Closed for more than a year for works, the Imhotep Museum has just reopened its doors to the public. Located in the ancient necropolis of Saqqarah, south of Cairo, the museum was named in honour of the ancient Egyptian architect Imhotep. He is best known for building the Step Pyramid for Pharaoh Djoser during the Third Dynasty.
“We built this museum as a tribute to the Egyptian architect Imhotep and his achievements. The museum is a little small, but it contains more than 300 unique objects,” explains Mohamed Youssef, director of the Saqqara necropolis.
Inaugurated in 2006, the museum contains numerous archaeological pieces found during the various excavations carried out on the site. Visitors can also discover a gallery dedicated to Jean-Philippe Lauer. The French Egyptologist worked on the Saqqara site between 1920 and 2001.
“The unique objects were collected from the sites and tombs discovered at Saqqara and represent several dynasties. The most important is the mummy of King Merenre, which is the oldest royal mummy in history and dates back to the 6th dynasty, almost 2,300 years BC,” continues Mohamed Youssef.
The Imhotep Museum is considered to be one of the most important archaeological museums in Egypt. The country has dozens of others, thanks to the vast heritage preserved in ancient Egypt, which continues to fascinate people around the world and attracts a wide range of visitors.
Source: Africanews
