Opened in late 2020, the Sharm El-Sheikh National Museum is the first antiquities museum to be built in Sinai and is located on airport road, close to Naama Bay in South Sinai. Built on a budget of approximately US$52 million (EGP 812 million) the brand new museum consisting of 3 display halls, an open theatre, event squares in addition to retail space for the local craft.

The museum consists of 5,200 artefacts from prehistoric times onwards covering the entire span of Egyptian civilization. The head of the Museums Sector at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Moamen Othman, said that this museum provides an opportunity for tourists to enjoy the picturesque beaches of the city, practice fun water sports in the morning, and visit the museum at night to learn about ancient Egyptian civilization – all part of the ministry’s policy of integrating beach tourism with cultural tourism.

The Sharm El-Sheikh Museum illustrates the ancient Egyptian’s daily life during the New Kingdom, where the displayed artefacts portray the civilized life the ancient Egyptians were experiencing during that era.

Animal Mummies

The museum’s animal mummies display illustrates the ancient Egyptians’ interest with the wildlife, revealing how the ancient Egyptians cared about animals, birds, reptiles, and insects to raise, sanctify, domesticate, and treat them. The museum collection consists of mummified cats, hawks, eagles, rams, crocodiles, and statues of baboons.

Hall of Civilizations

The Hall of Civilizations displays items from all other civilizations that have an interwoven history with Egypt, having left their footprints on the land of the Nile. Artefacts from Graeco-Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman eras including a complete Roman bath is on display.

The hall displays the beautiful inner and outer coffins of Isetemheb, the wife of Amun Panedjem II’s high-priest, who was herself a priestess of Isis, Min, and Horus in Akhmim. Notable are also Isetemheb’s canopic jars, papyrus collection, cosmetics, and perfume vessels, the head of a Hatshepsut statue, and Tanagra figurines depicting women wearing a variety of dresses.

A small section of the magnificent bedroom of Princess Shewikar, a member for the former royal family of Egypt, is on display. Similar to styles found in French royalty or Russian csars of a bygone era, the room’s green colour is decorated with golden foliage motifs and chandeliers. The exhibit also showcases jewellery and cosmetics that once belonged to this former ruling Mohamed Ali family.

Ten items from the world-renowned collection of ancient Egyptian king Tutankhamun are also on display. However, these items will be moving to the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) on the Pyramids Plateau once the new museum opens in late 2021. A statue of Ka, a consort of Tutankhamun, can also be viewed here. Two ancient Egyptian boats from Dahshour are also on display at the Sharm El-Sheikh museum, reflecting the Nile’s transportation system’s importance to the ancient Egyptians.