Egyptian Railway Museum

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A historic locomotive in front of the Egyptian Railway Museum

The Egyptian Railway Museum in Cairo presents the history of the railway in Egypt and more on the subject of "transport".

history

The museum was originally set up as a technical and scientific exhibition on the occasion of the meeting of the International Railway Conference , which took place in 1933 under the auspices of King Fuad I of Egypt . The museum building, attached to Cairo's main train station at " Midan Ramses " ( Ramses Square ), was completed on October 26, 1932 and opened on January 15, 1933. This enabled conference delegates to visit the first museum of its kind in Africa and the Middle East .

exhibition

The museum now comprises two floors in the original building and displays 700 models as well as an impressive collection of documents, maps and plans of various Egyptian train stations and bridges, different types of rails, old and new signaling equipment and the latest statistical information. One of the most interesting exhibits is a large collection of models depicting the evolution of the locomotive since 1783.

One of the highlights is the opportunity to climb into the parlor car of Viceroy Muhammad Said - he ruled Egypt from 1854 to 1863. The outside of the saloon car is completely adorned with intricate, gilded decorations, which show flowers and leaves in red, green and pink, and which, with the polished brass fittings, add to the luxurious appearance of the car.

renovation

The museum was renovated with a budget of 10 million EGP and reopened on March 1, 2016. The exhibition now consists of the following five sections:

  • Transport before the invention of the steam engine, including transport in ancient Egypt with models of boats and horse-drawn carriages of the pharaohs .
  • The development of modern cars and trains.
  • Train stations.
  • Bridge building with models, paintings and pictures of bridges and their construction.
  • The evolution of aircraft from the Wright brothers to the present day.

reachability

The museum cannot be seen from the main passage of the station. But the staff at the station are happy to show visitors the way. The entrance fee is nominal for Egyptians, but is charged by the gatekeeper at will. The supervisors are reasonably familiar with the exhibits, but only speak Arabic. Some of the exhibits are labeled in (legible) English, but not every object has a label. The catalog that is sold at the entrance is of great help in identifying the models and types of vehicles and understanding their function. The museum is open every day, except Friday and public holidays, from 9 am to 2.30 pm.

literature

Fayza Hassan: The forgotten Museums of Egypt . In: Museum International 225/226, May 2005, p. 42ff.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Seif Kamel: The Rail Museum, Cairo, Egypt. June 9, 2011
  2. ↑ Nevine El-Aref: Egypt's Railway Museum inaugurated after major renovation. The Egyptian National Railways Museum re-opens its doors to visitors in the heart of Cairo. March 3, 2016.


Coordinates: 30 ° 3 ′ 48.7 "  N , 31 ° 14 ′ 56.6"  E