Anahuacalli Museum: Diego Rivera’s Temple-Like Treasure Trove

El Museo Anahuacalli is unlike any other museum we’ve visited. Explore Rivera’s collection of pre-Hispanic artifacts after a visit to La Casa Azul.

If you’ve seen Frida’s Casa Azul, the Anahuacalli Museum is included in the ticket. Don’t miss it!

My first introduction to Diego Rivera, one of Mexico’s most famous artists, was a seemingly ubiquitous, mass-produced print of Rivera’s painting El Vendedor de Alcatraces (The Calla Lily Vendor). This image can be seen hanging on the wall of many Mexican restaurants in Anytown, USA. 

Wally peeks behind a giant agave plant in the plaza in front of the museum.

The subject of the artwork is a peasant woman, head bowed, squatting and overwhelmed by a basket filled with an immense bunch of white calla lilies. Rivera was known for his murals with a message and many featured the great social inequalities of the working class and the indigenous peoples of his country. His larger-than-life paintings were commissioned by the Mexican government, Henry Ford, the Rockefellers and the San Francisco Stock Exchange building, among many others. 

“If the light seems gauzy it’s because the panels of the thin vertical windows aren’t made from glass but alabaster, creating an ethereal air of mystery. ”

Frida’s nickname for Diego was Toad-Frog — and with his bulging eyes and belly, it’s not hard to imagine why.

Perhaps what’s more interesting is that his passionate, colorfully attired and unibrowed wife, the eccentric Mexican painter Frida Kahlo is now better known than her erstwhile husband. Her birthplace and childhood home, La Casa Azul (the Blue House), was purchased by and shared with Rivera, who paid off the mortgage and financial debt left by Frida’s father Guillermo — undoubtedly accrued by Frida’s chronic health issues caused by a near-fatal street car accident she suffered when she was 18 years old. 

The first floor of the museum is filled with Mexican folk art.

Diego’s Dream Museum

If you’re visiting Kahlo’s home, be sure to hold on to your ticket, as it also includes admission to Rivera’s equally intriguing and less visited Museo Anahuacalli. The museum is located on the southern end of Coyoacán, about a 30-minute Uber ride from La Conchita Plaza, where Wally and I departed from after spending the afternoon exploring the area. 

The museum’s name is derived from Cemanahuac, the name used by the Aztecs to refer to their world. It’s Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, for “the Place Surrounded by Water” a concept that paid homage to the swampy pre-Hispanic landscape of México. 

Diego and Frida purchased the parcel of land in the 1930s on the rocky and then underdeveloped lava deposit of El Pedregal colonia, or neighborhood. While working on a mural in America, Rivera was inspired by the Industrial Revolution, and envisioned a space where he and Kahlo could visit and contemplate their collection of pre-Hispanic artifacts. He spent every cent he could scrape together on acquiring these pieces, amassing over 50,000 in his lifetime. One of the stories told about his obsession involves his second wife, Guadalupe Marín, who ground up one of his prized figurines in a fit of anger and served it to him in a bowl of soup. 

Rivera obsessively collected local artifacts.

Some of Rivera’s artifacts might have been acquired on the black market — maybe even this one, which Wally thinks looks like someone giving birth.

Rumor has it that Rivera acquired more than a few of his artifacts on the black market. At the time, there weren’t any laws protecting the provenance of pre-Columbian antiquities, and for this reason, the market boomed amongst nationals and foreigners alike. However Rivera obtained his prized artifacts, it’s undoubtedly an impressive collection that reveals the reverence and curiosity he felt toward the past. An inscription by Rivera at the entrance to the museum reads, “I hereby return to the people what I could rescue from the artistic heritage of their ancestors.”

Jaguars were worshipped as gods by the ancient peoples of Mexico.

Before he died in 1957 at the age of 70, Rivera bequeathed his artifacts and vision for a space to conserve and share the collection with the people of Mexico. The passion project was completed posthumously by his daughter Ruth Rivera, the financial support of his close friend and patroness Dolores Olmedo and architect Juan O’Gorman, using plans left by Rivera.  

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Visit Dolores Olmedo’s amazing estate and see more works by Frida and Diego

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All are welcome at the Museo Anahuacalli.

Like Entering a Temple

The imposing exterior of Anahuacalli is based upon a teocalli, a Mesoamerican temple standing on a truncated pyramid, rising dramatically from the edge of a broad, open plaza. Anahuacalli is sheathed entirely in black basalt, the igneous rock produced by the eruption of nearby Xitle, a volcano that destroyed the pre-Hispanic settlement of Cuicuilco that preceded Mexico City. 

A sign at the entry kiosk states:

En este establecimiento mercantil no se discrimina el ingreso a ninguna persona por motivos de raza, religión, orientación sexual o socioeconómica ni por ningún otro motivo.

This establishment does not discriminate against entry to any person on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status or for any other reason.

Once inside, Wally and I immediately noticed a change in light and temperature; it was dim and cool, like the interior of a tomb. If the light seems gauzy it’s because the panels of the thin vertical windows aren’t made from glass but alabaster, creating an ethereal air of mystery. 

Gorgeous papel picado, or cut paper decorations, hang above artifacts placed in niches.

