Museum of Modern Egyptian Art

Across from the Cairo Opera House, the Museum of Modern Egyptian Art houses a vast – perhaps too vast – collection of 20th- and 21st-century Egyptian art. It can be difficult to appreciate the work given the cramped rooms, collected dust and lack of signage. The museum’s prize items are all on the ground floor: Mahmoud Mukhtar’s deco-elegant bronze statue Bride of the Nile is here, along with Mahmoud Said’s Al Madina (The City, 1937). Though Said has a slew of kitschy imitators, he was one of the first artists to depict folk life in vivid colour, and his commitment inspired Naguib Mahfouz to pursue his own career in writing. Throughout the museum, it is interesting to observe how Western trends such as pop art have manifested themselves in Egypt – almost always with a much sharper social or political message. Upstairs is a small cafe and a gift shop selling a few postcards and posters.