Master Pieces of the Graeco-roman Museum
The Museum
No special museum in Alexandria before 1891
Private collections.
Increasing the number of discovered objects
foundation a museum was adopted by the society of Archaeology of Alexandria.
The 1st museum was a 10-room house
officially inaugurated in 1892 under the Khedive Abbas Helmy II.
the first director of this museum was Guiseppe Botti.
objects from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo
Private donations & the Egyptian Department of Antiquities
In 1895 (1st enlargement) 2 rooms were added
in 1899 another 3 rooms were added.
By the year 1904, the museum had embraced 20 rooms.
The façade is made as a Greek temple
pediment supported by 6 columns.
the museum consists of 2 floors:
the lower is for exhibiting the objects
the upper is partly occupied by the library
The pieces are arranged according to materials, chronology & types
pieces discovered in Alexandria & vicinities.
special wing for Coptic objects:
funeral stele
textiles
statues
bone and ivory objects
Capitals
murals
terracotta amphorae
lamps & flasks.
Masterpiece: marble funeral stele represented with the saint Menes
raising his 2 hands for prayers
flanked by 2 crouching camels.
a special wing for displaying coins
from different periods
made of gold, silver & bronze
represented with:
Ptolemaic kings
Greek & Roman divinities
different emblems.
The same wing displays a variety of jewelry pieces discovered in Alexandria.
The hall to the left of the entrance
the mosaic piece of the Ptolmaic queen Bernik
discovered in 1918 and dated from 200 BC (Ptolemaic period).
square centered by a bust of a lady wearing military costumes & crowned by a ship prow.
Some believe it is a personification of Alexandria.
Alexander’s heads
made of granite and marble
Ptolemaic heads.
Statue of Apis bull
found in Sarapeum in 1895
restored in 1898
made of black basalt
by the emperor Hadrian
sun disc between 2horns
supported by a small pillar
inscribed by the dedication of Hadrian.
Statues & busts of Sarapis
Wooden (sycamore) statue of Sarapis
bust of Sarapis made of marble
a marble statue of Harpocrtes in the Greek style
found at Sidi Beshr in 1973.
found at Sidi Beshr in 1973.
Marble statues of Greek & Roman divinities
Askelepios & Hygea
Demeter
Aphrodite.
the god Nilos
a middle-aged bearded man
leaning on a crouch
surrounded by children
holding a horn of plenty
protruding belly
2. his wife Isis Euthenia
Hall opposite the entrance
mosaic piece of Nile landscape
2. sarcophagi:
Made of marble
Ariadne sarcophagus
basin-like sarcophagus
garden of the museum
the temple of crocodile
discovered in 1913 in Theadelphia
small temple dated to in 137 B.C (Ptolemy VIII)
made by Agathodoros, son of Agathodoros of Alexandria
3 pylons & a sanctuary
dedication inscription above the 1st pylon
The doorway is flanked by 2 Leonean statues
A special room to include objects
found in the temple:
wooden door
votive stele
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