There’s a large ofrenda, an altar to Rivera.

One of our favorite displays on the ground floor was the impressive and brightly colored ofrenda, a traditional and allegorical offering dedicated to the deceased Rivera. Adorning the ofrenda are life-size papier-mâché folk art sculptures are known as alebrijes—the word these fantastical creatures were repeatedly chanting in vivid fever dream that the artisan Pedro Linares had. 

Ofrendas often have skeleton figures and food and other items the deceased enjoyed in life.

Whimsical papier-mâché folk art creatures called alebrijes came to their creator in a feverish dream.

The exuberant colors of the figures and papel picado, cut tissue paper banners, are all the more striking against the volcanic stone. 

Admire the cut tissue paper flags before venturing into the depths of the temple-like museum.

Narrow alabaster windows give the museum an otherworldly quality.

From the Underworld to the Heavens

A stairwell symbolizing the entrance to the Mayan underworld of Xibalba descends past bouquets of dried marigolds. These flowers guide spirits to their altars using their vibrant colors and pungent scent. 

Bright orange marigolds help guide the way for spirits to visit this world.

Duke looks up at the dried marigolds that fill this stairwell.

The Anahuacalli’s three levels are bisected by dramatic stone staircases leading to galleries with vitrines and niches filled with Rivera’s personal collection of more than 2,000 Zapotec, Maya, Aztec, Olmec and Toltec idols and artifacts ranging from utilitarian to religious objects. 

Rivera collected about 50,000 pre-Hispanic artifacts.

One of Rivera’s wives supposedly ground up one of his idols and served it to him in soup.

Make sure to look up at the ceilings, which showcase mosaics based on Rivera’s designs and communist inclinations. Most were inspired by the mythological creatures of the Mesoamerican canon, with a hammer and sickle thrown in for good measure. One mosaic depicts a toad — Kahlo’s nickname for Rivera was El Sapo-rana, or Toad-Frog — fitting, as he was a large, portly man with bulging eyes. Incidentally, his birthplace, Guanajuato, loosely translates to the Place of Frogs. 

Look up! Most of the ceilings have murals made from different colored rocks.

A woman gathers fruit in one ceiling mural.

Rivera wasn’t subtle about his fondness for Communism.

The light-filled second floor of the museum was originally envisioned as Rivera’s art studio and contains a number of monumental charcoal sketches and studies for several of his murals. One in particular, El Hombre en el Cruce de los Caminos (Man at the Crossroads), is a fresco originally commissioned in 1932 for the Rockefeller Center in New York, but later destroyed and unceremoniously chiseled off the wall for its unflattering portrait of Rockefeller and depiction of communism.

On the second floor, you can see studies for Rivera’s murals.

Another large-scale piece, Pesadilla de Guerra, Sueño de Paz (Nightmare of War, Dream of Peace), was a portable mural painted in 1952 for the Twenty Centuries of Mexican Art exhibition that traveled to various European cities. Its creator sold the work, which was censored by the Mexican authorities, to China. Nobody knows for certain where it is today. 

Also among Rivera’s artworks is a childhood drawing of a choo-choo train. 

Although the Anahuacalli is filled with niches showcasing Rivera’s beloved artifacts, it houses only a fraction of his collection.

Some galleries host temporary exhibits.

It’s also a space that hosts temporary exhibits and site-specific projects. While we were there in the fall of 2018, an exhibit titled Machama featured Adelia Sayeg’s sculptural ceramics. 

Dominating the second floor wall is an early rendering of Rivera’s famous Pesadilla de Guerra, Sueño de Paz mural.

The circular piece in the center of the room was filled with small ceramic pieces by Adelia Sayeg.

The museum’s interior embodies some of the same tenets as American architect Frank Lloyd Wright — specifically the concept of compression and release, with narrow stairwells and passageways opening abruptly into larger spaces. Rivera did meet with Wright in 1952 and consulted with him about the structure. 

Here comes the sun: Keep winding your way up through the museum to end up on the rooftop.

You’ll be temporarily blinded as you step out of the dark confines of the museum onto the rooftop terrace. Like Duke, you can admire the view of CDMX.

Wally takes a break from a long day exploring the neighborhood of Coyoacán.

You wind your way up, floor by floor, until you step out onto the rooftop terrace, open to the sky, boasting panoramic views of the city. The sun bathed the outlying area in golden light. It was a perfect end to an incredible day. –Duke

Wally and Duke are all smiles at this truly one-of-a-kind museum, which they can’t recommend enough.

Anahuacalli Museum

Museo 150
San Pablo Tepetlapa
Coyoacán
04620 Ciudad de México
CDMX
Mexico

 

The Cool Confines of the Luxor Museum

Whether you need a break from exploring the temples of Luxor and Karnak to escape the heat or just want to take a virtual tour, the Luxor Museum is filled with amazing statues and reliefs of King Tut, Akhenaten and other famous pharaohs, as well as Egyptian gods including Amun, Sobek and Sekhmet.

Not too many travelers bother with the Luxor Museum — but that’s a mistake.

