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Museum · Modern
Mahmoud Mokhtar Museum
The sculpture that gave modern Egypt a new image
Beside Cairo Opera House, the Mahmoud Mokhtar Museum gathers the work of the pioneer of modern Egyptian sculpture in a building designed by Ramses Wissa Wassef. It shows how Mokhtar reworked ancient Egyptian, rural and nationalist imagery into a modern language.
About this place
The Mahmoud Mokhtar Museum opened on Gezira Island in 1962 to honour Egyptian sculptor Mahmoud Mokhtar (1891–1934), one of the defining figures of modern Egyptian sculpture. Architect Ramses Wissa Wassef designed the building as a permanent home for the artist’s work, creating a museum dedicated to preserving and presenting Mokhtar’s legacy after parts of the collection had previously been shown in temporary locations.
Its galleries contain sculptures, models and studies in bronze, stone, marble, granite and plaster. Together they reveal Mokhtar’s distinctive visual language, combining references to ancient Egypt with images of peasants, women, rural life and modern national identity. Studies connected to his landmark public monument Egypt’s Awakening are among the museum’s most important works.
The museum shows how Mokhtar created a modern Egyptian sculptural language that drew on ancient heritage while speaking to rural life, women and national renewal.
Visitor information
- Opening hours
- Sunday — 10:00 – 16:00
Tuesday — 10:00 – 16:00
Wednesday — 10:00 – 16:00
Thursday — 10:00 – 16:00
Saturday — 10:00 – 16:00 - Payment
- Cash
- Amenities
- Toilets
| Tickets | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Egyptian | 5 | 2026-09-06 |
| Egyptian student | 3 | 2026-09-06 |
| Foreign | 10 | 2026-09-06 |
| Foreign student | 10 | 2026-09-06 |
Highlights
- Models and studies for Egypt’s Awakening
- Sculptures of the fellaha, rural life and Egyptian identity
- Ramses Wissa Wassef’s museum design
Tips from the visit
- Combine it with Cairo Opera House and nearby Gezira museums.
- Check the cultural centre announcement if you are going for a temporary show.
- Around one hour is usually enough for the permanent collection.
Worth knowing
- The centre sometimes advertises longer hours for temporary shows; do not assume those are the permanent museum hours.
- Admission is inexpensive and may change before every web page is updated; follow any newer on-site notice.
Location & getting there
5 Tahrir Street, Gezira, Cairo
Nearest landmark: دار الأوبرا المصرية
Nearest metro: الأوبرا
Take Metro Line 2 to Opera station; the museum is beside the Cairo Sporting Club and Cairo Opera House on Gezira.
30.043, 31.224
Open in Google Maps ↗Nearby
Since opening in 1902, the Tahrir museum has become part of Egyptology’s own history. Although the Tutankhamun collection has moved to the Grand Egyptian Museum, its halls still hold exceptional objects spanning ancient Egyptian history.
In Fustat, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization tells Egypt’s story as one continuous timeline from prehistory to the modern era, before the Royal Mummies Hall shifts the experience into a quieter encounter.
Within the Roman fortress of Babylon, the Coptic Museum holds one of the world’s richest collections of Coptic art, while the Hanging Church, Abu Serga, Ben Ezra Synagogue and other Old Cairo landmarks sit steps away.