Egyptian Museum, Turin

Five thousand years of history along the Nile, in the heart of Turin

The Egyptian Museum of Turin is the world’s oldest museum entirely devoted to ancient Egyptian civilisation and one of the leading international institutions in Egyptology. Founded in 1824, it preserves tens of thousands of objects covering a period from prehistory to the Coptic era.

Its displays include monumental statues, coffins, mummies, papyri, jewellery, textiles, furniture, everyday objects and funerary assemblages. Highlights include the intact tomb of Kha and Merit, the Gallery of Kings, the Temple of Ellesija and one of the world’s foremost collections of Egyptian papyri.

History

Savoy interest in Egypt began during the seventeenth century with the acquisition of the Mensa Isiaca, a Roman bronze tablet decorated with Egyptian-inspired figures and hieroglyphs.

Between 1759 and 1762, Charles Emmanuel III sent the naturalist Vitaliano Donati to Egypt. The expedition collected statues and other objects, including important sculptures from the Karnak area.

The decisive moment came in 1824, when King Charles Felix purchased the extensive collection of Bernardino Drovetti, a Piedmontese former Napoleonic officer and French consul general in Egypt.

The collection contained thousands of statues, coffins, mummies, papyri, stelae, amulets and everyday objects. Combined with Egyptian material already held in the Savoy collections, it formed the Egyptian Museum.

The Palace of the Academy of Sciences, designed during the seventeenth century by Guarino Guarini, was selected as its home. The museum still occupies this building.

Champollion and the birth of Egyptology

Shortly after the arrival of the Drovetti collection, the museum was visited by Jean-François Champollion, the French scholar who deciphered the Egyptian hieroglyphic system with the help of the Rosetta Stone.

Champollion stayed in Turin in 1824 to study papyri, inscriptions and statues directly. The quantity and quality of the material allowed him to verify and expand his knowledge of the Egyptian language.

He is traditionally credited with the statement that “the road to Memphis and Thebes passes through Turin”, summarising the museum’s importance in the development of European Egyptology.

Italian archaeological excavations

Between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the collections were substantially expanded through excavations conducted in Egypt by the Italian Archaeological Mission.

Ernesto Schiaparelli, who became director in 1894, played a fundamental role. He organised numerous excavation campaigns at sites including Gebelein, Asyut, Heliopolis, Giza, Qau el-Kebir and Deir el-Medina.

Under the authorised system of division then operating in Egypt, part of the material discovered could be assigned to the foreign mission responsible for the excavation.

One of the most important discoveries was the intact tomb of Kha and Merit, found at Deir el-Medina in 1906.

Campaigns continued under Giulio Farina and other scholars, documenting the religious, administrative and everyday life of ancient Egypt.

Palace of the Academy of Sciences

The museum occupies a historic building between Via Accademia delle Scienze and Piazza Carignano.

The palace was designed in the seventeenth century by Guarino Guarini and subsequently modified and adapted for academic and museum purposes.

Its interiors have been extensively renovated over time. A major redevelopment opened in 2015, expanding the exhibition area, improving vertical connections and creating a more legible route.

Further changes were introduced for the museum’s bicentenary in 2024, including the redesigned Gallery of Kings and a new relationship between the museum, its historic building and the surrounding urban space.

Collections

The museum holds more than 40,000 objects, only a proportion of which are displayed. The remainder are kept in storage, studied, restored or made available through catalogues and digital projects.

The collections span several millennia and include:

• monumental statues and small sculptures;
• coffins and funerary assemblages;
• human and animal mummies;
• papyri and ostraka;
• stelae and reliefs;
• jewellery and amulets;
• textiles and sandals;
• furniture and containers;
• working tools;
• food and funerary offerings;
• personal-care objects;
• games and childhood objects;
• evidence from Greco-Roman and Coptic Egypt.

This variety introduces visitors not only to pharaohs and deities, but also to craftspeople, scribes, farmers, women and children.

Organisation of the route

The museum extends across several floors with a mainly chronological and thematic route.

Its sections guide visitors through:

• the Predynastic period and formation of the Egyptian State;
• the Old Kingdom;
• the Middle Kingdom;
• the New Kingdom;
• the village of Deir el-Medina;
• the tomb of Kha and Merit;
• the Late Period;
• the Ptolemaic and Roman eras;
• the Coptic period;
• the papyrus collection;
• the Gallery of Kings;
• the Temple of Ellesija.

Displays are periodically updated to incorporate new research, restoration and changing archaeological interpretations.

Gallery of Kings

The Gallery of Kings contains some of the museum’s most spectacular monumental sculptures.

The works include statues of pharaohs and deities, including representations of Ramesses II, Seti II, Sekhmet, Ptah, Amun and other figures from the Egyptian pantheon.

The redesigned display enhances the sculptures through lighting, space and visual connections, allowing them to be viewed from different perspectives.

The statues were not simply portraits. They expressed political authority, divine presence, dynastic continuity and the relationship between the king and the gods.