A processional route over a mile and a half long once connected the temples of Luxor and Karnak. There’s talk of renovating and reopening this roadway, and it would be an impressive sight, lined with noble sphinxes, with the glittering water of the River Nile twinkling off to one side. To be honest, though, I can’t imagine that long of a walk, with no shelter from the sun god Ra’s blazing heat. 

After you’ve explored Luxor or Karnak Temples, though, you can escape the intense sun with a visit to the Luxor Museum. Even though it’s situated about a 20-minute walk from Luxor Temple, partway to Karnak, it seems as if not too many tourists add this to their itinerary. 

When we suggested it to our guide, Mamduh, he looked a bit surprised, as if we might have been the first people he’s had make the request.

“If you want to see a lot of the statues that once filled the temples of Ancient Egypt, you’ll have to visit a museum.”

The interior is a cool, sleek white space with angles that give it a surprisingly modern feel. It’s not too large of a space, which means you can see the entire collection in an hour or so. 

Guides aren’t allowed to lecture about the various exhibits. So Mamduh, who had been with us all week, educating us on Ancient Egyptian culture and archeology, from Aswan up to Luxor, had to shift his role. He was no longer our teacher; he became a friend exploring the museum with us. Judging from the sparkle in his eye and his childlike sense of wonder, he hadn’t spent much time in the museum and looked at this as an opportunity to increase his education.

The mummified remains of Ramesses I have a colorful past, including a stint at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Unlike at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, you can actually photograph this mummy.

Where Are the Statues of Ancient Egypt?

The temples of Ancient Egypt, once packed with statues, are now sadly bereft of these works of art. I often remarked to Duke how much I wished the niches, sanctuaries and pedestals were still home to the statues that once adorned them. If you want to see these statues, you’ll have to visit a museum — and the one in Luxor fittingly houses numerous carvings that were unearthed at the nearby temples of Karnak and Luxor.

Before we started wandering the museum, we stopped into an auditorium to watch a short documentary about Thebes (the ancient city where Luxor now stands). The fim had a grainy, bootlegged quality that revealed how woefully outdated it is. It reminded Duke and me of the film reels we used to watch in elementary school. To be honest, I don’t recall much about it. If time is limited, this is definitely something you could skip.

Here’s a brief tour of the Luxor Museum, showcasing some of our favorite artifacts.

Senusret I (circa 1971-1926 BCE)

Limestone 

Part of the colossal pillar of Pharaoh Senusret I from the White Chapel at Karnak, the structure was built to commemorate the first anniversary of the Sed Festival, held during the 30th year of his reign. Senusret is depicted in the traditional form of the god of the afterlife, Osiris, with arms folded across his chest and holding an ankh, the symbol of life, in each hand. 

Senusret III (1878-1840 BCE) 

Quartz 

This quartz head, found at Karnak, sporting the double crown and false beard, captures the humanity of the great Twelfth Dynasty ruler. His heavy-lidded eyes and supposed slight smile (I don’t really see it) represent  a break in the sculptural tradition of Egypt’s Middle Kingdom. 

Amenenhat III (1841-1792 BCE)

Black granite

Check out that look of disgust! Stern features like this were typical of the Middle Kingdom statuary.

Ramesses III (1550-1532 BCE)

Graywacke

This cult statue of Ramesses III, the last great warrior king of the New Kingdom, wears a short wig surmounted by the double crown. One part of the sculpture, which decorated the Precinct of Mut at Karnak, was discovered in the 1930s by the Oriental Institute of Chicago. The other was unearthed in 2002 by an expedition team from Johns Hopkins University. 

Thutmose III (1490-1436 BCE)

Graywacke

Shown eternally youthful, Thutmose III is wearing a belt with his cartouche, an oval carving with the pharaoh’s name in hieroglyphics.

Amun-Min relief (1490-1436 BCE)

Limestone

Look at those colors, still so bright after thousands of years! The chief deity Amun is merged with the fertility god Min. The relief, from Deir el-Bahari, was destroyed during the Amarna period and restored by a later pharaoh.

Unknown officer (1440-1400 BCE)

Sandstone 

This uninscribed Eighteenth Dynasty painted statue depicts an officer wearing a shebyu collar. While these necklaces were often worn by New Kingdom pharaohs, they were also given as a reward for valor or distinguished service.

Amenhotep II relief (circa 1426-1400 BCE)

Red granite

Amenhotep II was particularly proud of his prowess as an athlete and warrior. He’s shown shooting arrows through a target. In the inscription, he boasts of being so much stronger than normal men that he uses copper for target practice rather than wood, through which his arrows pass like papyrus.

Sobek and Amenhotep III (circa 1386-1353 BCE)

Calcite, Egyptian alabaster

The crocodile-headed deity holds an ankh to bestow life to the youthful ruler. The statue was usurped by Ramesses II.

Iwnit (1405-1367 BCE)

Diorite, possibly

This statue of Iwnit, a minor goddess from the Amduat and consort to the god Montu, was created during the reign of Amenhotep III. With dimples at the corner of her mouth, which give the impression of a fleeting smile, some call this the Mona Lisa of Karnak.

Amenhotep III (circa 1386-1353 BCE)

Quartzite

This New Kingdom figure of Amenhotep III was originally adorned with gold that was removed in antiquity, leaving some rough spots visible where armlets once were. 

