Egyptian Textiles Museum (Photo: courtesy of the museum's website)
The Egyptian Textiles Museum, a cultural gem located in Islamic Cairo, will celebrate Mother's Day on 21 March by offering special tours of the museum's collections – along with a few surprise treats.
The museum is unique within the Middle East, featuring textiles from various historical periods, including ancient Egypt, and the Roman, Coptic and Islamic eras.
In addition to the wide range of textile samples, there are also a number of statuettes from Pharaonic Egypt on display. Visitors will also see ancient burial clothes, shrouds and decorative textiles, some of them quite colourful and boasting a surprising amount of detail, suggesting considerable skill, bearing in mind the rudimentary tools available in those times.
Visitors will also see beautifully embroidered Coptic tunics and embroidered qiswat – the panels that adorn the Kaaba in Mecca.
Considering the relatively small size of the museum, it provides an impressive display of objects covering a wide range of periods and styles, making it a must for anyone with an affinity for weaving and fabrics.
As the date suggests, of course, such a tour might also make a fine Mother's Day treat. Mother's Day celebrated on 21 March each year in Egypt and several other is Arab countries. The date was chosen as it follows the Spring Equinox on 20 March.
Tickets to the Egyptian Textile Museum are very reasonably priced at EGP 20 for foreign adults (EGP 10 for students) and EGP 2 for Egyptian adults (EGP 1 for students). The tours run from 9am until 4pm.
Address:
121 Al-Muaaz St, Al-Gamaliya, behind Wekalet Sobhi Zakariya, Islamic Cairo
Opening hours:
Daily from 9am-5pm
Telephone number:
02 2786 5227
Short link: