Kharga Cultural Museum

About The Temple

The Kharga Cultural Museum, a recent addition to the Egyptian Ministry of Culture’s regional museum plan, offers a comprehensive overview of the antiquities discovered in Kharga and Dakhla Oases. Constructed using local bricks to mimic the early Christian architectural style seen at Bagawat, this museum is a testament to Egypt’s rich historical heritage. It showcases artifacts spanning from the Egyptian Prehistoric Period to the Islamic Era, providing visitors with a journey through the desert region’s history.

Prehistory and Old Kingdom Collection

On the first floor of the museum, visitors can explore a collection of artifacts that shed light on the prehistoric and early periods of human presence in the Western Desert. Items such as prehistoric tools, ostrich eggs, and various artifacts discovered in the Western Desert indicate that humans inhabited the area from ancient times.

Many of these artifacts were unearthed during excavations conducted by the Dakhla Oasis Project and are presented with the assistance of the Royal Ontario Museum’s Kharga Prehistory Project. Object labels in Arabic and English enhance the visitor’s experience.

The oases played a vital role during Pharaonic times, serving as important provinces and front-line defenses against invaders from the west and south. The museum displays funerary items from pharaonic tombs, including fragments from the Dynasty VI tomb of Ima-Pepi and a false-door stela of Khent-Ka, both from the Old Kingdom. These significant pieces were discovered by the French Mission in Balat, Dakhla Oasis. Khent-Ka, the Governor of the Oasis during the Sixth Dynasty, had his mastaba tomb preserved at Qila el-Da’ba in Dakhla. Notably, this limestone false door contains the earliest known reference to the word for “oasis,” wahet.

A remarkable double statue of Ima Pepi, ‘Governor of the Oasis,’ and his wife, found in Balat, graces the first floor. The museum also features sarcophagi and mummy masks, including a Graeco-Roman sarcophagus made of painted sycamore wood, discovered at Labekha by the French Mission.

Graeco-Roman Collection

The Graeco-Roman collection includes cartonnage mummy masks that adorned the faces of the deceased. These masks were often painted and gilded, providing a vivid and colorful display. Notable pieces in this collection are three human-headed lion sphinxes discovered at Deir el-Hagar Temple in Dakhla. Unlike most Egyptian sphinxes, these Roman statues are unique in that two of them are in an upright crouching position, featuring human features, with one being a female sphinx with wings.

The ground floor showcases smaller objects found in the New Valley within glass cases. One display features a charming group of ba-birds uncovered during the French Mission’s excavations at Dush. These miniature wooden birds were buried with the deceased to represent the five parts of the soul, ensuring its preservation during the journey to the afterlife.

Roman presence in the Western Oases is well-represented through artifacts like glass, ceramics, and coins, discovered during excavations by various teams working in the region. Of particular significance are the Kellis Wooden Panels or codices, found at Ismant el-Kharab in Dakhla Oasis. These wooden “notebooks” date from the 360s CE, making them the earliest complete “bound” books ever discovered. They contain accounts, payments in kind by tenant farmers during Roman times, marriage contracts, and letters, providing invaluable insights into life in the oases during this period.

The museum also houses ostraca, pottery sherds used as writing material, which offer important details about daily life in the oases. One notable ostracon is an unfinished private letter from individuals named Psumenais and Kanah to a monk named Phibamon from Tamou. It discusses the transmission of a golden coin and the involvement of various individuals.

Coptic and Islamic Collection

The second floor of the museum is dedicated to Christian and Islamic artifacts from the oases, dating from the 3rd century onwards. This collection includes religious items and culturally significant artifacts from the region’s more recent history.

Noteworthy items include textiles, icons, pottery, ceramics, books, and coins. On loan from the Coptic Museum in Cairo, the museum displays 18th-century wooden painted icons depicting the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus and the martyr Mari Girgis (St. George) slaying the dragon, a universal motif.

A separate room is dedicated to silver items, including plates and tablecloths, from the Manial Palace in Cairo. The museum also houses various Islamic cultural artifacts, such as coin collections. Folk items reflecting the customs and traditions of the New Valley region are also on display.

The Kharga Cultural Museum offers a captivating journey through the history and cultural heritage of the Kharga and Dakhla Oases, providing a valuable resource for understanding the rich history of this desert region in Egypt.

KHARGA OASIS Travel Guide
Stone doorway in the Kharga Oasis, Egypt, leading to a clear blue sky
Sequential stone portals at Kharga Oasis open up to the vastness of Egypt's skies
Ruins of mud brick walls and arches in a desert
The weathered beauty of a forgotten desert architecture
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