Statue of Ramesses II

One of the most famous works is the statue of Ramesses II, originating from the Temple of Mut at Karnak and brought to Turin by Vitaliano Donati’s expedition.

The pharaoh is shown seated, with the attributes of kingship and a carefully balanced composition.

The sculpture communicates strength, permanence and divine status. It should not be interpreted as a realistic portrait in the modern sense, since images of rulers followed precise political and religious conventions.

Tomb of Kha and Merit

The tomb of the architect Kha and his wife Merit is one of the museum’s most important collections and one of the best-preserved non-royal funerary assemblages from ancient Egypt.

It was discovered intact at Deir el-Medina in 1906 by the mission directed by Ernesto Schiaparelli.

Kha supervised work in the royal necropolises during the Eighteenth Dynasty. The tomb contained coffins, furniture, clothing, tools, vessels, food, cosmetics, jewellery and funerary texts.

Preserving these objects together makes it possible to reconstruct the life, work, family relationships and religious beliefs of a high-status but non-royal Egyptian couple.

Book of the Dead of Kha

The assemblage includes the Book of the Dead of Kha, a papyrus several metres long containing spells intended to assist the deceased on the journey through the afterlife.

The term “Book of the Dead” is modern. The Egyptians referred to these texts by a name that can be translated as “Spells for Going Forth by Day”.

The spells did not form an identical book for everyone: selection, order and decoration could vary according to period, resources and the patron’s preferences.

Deir el-Medina

An important section is devoted to Deir el-Medina, the village inhabited by the craftspeople who built and decorated the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens.

The objects include everyday items, administrative texts, letters, drawings, tools, ostraka and religious material.

This documentation provides remarkably detailed knowledge about Egyptian society, including wages, absence from work, disputes, family relationships, education, devotion and the organisation of building projects.

Papyri and ostraka

The Egyptian Museum preserves one of the world’s most important papyrus collections, including religious, administrative, legal, literary, medical and geographical texts.

Ostraka are fragments of pottery or limestone flakes used as inexpensive surfaces for writing and drawing. They could contain exercises, notes, letters, accounts and preparatory sketches.

Papyri and ostraka are fundamental because they directly preserve the words, thoughts and activities of ancient Egyptians.

Because of their fragility, not every document can remain permanently on display.

Turin King List

The Turin King List, also known as the Turin Royal Canon, is one of the most important sources for reconstructing the succession of Egyptian rulers.

The document lists the names of pharaohs and lengths of reign, including rulers omitted from other official lists.

The papyrus is highly fragmentary and requires painstaking reconstruction. Despite its gaps, it remains essential to the chronology of ancient Egypt.

Turin Papyrus Map

The Turin Papyrus Map, sometimes known as the Mining Papyrus, represents Wadi Hammamat, an area of the Eastern Desert used for quarrying and mining.

Dating from the reign of Ramesses IV, it is considered one of the oldest surviving topographical and geological maps.

Colours and annotations distinguish mountains, routes, quarries, mines and features of the landscape. The document demonstrates the sophisticated organisation of Egyptian expeditions.

Temple of Ellesija

The rock-cut Temple of Ellesija was constructed in Nubia during the reign of Thutmose III.

During the 1960s, construction of the Aswan High Dam and creation of Lake Nasser threatened numerous Nubian monuments. UNESCO organised an international campaign to save them.

Italy participated in the archaeological and conservation work. In recognition of this contribution, Egypt donated the Temple of Ellesija to Italy in 1966.

The temple was dismantled, transferred to Turin and reconstructed inside the museum. Its display has subsequently been redesigned to improve interpretation, accessibility and its relationship with the architecture.

Mummies and the study of human remains

The museum preserves human and animal mummies, together with coffins and materials used in funerary rituals.

Contemporary displays attempt to present human remains respectfully rather than treating them merely as curiosities.

Techniques including radiography, computed tomography and tissue analysis allow researchers to gather information without necessarily unwrapping a mummy.

These studies can provide evidence about age, biological sex, health, diet, disease, mummification techniques and living conditions.

Coffins and funerary rituals

Coffins were not merely containers but religious instruments intended to protect the body and facilitate the deceased’s transformation in the afterlife.

Decoration, spells, divine images and colours performed specific functions. Styles and texts changed substantially over thousands of years.

The museum allows visitors to compare coffins belonging to different periods and social groups, observing the development of beliefs and manufacturing techniques.

Everyday life

One of the museum’s greatest strengths is its attention to daily life.

Alongside royal monuments are:

• bread and food remains;
• sandals and textiles;
• combs and cosmetic containers;
• tables, chairs, beds and baskets;
• working tools;
• games and toys;
• vessels for food and drink;
• letters and administrative documents.

These objects present ancient Egypt as a real and complex society, not one limited to pyramids, pharaohs and mummies.

Research and conservation

The Egyptian Museum is also a centre for research, restoration and education.

Its activities include:

• archaeological missions;
• study of papyri and inscriptions;
• material analysis;
• preventive conservation;
• restoration of statues, textiles, wood and coffins;
• digitisation of the collections;
• collaboration with universities and international institutions;
• provenance research.

