By: Abdelrahman Amr and Michael Matthiesen. In the first part in an Egyptian Streets article series under the name of East-West Chitchat that aims to spark increased dialogue between Americans and Egyptians, Abdelrahman Amr and Michael Matthiesen explore personal experiences of Egyptian history through visits to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. I had only six hours until my trip back to New York City from Cairo. After a week of meetings, little sleep, and being bused around the boroughs of Cairo, my fellows and I were ready to go. Yet, I was excited that we were scratching off the Cairo Museum before catching our plane. To Americans, Egypt is the land of pharaohs, gods, and Moses. To Egyptologists, history and the ripple of civilization started with this great ancient culture, and all we have today begins with them. Considering how much the Bible and elementary school textbooks talk about Egypt, seeing the relics, pyramids, and hieroglyphics can be both a historic and religious experience. As the bus pulled up from Tahrir Square, I gazed at the Cairo Museum. I remember…
East-West Chitchat: Egyptian Museums Between Cairo and New York
December 20, 2017
