Museo Egizio

Founded in 1824 when Carlo Felice bought the Drovetti collection, this is the oldest museum in the world devoted to Egypt and holds around forty thousand items, of which some six thousand are displayed. The Turin King List, a papyrus recording the rulers of Egypt, is here, as is the Turin Erotic Papyrus and the intact tomb group of Kha and Merit, an architect and his wife, found undisturbed in 1906 with furniture, food, clothing and tools, one of the most complete non-royal burials known. The rock temple of Ellesiya was given to Italy for help during the Nubian rescue campaign and rebuilt inside.

History

The first object linked to Egypt to reach Turin was the Mensa Isiaca in 1630, and in 1753 King Charles Emmanuel III sent the botanist Vitaliano Donati to Egypt, who came back with 300 pieces. In 1824 King Charles Felix bought the Drovetti collection of 5,268 pieces, and in the same year Jean-François Champollion used the Turin papyri to test his decipherment of hieroglyphs (Wikipedia, Museo Egizio).

Highlights

• The tomb of Kha and Merit - an intact burial with all its contents.
• The Turin King List - a papyrus recording the succession of pharaohs.
• The Ellesiya temple - a Nubian rock temple rebuilt inside the museum.
• The statue gallery - a hall of large sculpture with mirrored lighting.

When to go

Year-round; it is busiest at weekends and during school holidays. Booking a time slot avoids queues. Allow at least three hours, and more for the full collection.

Good to know

It is very large and tiring to do in one visit. Crowds on weekends are heavy. Only a fraction of the holdings is displayed at any time.

Nearby

The Mole Antonelliana and cinema museum are close; the Po runs east.

Key facts