Sekhmet

Gray granite  

The war goddess Sekhmet personified the fierce protective aspects of women and was known as the Mistress of Dread (coolest nickname ever?). In the New Kingdom she belonged to a group of goddesses known as the Eye of Ra. Here she’s shown with a broken sun disk above her head.

Amenhotep, son of Hapu (1400 BCE) 

Granite 

This statue of a seated scribe with stylized fat folds represents Amenhotep, son of Hapu, an important official under Pharaoh Amenhotep III. A palette with two inkwells, one for red and one for black, hangs over his left shoulder. As overseer of all the king’s works, a post he reached later in life, he was responsible for many of Amenhotep’s ambitious building projects. Like Imhotep, he became deified after death. 

Wall painting of Amenhotep III (circa 1386-1353 BCE)

Painted stucco

Sadly, all that’s left of this wall painting from the tomb of an official are fragments. The image shows Pharaoh Amenhotep III seated under a canopy, with his mother behind him and his enemies beneath him, a position of power. If you want to see what this would have looked like in full, the facsimile painted in 1914 by Egyptologist Nina de Garis Davies can be viewed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. 

Amenhotep III (circa 1386-1353 BCE)

Granodiorite 

This sculpture from north Karnak depicts the kneeling figure of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, a popular figure at the Luxor Museum. Holding a pair of flails, the king is kneeling during his coronation by the god Amun-Ra, whose now-missing hand would have originally rested upon Amenhotep’s crown. 

Temple wall of Amenhotep IV aka Akhenaten (circa 1380-1335 BCE)

Sandstone

This partially restored wall from a razed temple dates from the first five years of Amenhotep IV’s reign. The fragments,  known as talatat, were used as filling material and removed from the interior of the ninth pylon at Karnak. This scene depicts the so-called Heretic King and his wife Queen Nefertiti worshipping the multi-armed Aten, with images of daily life associated with the temple storehouses, workshops and breweries.

Akhenaten (circa 1380-1335 BCE)

Sandstone 

These are the remains of a colossal statue in the easily identifiable Amarna style (which we both love) found east of the Amun-Ra temple precinct, in an open court dedicated to the solar god Aten, built by Akhenaten in the third year of his reign. The colossi were knocked down and left in situ during the reign of Horemheb. During an excavation in 1925, Henri Chevrier, chief inspector of antiquities at Karnak, uncovered 25 fragments.

Tutankhamun sphinx (1347-1336 BCE)

Calcite

The face of this sphinx from Karnak Temple appears to bear the features of King Tut — most noticeably in the eyes and chin. This likeness wears a nemes headdress and originally had human arms that held a vase. 

Tutankhamun as Amun (1347-1336 BCE)

Limestone

Amun, the patron deity of Thebes, is depicted in the form of the legendary Boy King. Tutankhamun restored the cult of Amun (and the other gods) after the death of monotheistic, monomaniacal Akhenaten.

Atum and Horemheb (circa 1300-1292 BCE)

Diorite

The militaristic Pharaoh Horemheb kneels before the solar deity Atum, offering two nw jars. Atum is seated on a throne, holds an ankh and wears a long wig and a curved false beard, topped with the double crown of Egypt. Carved into the side of the throne is the sema tawny, lung and windpipe, symbolizing the union of the two lands (Lower and Upper Egypt). The well-preserved artwork was discovered in 1989, buried beneath the solar court of Amenhotep III at Luxor Temple. 

Seti I (1323-1279 BCE)

Alabaster

Wally thinks the spot where his penis would be was a light switch. Seti I was a warrior king like his father Ramesses I before him. He was the husband of Queen Tuya and the father of Ramesses II also known as Ramesses the Great. A passionate builder, he’s responsible for the hypostyle hall at Karnak. 

Nebre (circa 1292-1189 BCE)

Sandstone

This work was discovered at a fortress that protected the western border of Egypt from the Libyans. Nebre served as a commander under Ramesses II and held multiple titles, including troop commander, charioteer of the king, overseer of foreign lands and chief of the Medjay, an elite police force. He holds the staff of office, topped by the lion head of Sehkmet, goddess of war. –Wally

 

Turkish Coffee Buns

Try Caleb’s twist — see what we did there? — on glazed cinnamon cardamom buns, where he activates the yeast in coffee instead of milk. (Believe it or not, it works!)

These delectable treats look almost too good to eat!

I recently had some amazing Turkish coffee buns at Lula Cafe in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood, and ever since I had been wondering if I could activate yeast in coffee instead of water or milk. So I tried it!

I made my own version of the buns and I’m quite proud of the bake. –Caleb

Servings: 8

Active Time:  1 hour, 10 minutes

Total Time: 5 hours, 20 minutes, plus an overnight proof

Brew up some coffee…

…cuz you’ll be activating the yeast in it!

INGREDIENTS

Dough

• 1 cup freshly brewed coffee

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast

• 1 egg

• 1 egg yolk

• 3½ cups bread flour (all-purpose is fine, too)

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 1½ teaspoon ground cardamom (from about 3 teaspoons of pods)

• 1 teaspoon fine kosher salt

• 6 tablespoons room-temperature unsalted butter, plus more for bowl

You’ve got to proof the dough overnight — and this is a step you can’t skip!

