Two Spectacular Museums of 20th-Century Egyptian Public Figures

Among the overwhelming number of tourist attractions in Cairo, museums are particularly exceptional, and that is for multiple reasons. First, each museum specialises in one element of Egyptian history and culture. Usually, the most prominent museums display and showcase the magnificent Pharaonic history, such as the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, and the soon-to-be-opened Grand Egyptian Museum.

Other museums focus on the history after the Pharaohs, such as the Roman, Greek, Coptic, and Islamic periods. Then, there are more museums of different categories, such as geology, geography, and zoology, in addition to modern art, music, literature, agriculture, science, rail, post, royal cars, royal jewels, wax, football, presidential presents, ribbons and medals, police, and military.

There is even a museum of the Nile Crocodile in Aswan and another in the complex of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Citadel of Salah ad-Din, originally a prison but later turned into a museum.

Those museums contain collections of millions of original items hosted in beautifully designed buildings and palaces whose architecture is a masterpiece. Most museums are clean and well-taken care of. The displayed items are in excellent condition and packed with informative labels written in Arabic and English.

Furthermore, entry fees for tourists are pretty reasonable, if not cheap. In the large museums, tour guides who speak multiple languages, including English, French, Italian, Spanish, and German, are available to accompany tourists and explain in more detail the history being displayed in the museum.

That is to say, you should never miss visiting museums when you are in Cairo or happen to be in any of the other major cities in Egypt. After visiting the gorgeous ones, if you still have time before you fly back home, it would be so good to see the unusual museums and see them, too. They will add another extraordinary adventure to your entire Egyptian experience.

Though what one person might consider ‘unusual’ is entirely relative, there are things that genuinely are unusual and agreed on by thousands of others. So, to help a little with that, we chose to tell you about two exceptional museums of two remarkable 20th-century Egyptian public figures. We hope you enjoy the post and later your visits.

1. Museum of Om Kulthoum

The legendary singer and the greatest one of all time.

Some things are meant to live forever, particularly all of Om Kulthoum’s songs. They cross time and move from one generation to another, telling the story of the magnificent revival of Egypt’s modern music without anybody ever getting enough or even bored of listening.

The Star of the East, the Voice of Egypt, the Fourth Pyramid, or the Lady of Arabic Song. All are titles given to the prominent 20th-century singer, honouring the woman who revolutionised modern Egyptian music.

Om Kulthoum led an artistically prolific life from the 1920s until she died in 1975. No words can honestly describe the majesty of this woman’s deep, lilting voice. Even her sentimental sighs in between lyrics used to drive the crowds crazy. Her voice and songs shaped the people’s days and gave flavour to their nights. Egyptians loved Om Kulthoum as they had never loved anyone before (or after!) 

So it was kind of a shock when the legendary singer died in early February 1975. Although she was old and had gotten extremely sick during her final days, Egyptians could not believe that she died.

It was as if they believed she was not subject to death. Her funeral in and of itself shows a tiny glimpse of how she took over the hearts and minds of all Egyptians. Watching the crowds flood the streets of Cairo and saying goodbye to the pride of Egypt cannot bring tears to the eyes of anybody, even if they do not know who she was or what she did.

That said, it was not only the great voice that made up the legend of Om Kulthoum but also the excellent cooperation she had with Egypt’s most talented poets and composers. No matter how proud they might have been of their talent, any of them could not feel they fulfilled their career’s wildest dreams until Om Kulthoum picked up a song or admired a piece of music they wrote.

Among them were Mohamed Abul Wahab, the greatest composer of all time and the one who composed some of her most famous songs, and Ahmed Ramy, the sensational poet who wrote many of Om Kulthoum’s love songs.

For years, people have inherently followed a routine when listening to Om Kulthoum’s songs: They always listen to them at night. Because the songs are romantic and the lyrics incredibly tender, one can instinctively understand that daylight is not suitable for a genuinely pleasant listening experience.

On the contrary, nighttime is perfect because most people are already out of work and looking forward to enjoying some quality time at home or with friends at cafes.

Anyways, as a small act of honouring Um Kulthoum, though she is deeply honoured in the hearts and memories of Egyptians and Arabs, a small museum in central Cairo was opened, telling a short story of the long life of the Lady of Arabic Song.

The Museum of Om Kulthoum is located on Rawda Island on the Nile. It is not an independent building but a part of al-Manasterly Palace, another iconic architectural masterpiece.

Before you reach the museum, you get to walk through an enchanting garden full of different trees and brightly coloured flowers of various kinds. The museum itself is small but too valuable, given the rich life it displays.

