Unlike tourists with their crammed itineraries — who will undoubtedly emerge from the Egyptian Museum stunned, overwhelmed and unable to process the incomprehensibly vast collection of treasures on display within the enormous building — we Cairenes can take our time to savor the treats squirreled away within the museum’s walls.

A plan is essential: The Egyptian Museum houses a staggering collection of over 100,000 objects, too many to absorb in a lifetime, let alone in a single trip. While some displays are well-marked (generally in Arabic and English, occasionally in French), the signage is erratic and you often won’t know what you’re looking at unless you’ve educated yourself beforehand. Decide in advance what you want out of your visit — a broad introduction to Egyptology or a focused look at a particular feature.

Either way, if you aren’t already familiar with the museum’s layout, it is probably wise to invest in a map or a professional guide. The former sells for LE 35 in the gift shop to your left as you enter the building; it is color-coded and numbered so you can sort out which gallery contains displays from which kingdom or ruler. There is also a wall map of the ground floor, though it isn’t terribly detailed and you can’t refer to it as you wander about. Look for it just to your left after you’ve gone through the final security check within the museum building.

As for hiring a guide? Although the tip can add substantially to the cost of your outing (LE 50 is the suggested rate for a khawaga), it could be the difference between confusion and enlightenment. The guides who offer their services in front of the building are licensed by the government; all are official and no freelancers are allowed. Some are former museum curators and the languages offer edrange from English, Arabic and Italian to German, Spanish, French and Russian. Find one who speaks your preferred language and let him know how long you want to spend (a minimum of two hours is recommended) and what you want to see.

A special note for families: if you are taking children, head straight for the second floor and go to the Royal Mummy Room, the Tutankhamun Room and the animal mummy exhibit. If your youngsters aren’t worn out after these kid-friendly spectaculars, head downstairs and wander through the central and left-hand side (as you enter) focusing on sarcophagi and colossi — easily appreciated at any age.

With a strictly adult group, your choices are wider. On a single visit, think about taking in one or a selection of these especially spectacular collections and exhibits:

Egypt Today Archives The Egyptian Museum is over 100 years old.

Old Kingdom: A significant portion of the ground floor to the left is devoted to Old Kingdom treasures, with endless sarcophagi, statues, figurines, stelae, and statuettes to admire. If you prefer your treasures well-labeled, be sure to take in the monuments of Queen Hetep-Heres (wife of Snoferu and mother of Khufu) from the Fourth Dynasty. Her personal belongings, including a bed, jewel box, alabaster plates and a reconstructed litter, are well displayed. Nearby, you’ll find a pink granite column from the pyramid temple of King Sahure (Fifth Dynasty) — a remarkable feat of engineering whose circumference varies by no more than 8 mm from one point to another despite towering two stories high.

Middle Kingdom: Continue past the Old to the Middle Kingdom and keep your eyes open for changes in style as you walk through history to the 11th through 13th Dynasties (you’ll see your first sphinxes in this part of the museum). Many exquisite pieces are located here (the false door of Amenemhat-onkh, for example), but be forewarned: The labels are sparse.

New Kingdom: Toward the rear of the first floor is the New Kingdom, where you’ll see gorgeous painted frescoes of plants and birds in a naturalistic style, along with the gold foil from the lower part of the coffin of King Akhenaten reconstructed onto a Plexiglas frame for a striking mix of ancient and modern. Don’t miss the monumental dyad of Amun and Mut from Karnak, which was found in fragments that have been mounted onto armature. Since too little data is available to reconstruct the missing parts, the pieces seem to float in mid-air; the effect is eerily reminiscent of M.C. Escher. Also part of the New Kingdom is the colossal group of King Amenophis III, his wife Queen Tyi and three of their daughters. Towering fantastically high, these huge statues change in aspect as you consider them up close or from afar.

American Contributions to Egyptian Archeology: This special exhibit (ground floor, on the right-hand side) runs from February 28 to May 31, 2006, and features approximately 50 items from the permanent collection which were excavated by American missions to Egypt. Mounted by the American Research Center in Egypt (with support from Dr. Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, and Dr. Wafaa El-Saddik, director of the Egyptian Museum), it displays objects from the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms with explanatory labels. Also included are descriptions of prominent American Egyptologists and museums that have played a significant role in curating Egyptian artifacts.

Royal Mummies: A separate ticket is required for entrance to the Mummy Room. It is hard to pass up a chance to be in the same room with fabled pharaohs including Ramses II. The displays are tastefully simple and don’t require a great deal of time to absorb, so you can pay your respects quickly and move on.

Tutankhamun: If you’ve heard the hype about the ‘Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs,’ a 27-month tour of four US cities currently underway and not over until August 2007, you may wonder if what’s left in Egypt is still worth a visit. Never fear — the Boy King had more than enough treasures to go around, and the second floor of the museum is laden with sumptuous objects from Tutankhamun’s reign even before you enter the special Tutankhamun Room. You can begin by taking in the artistry of the gilded human and animal figures and the exquisite carving, inlay and painting on various chests and boxes. Then visit the Tutankhamun Room, where you will find kingly treasures and the iconic second and third coffins of the ruler. These gold-coated, mummy-shaped works of art depicting Tutankhamun as Osiris are instantly recognizable.

Ancient Jewelry: A special room on the second floor is dedicated to artfully displayed jewelry, from simple stone bracelets to exotic necklaces and earrings set with semi-precious stones. But if jewelry is your passion, you’ll need to wander widely to see it all — there are examples in many places, including faience and carnelian dating to very early dynasties in the central atrium of the first floor.

Animal Mummies: Tucked away in a somewhat secluded room on the second floor, this section is easy to miss, but is worth asking directions to find. This room has some of the most complete signage in the museum, so you can learn a great deal about the relationship of Ancient Egyptians to the animals they ate, worshipped, sacrificed, and loved. You can also shudder at the gigantic and very scary mummified crocodiles. T

The Egyptian Museum (tel: (02) 578-2448/52) is open daily, including weekends and holidays, from 9am–6:45pm. Egyptians pay LE 2 for admission; foreigners pay LE 40. Separate admission is charged to the Mummy Room: LE 10 for Egyptians and LE 70 for foreigners. (Students and children pay half all quoted prices.) No cameras are permitted.

The museum is a perpetual draw, so there are throngs of sightseers about at any time; however, March and late December tend to be the busiest periods. Mornings are often the most crowded.

Scattered throughout the museum are banks of comfortable chairs, so you can take a rest if being on your feet for hours is too wearing, or you just need to consult your guidebook.

Parking is available close to the museum entrance for LE 6 per hour, but is sometimes full; it may be easier to take a taxi or the Metro (get out at the Sadat stop at Tahrir Square).

The gift shop within the museum is admirably restrained, sticking principally to postcards and sober tomes on Egyptology in a variety of languages. If you need more light-hearted souvenirs, there are several shops near the museum entrance.

Relax and refuel after your museum tour at the rather uninspired coffeeshop within the museum grounds, to the right of the entrance. Alternatively, you can treat yourself to lunch at the nearby Nile Hilton, which you’ll find on your right if you walk straight down the street after exiting the museum. Or walk ten minutes down to Midan Talaat Harb and pull up a chair at the storied Groppi or head down Kasr El-Nil to Café Riche, two haunts famous with Egyptian intellectuals for decades. et