Roll out the dough before the twists and turns take place.

Filling and Assembly

• 6 tablespoons room-temperature unsalted butter 

• 2 tablespoons instant coffee or espresso powder

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

• 1½ cups (packed) brown sugar, divided

• all-purpose flour (for surface)
  

PREPARATION

Dough

Brew fresh coffee, and allow it to cool until lukewarm, ideally 110ºF-115ºF—any hotter and you’ll kill the yeast.

Pour the coffee into the large bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk in the honey and yeast, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes until there’s a layer of foam on the surface. This means the yeast is active.

Add the egg, egg yolk, flour, granulated sugar, cardamom and salt to the yeast mixture and mix with the dough hook on low speed until well combined. 

Increase the speed to medium and continue to mix until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. 

Gradually add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. When you’ve added 6 tablespoons, mix until the dough is smooth, supple and shiny for 10-15 minutes to develop the gluten.

Transfer the dough to a large buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and let it sit at room temperature until doubled in size, 1-1 ½ hours. 

Punch the dough down, cover the bowl tightly in plastic wrap and chill overnight. This is an important step: Don’t skip it. The slow proof creates more flavor because it gives the yeast more time to process the sugar.

Knotty, knotty: You might need to watch a tutorial on how to get your buns looking so good.

Filling and Assembly

Mix the butter, cinnamon and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a medium bowl until combined.

Work quickly and keep the dough as chilled as possible to make rolling more manageable. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper and roll to a ¼-inch-thick rectangle, about 16 inches by 12 inches. Cover with plastic and chill until the dough is firm, 30-60 minutes.

Spread the butter mixture over two-thirds of the dough. Fold the plain side over the middle, then fold the opposite third over (like folding an envelope). Roll to a 12-inch-by-8-inch rectangle about ½-inch thick. Slice lengthwise into eight 1-inch-thick strips.

Working one at a time, lay each strip on a clean work surface with the long side facing you. Using your palms, gently twist each end in opposite directions until the entire strip is spiraled. Hold one end of the strip between your thumb and index finger. Working away from you, tightly wrap the strip around three fingers. Wrap it around your fingers again, placing the second loop closer to the palm of your hand. As you bring the strip across the back of your hand, cross over the first loop, angling toward the end of your index finger. Cross the dough over the front of your hand and tuck the end into the center while removing your fingers and pushing through to the other side to create a knot. 

If all of that seems a bit much, Epicurious has kindly offered up step shots. Whatever shape you make, just be sure the knots are tight.

Divide the twists between two rimmed baking sheets, spacing them evenly apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let them sit at room temperature until they’ve doubled in size, 45-60 minutes.

Place the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

Preheat to 325°F. 

Bake the coffee buns, rotating pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until they’re deeply golden brown, 25-30 minutes.

Bring the remaining 1 cup brown sugar and ½ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Generously brush the syrup over the hot buns. FYI: The glaze recipe makes enough for two or three rounds of brushing. Beware — brushing this many times will make for a sweet and sticky bun. Which, don't get me wrong, is delicious. But if you want less sweet, cut the recipe in half and brush the buns once. 

Syrupy sweetness! Don’t be shy with that glaze.

This take on Turkish coffee buns is one you won’t soon forget.

Note: If you want to make regular cinnamon buns with this recipe, consider the following swaps: 

• Activate the yeast in whole milk instead of coffee.

• Use 1 tablespoon of Chinese five-spice powder and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon (skipping the instant coffee or espresso powder).

Dig in!

The Mind-Bogglingly Gorgeous Nasrid Palaces at the Alhambra

No trip to Granada is complete without a tour of the Palacio de los Leones and the Palacio de Carlos V. Learn the colorful history, which includes an explosion and a dinner party massacre.

The Patio de los Leones, with its namesake fountain

The impressive Alhambra complex in the charming town of Granada, Spain is a collection of palaces built at various times during its history. At the heart of the Nasrid Palaces complex is the Palacio de los Leones (Palace of the Lions). It’s likely that the structure was originally independent of the others, with the existing passage between the Comares Palace and the Palace of the Lions added sometime after the Muslim-ruled town of Granada fell to the Christians in 1492. 

This was our favorite part of the entire Alhambra complex.

Built at the peak of the Nasrid dynasty, the palace and cloister-like courtyard known as the Patio de los Leones (yes, you guessed it: the Patio of the Lions) was commissioned by Muhammad V during the second half of the 14th century, as a pleasure palace for the emir and his harem. 

What Islamic art lacks in depictions of living creatures, it more than makes up for in beautiful patterns.

“It was like something out of “Game of Thrones.”

The sultan invited the chief noblemen of the Abencerraje family to a banquet — and set about unceremoniously massacring all 36 of them.”

Delicate pillars frame restoration work.

The two main structures we’re covering in this post are:

• Palacio de los Leones

• Palacio de Carlos V 

The wall carvings in this section of the Nasrid Palaces are truly spectacular. Can you spot the bird on its peculiar perch?

