Graeco-Roman Museum
Encyclopedia
The Graeco-Roman Museum of Alexandria
in Egypt
was created in 1892. It was first built in an 5-room apartment, inside one small building in Rosetta Street (later Avenue Canope and nowadays Horriya). In 1895, it was transferred to another building that only had eleven rooms. More rooms were added later to this building, now located near Gamal Abdul Nasser Street. There are a lot of pieces from the 3rd century BC, like a nice sculpture of Apis
in black granite, the sacred bull of the Egyptians, mummies
, sarcophagus
, tapestries
, and a lot of objects and sculptures that offer us a view of graeco-roman civilization in contact with Egypt
. The museum is currently closed for renovation.
Its vast collection, gathered together over these hundred years, is the product of donations from wealthy Alexandrians as well as of excavations led by successive directors of the institution, both within the town and in its environs. Cer¬tain other objects have come from the Organization of Antiquities at Cairo (particularly those of the Pharaonic period) and from various digs undertaken at the be¬ginning of the century in The Fayoum and at Benhasa (Middle Egypt). Housed within an historic building (back cover) whose beautiful neo-classical facade of six col¬umns and pediment bears the large Greek inscription, ‘MOYΣEION’, the Museum consists of 27 halls and an attractive garden, which offer an excellent introduction to the Greek and Roman art of Egypt.
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
was created in 1892. It was first built in an 5-room apartment, inside one small building in Rosetta Street (later Avenue Canope and nowadays Horriya). In 1895, it was transferred to another building that only had eleven rooms. More rooms were added later to this building, now located near Gamal Abdul Nasser Street. There are a lot of pieces from the 3rd century BC, like a nice sculpture of Apis
APIS
APIS may refer to:*Advance Passenger Information System*Armour Piercing Incendiary Shells...
in black granite, the sacred bull of the Egyptians, mummies
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
, sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
, tapestries
Tapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven on a vertical loom, however it can also be woven on a floor loom as well. It is composed of two sets of interlaced threads, those running parallel to the length and those parallel to the width ; the warp threads are set up under tension on a...
, and a lot of objects and sculptures that offer us a view of graeco-roman civilization in contact with Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. The museum is currently closed for renovation.
Its vast collection, gathered together over these hundred years, is the product of donations from wealthy Alexandrians as well as of excavations led by successive directors of the institution, both within the town and in its environs. Cer¬tain other objects have come from the Organization of Antiquities at Cairo (particularly those of the Pharaonic period) and from various digs undertaken at the be¬ginning of the century in The Fayoum and at Benhasa (Middle Egypt). Housed within an historic building (back cover) whose beautiful neo-classical facade of six col¬umns and pediment bears the large Greek inscription, ‘MOYΣEION’, the Museum consists of 27 halls and an attractive garden, which offer an excellent introduction to the Greek and Roman art of Egypt.