Discover ancient Egypt right here in Mississauga
Published December 14, 2022 at 3:39 pm
There’s no need to travel across the world to experience ancient Egyptian culture and heritage. In fact, Mississauga is home to one of Canada’s hubs for Pharaonic and Coptic history, bringing ancient Egypt to you.
Known as The Egyptian Museum, this facility is located in Mississauga at 6341 Mississauga Rd, Entrance B. Since opening in 2014, the museum offers the public (by appointment only) a full history of ancient Egyptian civilization, one of the oldest civilizations in the world dating back over 5,000 years ago.
All this history can be fully experienced and enjoyed in just an hour or less!
Within the facility, visitors can view more than 250 ancient Egyptian pieces on display, including pharaonic antiquities from Egypt’s Pharaonic period and artefacts from the Coptic period.
The Coptic period was largely defined by religious and linguistic shifts from the much older Pharaonic era, and was famously known for its elaborately decorated textiles that are now preserved in many collections.
One of the main exhibits features identical replicas of King Tutankhamun’s (King Tut) treasures. King Tut is known for being one of the most fascinating ancient Egyptian pharaohs, with much of the fascination coming from the golden collection found intact inside his tomb.
The collection of gold antiquities was discovered 100 years ago in 1922, and sparked a large and renewed public interest in ancient Egyptian and Coptic culture within our modern-day world. One of the most popular pieces, recognized as a global Egyptian symbol by many, is King Tut’s golden mask.
Visitors of The Egyptian Museum in Mississauga can find identical replicas of King Tut’s treasures. While the original pieces are housed in Cairo, Egypt at the Cairo Museum, the authentic replicas are high-quality artifacts crafted by skilled artisans and are identical in every aspect to the original pieces, using the same materials, tools and workmanship methods.
Replicas of some of King Tut’s precious items that can be found in Mississauga’s Egyptian Museum are:
- The Golden Mask – One of the best-known works of art in the world, and the most famous artefact ever found in Egypt. Also known as the death mask, it’s made of pure gold inlaid with colored glass and semi-precious stones. The mask’s details, expression and decorative colors makes it a masterpiece of Egyptian art and shows the skills and craftsmanship of the ancient artisans.
- Sacred jewelry pieces – Jewelry such as the scarab beetle necklace and the pectoral solar falcon necklace are on display for your viewing pleasure. Found in King Tut’s tomb, the scarab beetle necklace was a piece of jewelry to aid the Pharaoh on his journey into the afterlife. The pectoral solar falcon features a falcon which represents God Horus, the creator and protector of pharaohs.
- Weaponry – A collection of weaponry such as the golden crook and flail, representing kingship and fertility of the land in ancient Egypt.
- Royal furniture – Furniture such as the Royal Chairs, made of wood, gold, silver, glass and gemstones, featuring stimulated lion claws for chair legs.
To view more pieces that can be found in the museum, visit the online gallery here.
The Egyptian Museum is a hidden gem for history and culture lovers alike. It also acts as an amazing resource for students and educators looking to explore ancient Egyptian culture and Middle Eastern studies. To enrich visitors’ learning experiences, guided tours are led by trained Egyptologists. Tours are offered in English, French, Arabic and other languages upon request.
Currently ranked at 4.7 stars on Google, and listed as one of the five best Museums in Mississauga, as well as number 29 of Things to Do in Mississauga on Tripadvisor, many people have enjoyed their experience at the Egyptian Museum as part of Mississauga’s tourism.
Visitors have noted their experiences as being immersive, informative, educational, and overall pleasant due to the friendly and knowledgeable staff. Visitors also mentioned feeling as if they were actually in front of the original artifacts and treasures while visiting the museum, reiterating the fact that you really don’t need to travel to Egypt to experience its eccentric history.
Tickets to this museum are currently 50% off and being offered at the discounted rate of $10. Children under the age of six can enter the museum for free. To book an appointment and experience the history of ancient Egypt you can contact on-site staff using the information here.
For more information, and to learn more about The Egyptian Museum located in Mississauga, please visit www.theegyptianmuseum.ca or follow the museum on Facebook or Instagram.