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MORE ALHAMBRA POSTS

Explore the Generalife Gardens

Enter the Alcazaba fortress

Start your Nasrid Palaces adventure with the Mexuar and Comares Palace

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Everywhere you look, your vision is filled with stunning architecture and delicate carvings.

At the time of our visit, the palace’s impressive namesake fountain, a polygonal basin supported on the haunches of 12 rather primitive-looking white marble lions, was undergoing restoration. As we passed by the fountain under repair, we were told no photos were allowed. Incidentally, this didn’t prevent Wally from discreetly holding out his camera and snapping an image of the fountain as we passed by. 

Wally snuck a shot of the lion fountain while it was under repair.

The fountain is unusual, as representations of living creatures do not typically appear in Islamic art. 

The patio is divided into four quadrants, with running water channels symbolizing the four rivers that run through the Islamic idea of paradise: wine, water, milk and honey.

Windows look out upon the greenery, which was watered via ancient aqueducts.

Four Rooms 

Slender columns with cubic capitals support the intricately carved arcades of stalactite-like muqarna arches surrounding the perimeter gallery. Its massive chambers open onto the courtyard with the Sala de los Abencerrajes to the south and the Sala de las Dos Hermanas to the north. The other two are the Sala de los Mocárabes, closest to the entrance, and the Sala de Los Reyes, to the west, which was closed during our visit. 

The domed ceiling of the Hall of the Two Sisters reminded us of a honeycomb.

Sala de las Dos Hermanas, the Hall of the Two Sisters

The room takes its name from a pair of large white marble slabs set into the floor. Why these slabs were thought to be female relations is anybody’s guess. But the most outstanding feature of the room isn’t its floors — it’s the ceiling. Framed by a symmetrical eight-pointed star illuminated by light that filters through 16 latticed mashrabiya windows, the beautiful honeycombed ceiling of this two-storied hall is nothing short of breathtaking.

The conquering Catholic Monarchs never completed their plasterwork ceiling. It junked up the room, if you ask us.

Sala de Los Mocárabes, the Stalactite Hall of Muqarnas 

This room most likely served as a reception hall due to its proximity to the palace entrance. It took its name from a vault of stepped plaster brackets resembling stalactites known as mocárabes, or muqarnas in Arabic, that once covered it. It’s believed that these ornamental vaults were a symbolic representation of the cave where the Angel Gabriel revealed the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammed. Sadly, these mocárabes were removed due to the explosion of a powder magazine in 1590.

An incomplete plaster ceiling featuring the imperial shield of Felipe II and the initials of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile were added to replace the mocárabes in 1614. 

The Slaying of the Abencerrajes by Marià Fortuny, 1870

Sala de los Abencerrajes, Site of a Massacre

This beautiful chamber is steeped in lore and is the site of one of the Alhambra’s most popular legends — like something out of Game of Thrones.

According to one version of the tale, Sa’d, the 20th sultan of the Nasrid dynasty, and his brother Muhammad XIII, were worried about the growing political power of a prominent noble family, whose surname was Abencerraje. The sultan was told that the Abencerrajes were plotting against him. He invited the chief noblemen of the Abencerraje family to a banquet — and set about unceremoniously massacring them. The legend continues, suggesting that the reddish-brown stains on the marble fountain in the center of the hall are traces of blood from the 36 slain Abencerrajes. 

With cherubs adorning its exterior, the Palace of Charles V feels very different than the rest of the Alhambra. In fact, it pales in comparison to the ornate opulence of the Palace of the Lions.

Palacio de Carlos V, the Palace of Charles V

Also located within the complex, the extravagant Renaissance-style Palace of Charles V is a striking contrast to the Moorish architecture of the Alhambra. During the occupation of the Christian monarchy, Charles V (1500-1558) visited the Alhambra and decided to build a grand palace there as a wedding gift to his wife, Isabella.

Portrait of Charles V on Horseback by Anthony van Dyck, 1620

The palace was designed in 1528 by Pedro Machuca, though construction didn’t begin until 1553. Unfortunately, the project was abandoned in 1568 before it was completed, owing to the rebellion of the Moors in Granada, and remained unfinished until Leopoldo Torres Balbás devised a plan to restore the building in 1923. 

The two-story colonnade that encircles the palace

Its façade is embellished with bronze rings held in the mouths of lion heads, except for the corners, which are held by eagles. Inside is a circular peristyle courtyard. It felt like the interior of the Colosseum, with visitors strangely exposed from every angle.

The open-aired circular court of Charles V’s palace at the Alhambra, which felt like an arena to us

By this time, Wally and I were both experiencing sensory overload. We returned our headsets to our guide and exited through the Puerta de la Justicia (Gate of Justice). 

Touring the Alhambra had been a dream of Wally’s ever since he saw a report on it while studying abroad. He was stuck spending the winter in Germany studying Bauhaus architecture, which he found boring.

Getting There

Wally and I walked from our accommodations at Casa Horno del Oro in the Albaicín neighborhood until we reached the Plaza Nueva, Granada’s oldest square. From there you’ll follow Cuesta de Gomérez, the pedestrian street leading to the Alhambra. When you reach the Puerta de las Granadas (Gate of the Pomegranates), continue uphill until you reach the entrance pavilion. It’s a steep walk, but you can make it there in about 15-20 minutes.

