10 Reasons to visit Torino - Part 3. The largest Egyptian Museum in the world (outside Egypt)
From the body of the unknown, buried in the sand of the desert, to the tomb of the Royal Architect the Egyptian Museum of Torino is a must if you visit the city for the first time.
Matteo
2/9/20262 min read
The Egyptian Museum of Turin is the only one, outside of Egypt, entirely dedicated to this ancient civilization, and is also the oldest. In fact, it opened its doors to the public in 1824, long before the Cairo Museum, which welcomed the first visitors in 1902. If you've never been to Turin, it's a must-see, not only to learn everything there is to know about Egyptian culture but also to discover how the foresight of the House of Savoy donated this and other important art and archaeological collections to the city.
Housed in a noble palace in the heart of the city, just steps away from the elegant Piazza San Carlo and Piazza Carignano, the collection boasts over 35,000 exhibits, covering a vast time span from the pre-dynastic period to the advent of Arab rule — that is, from the era before the construction of the Pyramids of Giza, to Cleopatra, including Seti II and Ramses II, and many other rulers from all the royal dynasties of ancient Egypt.
The museum displays sarcophagi, mummies, dioramas, funerary masks, and even a small temple donated by the Egyptian government following the rescue of the Nubian temples during the construction of the Aswan Dam.
The statuary of the Egyptian Museum of Turin offers a comprehensive exploration of Egyptian culture, displaying statues of pharaohs such as Tutankhamun, Seti II, and Thutmose, the imposing statue of Ramses II (which Egyptologist Champollion called "the Apollo Belvedere of ancient Egypt"), and a large display of statues of the goddess Sekhmet, beloved but feared by the ancient Egyptians, both seated and standing.
Don't forget to check out the extensive collection of Books of the Dead. The longest, found in a sealed tomb discovered in 1906 by the museum's director (Ernesto Schiaparelli), belonged to the royal architect Kha, but there are many others throughout the exhibition.
To purchase tickets to the Egyptian Museum, click here and don't forget to book my guided tour to the Egyptian Museum