Numerous personal items belonging to Om Kulthoum are arranged in glass cabinets. The collections include her dresses, handbags, shoes, diamond-ornamented sunglasses, leather gloves, jewellery, diaries, ordinary and diplomatic passports, and her famous handkerchiefs, which she used to hold and squeeze during her concerts.

Many photographs document moments of her famous concerts and international tours.

In addition, a significant number of medals, ribbons, badges, and gifts were given to Om Kulthoum by Egyptian and Arab presidents, not to mention photographic records of her most popular songs, song lyrics in her handwriting, and even the first microphone that she used to record her first song in the Egyptian Radio in the 1920s.

There is a small cinema room with a large screen showing a documentary of Om Kulthoum and the various stages of her life.

The museum’s exit leads to an expansive terrace with a breathtaking view of the Nile. And with the silence that wraps the entire place, I assure you, you will not help but fixate on the horizon, utterly incapable of doing anything except hearing your thoughts.

The iconic museum is open every day from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. One entry ticket for tourists is worth 20 EGP. Photography is also allowed at an extra fee.

Interestingly, your visit to the Museum of Om Kulthoum does come with a gift. Within the same complex of al-Manasterly Palace is the Nilometre. It is a structure used in the past to measure the water level during the annual flood season. This allowed the government to distribute water and calculate taxes accurately.

It is worth mentioning here that the Nilometer was in use from the Pharaonic era until the 1960s when the Aswan Dam was built.

2. Museum of Gamal Abdul Naser

Abdul Naser was the second president of the then-newly declared Republic of Egypt.

Since museums are full of old, historic items, they may somehow resemble time machines. Once you step inside them, they take you hundreds, thousands, and maybe even millions of years back in time. And if you happened to be a history nerd, such an experience would be even more pleasant for you.

Another dazzling time machine lies in the heart of Cairo, waiting in silence to impress visitors.

Admittedly, the Egyptian government has given so much attention over the past 10 years to opening and renovating new museums. One remarkable museum dedicated to the second president of Egypt, Gamal Abdul Naser, was opened in October 2016.

Gamal Abdul Naser was a powerful president who led a series of significant changes in Egyptian politics and history. Some of these included ending the British occupation of Egypt, nationalising the Suez Canal Company, and establishing the Aswan High Dam.

For those and many other changes, people truly loved him. Again, just like what happened later with Om Kulthom, millions of Egyptians came to Cairo from all corners of Egypt in September 1970 to say goodbye to the man who had returned their dignity.

On a side note, Gamal Abdul Naser was a big fan of Om Kulthoum and attended some of her concerts. He also urged the cooperation between her and composer Mohamed Abdul Wahab, which resulted in several musical masterpieces.

OK, back to the museum. It is located in the famous district of Heliopolis in Cairo. Honestly, it is not just any museum. It is Abdul Naser’s very own house, which is different from the presidential palace al-Qubba, where he used to host his official guests. The original house was a large villa with two floors. Another building was then added to it to expand the new museum.

Interestingly, the rooms in the house were kept the same as before. Nothing has changed, not even a bit. Once you step inside, you cannot mistake the interior design style of the 1960s, and you will not help but feel you are on an old movie set. There, you can see the dining room, the president’s office, and his bedroom with his pyjamas, socks, and shoes.

The museum’s second floor contains exhibits and personal items of Abdul Naser kept in glass cabinets. Many labels and wall texts also elaborate on his life and how he rose to power. In addition, multiple screens show documentaries of Abul Naser and his famous speeches—he was a powerful public speaker.

The museum is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. except on Mondays. Entry was free for a few years after its opening, but now there is a low-priced entry fee. Unfortunately, photography is prohibited.

So it is…

One way to explore a country is to get to know its famous, beloved public figures and understand their role in its development. In Egypt, thousands of scholars, scientists, writers, actors, politicians, doctors, singers, and military personalities made massive changes to advance the country. Two such influencers are Om Kulthoum and Gamal Abdul Naser.

Om Kulthoum, a prominent singer in 20th-century Egypt, lived a glorious life that transformed Egyptian music and entertained hundreds of millions of Egyptians and Arabs for decades. Visiting her museum on al-Rawda Island is a must on every tourist’s (and Egyptian’s) checklist.

Gamal Abdul Naser was pre-eminent among all the political figures who ruled or participated in the ruling of Egypt. His house in Heliopolis was turned into a museum. It opened its gates to visitors in late 2016 to come and have a glimpse at the life of the man who led the development of Egypt in the second half of the 20th century and whose influence is still prevailing up to the moment.