Inside Cairo’s Museums: Mummies, Gold, and Pharaohs (OLLI)

Explore three of Cairo’s most remarkable museums and discover the stories behind their ancient treasures. In the first session, we visit the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza, which opened in November 2025 after more than 20 years of construction and installation at a cost of $1.1 billion. We will explore its pyramid-inspired architecture and some of its most impressive treasures, including a colossal statue of Ramesses the Great, the 4,500-year-old ship discovered beside the Great Pyramid, the treasures of Tutankhamun and the Grand Staircase lined with statues of kings and gods.
 
In the second session, we explore the original Egyptian Museum and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. Since opening in 1902, the original Egyptian Museum has enthralled visitors from around the world. Although many of its treasures have been transferred to newer museums across Egypt, it still houses numerous masterpieces. Discover the gold treasures of a forgotten king and the statues of eternal rulers.

The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization opened in 2021. Here we gaze upon the mummies of pharaohs and queens. This museum displays artifacts spanning Egyptian periods from the pharaohs, to Christians, and to the Arabs. Highlights include a gold coffin that was stolen and later returned by New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 Join us for a fascinating journey through years of Egyptian history.