A guided tour of the Alhambra cost about 46€ at the time we visited. –Duke

Exit through the gift shop.

 

Gain an Audience at the Nasrid Palaces of the Alhambra

Start your exploration of the Nasrid Palaces with the Mexuar, Patio del Cuarto Dorado, Comares Palace and Salón de Los Embajadores. 

The Islamic Nasrid Palaces are the most spectacular part of the Alhambra complex.

While we were in Spain, we found that most places, from neighborhood restaurants to international chains, didn’t follow any set schedule. They seemed to open and close on a whim. Los Palacios Nazaríes, or the Nasrid Palaces, are one of the only things in Spain that stick to a set schedule, so having a guide ensured that Wally and I didn’t miss our time of entry — if you do, you won’t be permitted to enter. 

And the Nasrid Palaces aren’t something you want to miss. The ornate interiors indicate that the structures were used as the private quarters of the sultan, his wives, his imperial harem and the rest of his family — unlike the Alcazaba, which served as a military fortress. 

A Court in the Alhambra in the Time of the Moors by Edwin Lord Weeks, 1876

The two main structures we’re covering in this post are:

• Mexuar

• Comares Palace

Altogether, there were 22 successive sultans between 1238-1492 BCE — that’s an average of roughly 10 years per sultan over a period of 254 years! 

“The walls are covered with brilliantly colored tilework, above which bands of sinuous kufic script are interwoven with floral ornament.”

There are courtyards, a magnificent throne room, private quarters and restful gardens within. And although no furniture remains in any of the rooms, it’s the ornate designs and geometric patterns covering the walls and ceilings that are the true stars of the show.

Wally likes to spend his birthdays touring memorable locales — and the Alhambra was something he had dreamed of for years.

Mexuar Audience Hall

Our tour of the palace complex began with the Mexuar. This earliest surviving structure of the Alhambra is believed to have been commissioned by Ismail I (who ruled from 1314-1325). It was modified and enlarged by Yusef I (1333-1354), and later altered and completed by his son Muhammad V (1362-1391). The Mexuar served as a council chamber and reception hall to receive and conduct business with the general public. 

The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V put his stamp on the Mexuar tilework, incorporating some of his heraldic iconography, including a two-headed eagle.

Be sure to look up at the decorative coffered cedarwood ceilings, referred to as artesonado in Spanish. Then look down a bit: The lower walls are completely covered with glazed ceramic mosaic tile panels arranged in a complex geometric pattern resembling interlocking stars in vivid shades of green, blue and yellow. A few bear evidence of the Catholic conquest, which ended Islamic rule in the region: Charles V’s heraldic emblem featuring a pair of pillars with a red ribbon draped between them as well as a double-headed eagle. A band of calligraphic ornamentation carved into the stucco panels encircling the room give the hall a formal air suitable for receiving dignitaries, with the declaration “There is no conqueror but Allah,” repeated multiple times in Islamic calligraphy.

The gloriously gilded ceiling of the Cuarto Dorado

Patio del Cuarto Dorado, the Patio of the Golden Room

From the Mexuar, our group entered the adjoining enclosed courtyard known as the Patio del Cuarto Dorado (Patio of the Golden, or Gilded, Room). The lotus-shaped marble fountain in the center of the patio was fabricated in 1943 and is a replica of the original, which is now located in Daraxa’s Garden, adjacent to the Palace of the Lions. 

Islamic tradition stated that depictions of people are blasphemous, so the builders of the Alhambra created complex geometric patterns and scrollwork.

The chamber beyond is referred to as the Cuarto Dorado. It functioned as an anteroom between the Alhambra’s public and private spaces and takes its name from the gilt-wood ceiling that was added after the Christian conquest. 

Looking out at the Patio de Arrayanes

Palacio de Comares and the Patio de Arrayanes: the Alhambra’s Money Shot

Immediately ahead is the Palacio de Comares (named for a nearby town that crafted the crystals used to make stained glass), the money shot of nearly every guidebook, as it’s here where the oft-photographed Patio de Arrayanes (Court of Myrtles) and its narrow glassy pool of water is located. This tranquil enclosed space was commissioned during the reign of Yusuf I and was named for the verdant clipped hedges that border the central pool. 

The two-story southern façade is the most highly embellished in the Alhambra and was renovated in 1369 by Muhammad V to celebrate his victory at Algeciras near Gibraltar in 1869. Behind its succession of arches is a geometrically patterned mosaic tiled wall and interwoven, lacy, carved stucco plasterwork, further embellished by the arabesque tree of life motif. A set of small windows with delicate fretwork mashrabiya screens for discreet viewing look down from the second floor into the courtyard. 

Pretty much every square inch of the Nasrid Palaces’ walls are covered with beautiful, ornate carvings.

The north façade has a similar design to the south, yet is a single level and serves as the entry point for the Torre de Comares. This structure rises majestically above the palace arcade and is the tallest external tower of the Alhambra, with a height of 147 feet.

