Cairo’s Historic Islamic Art Museum Reopens Two Years After Terror Attack

Entrance of the Islamic Art Museum in Cairo after it was damaged by a large explosion in 2014

Two years after being “completely destroyed” in a downtown Cairo terrorist attack, Egypt’s historic Islamic Art Museum is set to reopen to the public on Friday free of charge.

The Museum’s reopening was officially inaugurated by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and other top government officials on Wednesday.

According to Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany, visitors will be able to access the museum free of charge between 20 January and 28 January 2017. The Minister added that the Museum’s layout and collection has been improved and slightly changed to accommodate to all visitors.

During the reopening, President Sisi condemned the terrorist act that damaged the museum and called for greater preservation of antiquities and art.

The Museum suffered great damage in January 2014 after a car bomb exploded outside the Museum and the Cairo Security Directorate, killing five and injuring more than 80. At the time of the attack, the damage was reported to be in the tens of millions of dollars.

Egypt’s government has received several grants and donations from across the world to help in restoring the museum.

The Museum houses one of the most extensive and important collections of Islamic art in the world. The Museum displays priceless Islamic art work from all periods of Islamic history, including one of the rarest copies of the Quran.