One of Egypt's Oldest Museums to Reopen After 18 Years

After being shut for 18 years, the Ministry of Antiquities has announced the reopening of the Museum of Tanta by the end of August 2019, after renovations.

Built in 1913 and under renovation since 2018, the museum is set to showcase a total of 8,579 artifacts from various historic periods, including Roman, Greek, Pharaonic, with two of the standout pieces coming in the form of a statue of Imhotep, the architect of the Saqqara Step Pyramid, and an icon of the Virgin Mary.

The museum is rumored to also display a visual representation of the life and story of Al Sayed Al-Badawi's, one of the most popular Sufi saints, whose lineage is believed to go back to Prophet Muhammad and the founder of the famous Badawiyya Sufi order.