the center of the room is a model of the funerary complex showing the Step Pyramid and surrounding buildings in brilliant white, the way they would have looked when they were new. The model was constructed by Jean-Philippe Lauer (1902-2001), an archeologist that made many discoveries at Saqqara and dedicated his long life to restoring these monuments. One of the halls of the museum is dedicated to preserving his library.

The most noticeable feature of the Main Hall is the blue-green faience. These tiles were collected in the anti-chamber and burial chamber of the Step Pyramid and reconstructed to show visitors how the walls of these chambers and those of the Southern Tomb would have looked in ancient times.

There is also a statue is of a scribe, Ptah-Shepses (5th Dynasty) from Abu Sir. There are two types of scribe statues – reading and writing. This statue of Ptah-Shepses is a reading scribe.

An impressive collection of large alabaster jars, some over one meter high, date back to the 2nd and 3rd Dynasties. These jars came from the chambers below the Step Pyramid. Included in the display is a block that shows the steps to making the alabaster jars.

One of the masterpieces now displayed in the "New Discoveries" hall of the museum is a mummy that was found during recent excavations around the Teti Pyramid. When we moved the sands we found a mummy that was the most beautiful mummy I have ever seen. When I saw the mummy for the first time I was shocked. The colors looked like it was painted yesterday – yellow, blue, red and black. We know that it dates to the 30th Dynasty, but regrettably we do not know the name of the owner because there were no inscriptions to tell us. The mask is gilded. The mummy itself was wrapped in linen and is 176 cm in length. The casing is painted with scenes. On the chest there is painted a pectoral with a winged scarab. On each side there are five gods holding scepters. Under the necklace there is a winged goddess, Ma'at, with two feathers. On the legs of the mummy are scenes of the god Anubis performing the mummifications.

Also in this hall are artifacts found during the excavations of Dr. Zahi Hawass near the Tomb of Qar. This newly discovered tomb was owned by a dentist from the Old Kingdom. There are surgical tools and bronze statues of the gods and goddesses, including Isis, Horus, Osiris, Ptah, Anubis and others. Dr. Zahi Hawass has made enormous contributions to Egyptology. Doing excavations, restoring monuments, opening new museums, publishing numerous books and articles, recovering stolen artifacts and increasing public awareness about Ancient Egypt and the new discoveries through the media, under his leadership the face of Ancient Egypt in today's world has reached heights never before achieved. Just as the Ancient Egyptians might say, "His name will live forever."

Hall  contains a model of a small tomb and shows the typical burial elements, including the coffin, a wooden statue, pottery jars and offerings. There are also some offering jars that still contained some cheese when they were found! Other pieces in this hall include a pyramidion that was found by Dr. Zahi Hawass near the Teti Pyramid, some limestone maces, a wooden coffin from King Mery-en-Ra of the 6th Dynasty, a limestone block with pyramid texts from the Pepi I Pyramid, some canoptic jars of alabaster, and a limestone sphinx of King Unas.

Despite all the wonderful things on display here in the museum today, we are still looking for more. Perhaps someday we may even unearth the tomb of Imhotep himself. It is said that only 30% of the treasures from Ancient Egypt have been discovered to date. Who knows what we may find tomorrow, or next week, or next year, or… the excitement and suspense of the search continues. No one knows what the sands of Egypt may hide, only that it will continue to yield the secrets of time.

The Carriage Museum, within the Citadel, is housed in the building once used as the British Officers' Mess during the colonial period. It has a collection of eight carriages, including that of the Khedive Ismail used when he opened the Suez Canal in 1869 and a golden state carriage presented to the Khedive by Napoleon III. In fact, most of the carriages date from this period.

Traditionally, a museum is known to be a place where objects of antique and historical nature are displayed. However, the modern concept of a museum has been developed so as to reflect, as well, all aspects of modern and contemporary life. 

In the light of this concept, a museum is now envisaged as a centre of comprehersive and extensive cultural dissemination that aims at cultivating man's feelings and stimulating creativity in all fields. A museum can, therefore, be a melting pot, providing a tasteful and pleasant cultural mix, that reflects the unity and integrity of arts. Poet - Laureate Ahmed shawki's Museum, originally named by the poet " Karmat Ibn Hani'e ( Ibn Hani'e's vineyard), was the first of a series of museums to be yet renovated. 

Karmat Ibn Hani'e was not merely the Poet - Laureate's house but also the hub of men of letters, poets, playwrights, musicians, singers as well as a meeting place for statesmen, pressmen and other dignitaries. 

With the inauguration of this museum, the Karma is re-created anew in order to resume its older role, but with new and fresh potential. The ultimate purpose of this cultural enterprise is to achieve the sublime goal of elevating arts and stimulating man's creativity and noble feelings. 

The Bayt Al-Suhaymi is an excellent example of a private, though wealthy, Egyptian home of the 17th century, and shows most of the features which made living in Cairo's arid climate tolerable in prior ages.

Not that the Bayt Al-Suhaymi is unique, but this house does provide an interesting perspective of history in general, a concept which might be brought out here more easily than in other places. The concept is two fold. First, ancient arts and wisdom are lost due to modern invention and progressions, and second, that the ancient world, because of this, was a much more pleasant place to live than many believe (at least for those with some wealth). Bayt Al-Suhaymi is a case in point.

Other than the segregation between the men's (salamlik) and women's (haramlik) quarters, most of the spaces within the house are not designed around functionality, as houses are today, but around climatic considerations. During the heat of the day, shaded courtyards, balconies and roofs became the living areas, while in the cool of the night, the family would move indoors. We build houses today with low ceilings, and insulation from the exterior environs so that our refrigerated air conditioning may provide maximum benefits. But most of our modern houses would have been miserable dwellings in the distant past. While these people lacked our modern air conditioning, they developed other means, which are mostly lost to us, to make themselves comfortable. Within Bayt Al-Suhaymi we find high ceilings which allowed the warmer air to rise and then to be swept away by the north facing maq'ad (wind scoops) in the upper walls which caught the prevailing breezes and circulated the cool air throughout the house. We find thick walls, cool marble floors and fountains, all of which kept the hot air from the Cairo summers at bay. Marble was in fact also used in similar ways to which we use evaporative air conditioners, where water from fountains was cascaded over finned marble to cool the water. So while these people may not have had all of our modern conveniences, they did not suffer so much as we often believe from the absence of these conveniences.

The house was purchased in 1796 by Sheikh Ahmed as-Suhaymi, who extended it by integrating several of the adjacent houses. There are various separate staircase entries, and about thirty chambers, or qaa, on various levels. On the street side of the house, windows including that of the women's bedrooms, have mashrabiyya screens, while in the rear screened and latticed windows and arched galleries overlook the garden courtyard. The harem reception room is particularly lovely, overlooking the garden, its floors of marble, its walls covered with the most delicate green and blue plant patterned enamel tiles.

Beit El-Umma, or House of the People, was built at the turn of the century as a residence for the nationalist leader of modern Egypt and founder of the Wafd party, Saad Zaghlul (1857-1927). It has been carefully preserved in its original state as a museum, providing its visitors with a rare taste of the lifestyles of the Egyptian political elite at that time. It has an Art Nouveau dining room, Louis XV style reception rooms, an Arab style living room, Turkish baths and a fine library.

The Gezira Center for Modern Art is housed in a salamlik that was once owned by Ibrahim Pasha. There is a modern art pavilion along with a collection of Mohammed-Khalil. Works by major impressionist painters, including Monet, Van Gogh and Gauguin, are on display.