TURIN'S EGYPTIAN MUSEUM: NEW EXPERIENCE

The Egyptian Museum of Turin has undergone a thorough restyling to set off some of its most celebrated exhibits to better advantage. In addition, new display space has been created that will finally allow visitors to admire an additional 6,000 items that had been hitherto kept in storage.

After Cairo, the Egyptian Museum of Turin is the oldest and most important museum in the world dedicated to Ancient Egyptian culture, dating from 1824, when King Carlo Felice of Italy bought the vast collection gathered by Bernardino Drovetti, Counsel General for France under Napoleon and his successor Louis XVIII. Among the most important exhibits is the Tomb of Kha and Merit, dating from 1425-1353 BC and a rare example of a tomb found intact. In addition to grave goods it contained traces of food like grapes and meat.

Another special exhibit is the Ellesiya chapel, dedicated to the deities Amun, Horis and Satis and the oldest rock temple discovered in Nubia. It was gifted to Italy by the Egyptian government as a thank you gesture for the help given by Italian archaeologists and restorer specialists in saving some of the monuments that were doomed to be submerged by the construction of the Aswan dam in the 1960s.

Important changes have been made to the Gallery of Kings, where natural daylight now illuminates the groups of gods, goddesses and pharaohs, allowing better observation of details. Previously, lighting was dim, creating an intimate but brooding atmosphere.

In October 2024, three new sectors have been opened in the museum, dedicated to materials used by the Ancient Egyptians to create tools and artefacts, with focus on wood, terracotta and pigments and displaying several thousand items dating from 4000 BC to the Byzantine era.

Info: Tel. +39.011.4406903 https://www.museoegizio info@museitorino.it