All you need to know about Royal Chariots Museum prior to imminent opening

CAIRO – 6 August 2020: Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is currently putting the final touches to the works of developing the Royal Chariots Museum in Bulaq, in preparation for its imminent opening.

It is considered one of the rarest museums, as it is the fourth of its kind in the world after the museums of Russia, England and Austria.

The Royal Chariots Museum was established during the reign of Khedive Ismail (1863-1879).

The Royal Chariots Museum - Egyptian Min. Of Tourism & Antiquities

The museum’s restoration project began in 2001 and came to a halt several years ago. The restoration work was launched again in the museum in 2017 after it was suffering from great neglect. The cost of restoration amounts to about LE 63 million.

The museum’s development works included building rehabilitation, structural reinforcement, facade restoration, architectural finishes, as well as equipping and preparing the exhibition halls.

The Royal Chariots Museum - Egyptian Min. of Tourism & Antiquities

The museum was also provided with a visual exhibition hall to screen documentary films on royal vehicles. Also, a new exhibition scenario was set inside the museum's five halls shedding light on all the unique artifacts the museum houses.

A restoration laboratory with the latest scientific equipment was established inside the museum.

The Royal Chariots Museum - Egyptian Min. of Tourism & Antiquities

The five main halls in the museum include the Antikkhana Hall, which will display vehicles and chariots gifted to the Alawite family on various occasions; the Reception Hall, which has a screen to display documentaries on the time of the Alawite family; the Gamallon Hall, which displays the rarest types of vehicles; the Royal Events Hall which includes a group of chariots that were used by members of the Alawite family on official occasions in addition to oil paintings of kings, queens, princesses and princes of the Alawite Family; and last but not least, The Hosan Hall, which includes a group of costumes that were used by employees of the royal vehicles and chariots.

Once the museum is opened, the tickets fees will be LE 20 for Egyptians, LE 5 for Egyptian students, LE 100 for non-Egyptians, and LE 50 for foreign students. The fee for using a professional camera is LE 50. However, using the mobile phone’s camera during the visit is free of charge. The visiting hours will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.