Contemporary research increasingly examines the history of excavations, the original contexts of objects and the processes through which they entered European collections.

Cultural importance

The Egyptian Museum is fundamental to knowledge of ancient Egypt because it preserves not only individual masterpieces but also complete documented archaeological contexts.

The tomb of Kha and Merit and objects from Deir el-Medina, for example, connect artefacts with their original people, places and functions.

It is accurate to describe it as one of the world’s most important Egyptological museums and the oldest entirely devoted to Egypt. The common claim that it is “the second Egyptian museum in the world after Cairo” is difficult to demonstrate through a single objective criterion, particularly after the opening of major new museums in Egypt.

Visitor experience

The route is very extensive. At least two or three hours are advisable for a general visit, while detailed exploration may require four hours or more.

Unmissable sections include:

• Gallery of Kings;
• tomb of Kha and Merit;
• Deir el-Medina;
• papyri;
• Temple of Ellesija;
• coffins and mummies;
• objects from everyday life.

Advance booking is advisable, particularly at weekends, during holidays and in periods of high attendance.

The amount of information can be demanding. Visitors with limited time should select several sections rather than rushing through the entire museum.

Accessibility

The museum has lifts and routes designed to connect its different floors. Most areas are accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.

Before visiting, it is nevertheless useful to confirm:

• the accessible entrance currently available;
• operation of the lifts;
• any temporarily closed sections;
• availability of seating and rest areas;
• adapted toilets;
• concessions for disabled visitors and companions;
• use of mobility aids or dedicated services.

The museum’s size may itself present a difficulty even where no architectural barriers exist.

Location and transport

Address: Via Accademia delle Scienze 6, Turin.

The museum stands in the historic centre near Piazza Carignano, Piazza Castello, Via Roma and the Galleria Subalpina.

It is approximately fifteen minutes on foot from Porta Nuova railway station. The walk from Porta Susa takes approximately twenty to twenty-five minutes.

Numerous bus and tram routes serve the city centre. Visitors arriving by car should consider the limited-traffic zone and restricted availability of street parking.

Tickets and useful information

Admission requires a ticket and may be organised into timed entry slots during periods of high attendance.

Prices, concessions, free admission, temporary exhibitions and booking arrangements may change. Checking the official website is therefore advisable.

Official website: www.museoegizio.it

Visitors should arrive slightly early and allow time for possible entrance controls. Photography and filming are subject to museum regulations.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Exceptional international importance: it is one of the world’s leading Egyptological museums.
• Historic distinction: it is the oldest museum entirely devoted to ancient Egypt.
• Highly varied collections: statues, papyri, coffins, mummies and everyday objects.
• Tomb of Kha and Merit: one of the most complete non-royal funerary assemblages ever discovered.
• Outstanding papyrus collection: fundamental to Egyptian history, language and society.
• Impressive Gallery of Kings: monumental statues are enhanced by a dramatic display.
• Authentic Temple of Ellesija: a rare Nubian temple transferred and reconstructed in the museum.
• Scientifically updated route: it combines archaeology, history and modern analysis.
• Attention to everyday life: the museum does not focus only on pharaohs and tombs.
• Good general accessibility: floors are connected by lifts and dedicated routes.

Cons

• Frequent crowding: it is one of Italy’s most visited museums.
• Long and demanding visit: properly exploring the entire route requires several hours.
• Large amount of information: it can be tiring without prior selection.
• Possible queues: particularly at weekends and during holidays.
• Some galleries can be noisy: groups and school visits may reduce tranquillity.
• Low lighting in certain sections: necessary to protect papyri and textiles.
• Fragile objects are not always displayed: some materials are shown in rotation.
• Extensive route: it may tire visitors who have difficulty walking or standing.
• Difficult parking: public transport is preferable because of the central location.
• Advance booking advisable: an unplanned visit may be more difficult on busy days.

Overall assessment

The Egyptian Museum is one of Turin’s most important cultural attractions and an international reference point for the study of ancient Egypt.

Its value derives not only from the number of objects but also from exceptionally complete archaeological contexts such as the tomb of Kha and Merit and essential documents including the Turin King List and Turin Papyrus Map.

The route is lengthy and often crowded, but the quality of the collections and displays fully justifies the visit. Allowing at least half a day and selecting priority sections in advance is advisable.

Mini-glossary

Egyptology: the discipline studying the language, history, archaeology and culture of ancient Egypt.

Coffin: a funerary container, often made of stone or wood, intended to hold the body or another inner coffin.

Ostrakon: a fragment of pottery or stone used as a surface for writing or drawing.

Stela: a stone or wooden slab bearing commemorative, religious or funerary images and inscriptions.

Funerary assemblage: the group of objects placed in a tomb to accompany the deceased.

Hieratic: a cursive form of Egyptian writing used mainly on papyrus and ostraka.

Coptic period: the Christian phase of Egyptian history during the final centuries of antiquity.

Provenance: the documented history of where an object was found and how it was subsequently transferred.