Coptic Museum
Sharia Mar Girgis
Phone: ☎ 02 2363 9742
About
Coptic Museum, Sharia Mar Girgis, ☎ 02 2363 9742, [1]. Open on LE 40 (students LE 20)daily 9AM - 5PM. Established in 1908 and recently restored to a high standard, the Coptic Museum houses Coptic art and artifacts from Late Antiquity, from the late Roman empire through to the Islamic era and beyond. The presentation is clear in English, French and Arabic with generally well thought out lighting. The display of mainly stone architectural fragments on the ground floor shows the development of the early fusion between Christian and Egyptian symbolism. They also demonstrate that the early Christian era was much cruder in its use of stone than its Pharaonic ancestors. Several frescoes from the early monasteries are displayed. The tapestries and embroideries on the second floor illustrate more homely but highly developed arts. The building itself is a treat, with elaborate wooden screens called mashrabiyya on the windows and ornately carved wooden arabesque ceilings. admission LE 50 (students LE 20).
