Destination guide for the Munich Museum of Egyptian Art.
The Munich Museum of Egyptian Art is situated in the heart of the Kunstareal, a district of the city that is home to numerous museums, galleries, and cultural institutions. This fascinating museum showcases artifacts spanning 5000 years, displaying excellent works of Ancient Egyptian art in various formats. The first items for the museum were acquired by the Bavarian King Ludwig I, who was working to collect items for the Glyptothek (a museum in the Kunstareal that displays Greek and Roman antiquities). The Bavarian Academy of Sciences later expanded the collection through its acquisition of coffins and stelae.
I have a strong passion for all things Ancient Egypt, so I was especially excited to discover the Munich Museum of Egyptian Art while planning my trip. My love for Ancient Egypt has led me to visit Egypt twice and explore countless exhibits on the topic across the United States. A perk of this museum is that it is located right across the street from the Alte Pinakothek, Munich’s renowned fine art museum. As I also have a passion for art, I visited both these museums on the same day, which made for an unforgettable experience!
Visiting the Munich Museum of Egyptian Art
Although I have traveled to Egypt twice and seen my fair share of Ancient Egyptian artifacts, I was still fascinated by the items on display at the Museum of Egyptian Art. This well-curated museum does an excellent job of displaying its collections and telling the story of one of the world’s greatest civilizations. Unlike other museums that display artifacts in chronological order, here they are showcased by theme, i.e., statues, jewelry, funerary, etc. One of my favorite exhibits was the one showing the shawabtis (funerary statues) and canopic jars.
An interesting concept of this site is that the Museum of Egyptian Art sits under the front lawn of the School for Film and Television; the subterranean nature draws a parallel to the tombs and crypts of Ancient Egypt.
This museum is truly worth a visit if you are interested in history and Ancient Egypt. The museum is not that large, with a visit taking between 1.5 and 2 hours. As it is conveniently located in the Kunstareal, a visit to the Museum of Egyptian Art can be paired with visits to other museums in the area. Guests to the museum are provided with a media guide, which is a tablet that provides information, as well as renderings of how certain items on display would have looked whole and in situ. It is included in the adult admission fee, except on Sundays. As I am familiar with Ancient Egyptian history, I did not use the media guide. The navigation of this museum was made easy by an ingenious method: a golden line with arrowheads that lines the floor to guide visitors.
On Sundays, admission is just 1€, and on this day, the media guide is not included in the admission fee. If interested in the media guide, it costs 1€ to rent.
The Museum of Egyptian Art is fully accessible. The museum provides a limited number of wheelchairs and canes available at the information desk.
For families, a limited number of pushchairs and baby slings are available at the information desk.
Guests are required to leave larger bags and items in a locker. The lockers require a 2€ deposit.
The best way to reach the museum is by public transportation. From my hotel, located near the Viktualientmarkt, I took tram #17, followed by tram #28. Guests also have the option to take the bus (stop across the street) or the metro (stop a few blocks away). For those who prefer to drive, paid parking is available around the museum.
Click on images to enlarge.
The final gallery of the museum showcases some superb reliefs from Ancient Mesopotamian civilizations, including those of the Assyrians and Babylonians.
Travel Tip
As I mentioned, the Munich Museum of Egyptian Art is situated in the Kunstareal, an area teeming with impressive museums, galleries, universities, and cultural institutions. Notable sites include the Alte Pinakothek, Glyptothek, and the NS Documentation Centre Munich.
Resources
To plan your visit and learn more about this site, visit the Munich Museum of Egyptian Art’s website.
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