The Hall of the Ambassadors is where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella met with Christopher Columbus to grant him permission to seek a new route to India (and we know how that turned out).

Salón de los Embajadores, the Hall of the Ambassadors

Inside the Torre de Comares is the grand reception hall known today as the Salón de los Embajadores, the Hall of the Ambassadors. Its vaulted wood ceiling is ornamented with a profusion of blue, white and gold inlay work in the shape of circles, crowns and stars, representative of the seven heavens of Islamic belief. The lower walls of the hall are covered with brilliantly colored tilework, above which horizontal bands of sinuous, vine-like kufic script are interwoven with floral ornament. One bears the inscription “Speak few words and you will leave in peace,” perhaps instructions for those requesting the audience of the sultan. I’m sure the sultan was busy, but that’s essentially like putting up a sign that says, “Keep it brief.”

The ceiling of the Hall of the Ambassadors resembles a starry sky.

The hall contains a total of nine alcoves, three per side, with windows known as cumarias, Spanish for stained glass, and incidentally where the palace gets its name from. Sadly, the windows are no longer there. A central niche opposite the entrance at the back of the hall was originally occupied by the sultan’s throne and contains the inscription “My lord, the victorious Yusuf, has decorated me with robes of glory and has made me the throne of his rule.”

You would cry, too, if it happened to you: King Boabdil Bids Farewell to Granada by Alfred Dehodencq, 1882

Legend has it that Muhammad XII, known as Boabdil, the 22nd and final sultan of the Nasrid dynasty, met with his council in the Salón de los Embajadores on November 25, 1491 and signed the Treaty of Granada, capitulating the last Muslim territory in the region to Christendom. As Boabdil left the city with his entourage, he looked back from the mountain pass at the beauty of what he had lost, and wept. –Duke

If you’re in the South of Spain, you can’t leave without a visit to the amazing Alhambra.

 

The Alcazaba, the Fierce Fortress of the Alhambra

Tour the towers of the defensive outpost perched above the charming city of Granada in the South of Spain.

Start your tour of the Alhambra with the Generalife gardens and the Alcazaba fortress.

With the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada as a backdrop, it’s easy to see why the monumental fortress palace of the Alhambra is one of the most visited monuments in Spain, second only to the Sagrada Família in Barcelona. 

The complex of buildings was fittingly recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, and served as residence to the Islamic sultanates of the Iberian Peninsula. Muslims ruled the region from the 11th to 15th century, until conquered by the Catholic monarchy in 1492. The Alhambra’s name comes from the Arabic al-Qal’at al-Hamra, or Red Fortress, owing to the reddish color of the clay-rich soil of the al-Sabika Hill ridge, where it rises from the terrain. That same ochre soil was used in the rammed, or compressed, earth brick walls of this impressive complex. 

“ A fortress doesn’t do any good if you simply open its doors to invaders.

But that’s exactly what King Boabdil did, after his fellow Muslims had ruled the region for nearly 700 years. ”

Touring the Alcazaba and the rest of the Alhambra made for a birthday Wally will never forget!

After literally taking time to stop and smell the roses in the gardens of the Generalife, we made our way to the Alcazaba, the fortress that once guarded the palace. We had booked our tickets for a guided tour (about 46€) months before, and a small group of ill-mannered and boisterous British tourists were part of our entourage. One of them was a doddering old man named Leslie, who frequently strayed from the group, and whose companions could be heard incessantly shouting, “Leslie! Leslie, come here!” to reel him back in. 

This is Leslie, wandering off again. “Leslie! Get back here!”

Plaza de los Aljibes, the Square of the Cisterns

Our group arrived at the Plaza de los Aljibes, the Square of the Cisterns, built after the Christian victory. The broad open space got its name from the underground cisterns built to collect rainwater below the square because the new occupants didn’t understand the complexities of the water channels the Arab engineers had created, leaving the aqueducts to fall into disrepair. Off to one side of the square lie the Nasrid Palaces, to the other, the Alcazaba.

The entrance to the Alcazaba, built by Muhammad I, the first sultan of the Nasrid dynasty

The Alcazaba Fortress

The austere military enclosure of the Alcazaba fortress is strategically positioned at the summit of the westernmost end of the monumental site, overlooking the city of Granada. Its construction is attributed to Muhammad I (who reigned from 1238-1273), the founder of the Nasrid dynasty. A stark contrast to the opulent and residential Nasrid Palaces, its primary function was to shield its inhabitants from external attacks. 

The separations in the defensive wall allowed archers to fire at invaders.

Of the whole set of structures within the Alhambra, the Alcazaba is the oldest. The north-facing walls were built atop the remains of a 9th century castle constructed for the Zirid dynasty, who were Berbers from Algeria, and incorporated into the foundation walls. Here, Muhammad I strengthened the enclosure walls and constructed three of its 30 imposing towers. Our group entered the fortress from the plaza through a doorway cut into the high east-facing wall. 

Torre del Homenaje, the Tribute Tower

Located at the northeast corner of the perimeter wall is the keep, known as the Torre del Homenaje, which could be translated as the Tribute Tower or the Tower of Homage. It’s one of the highest of the Alhambra and was strategically the most important, as it served both defensive and offensive purposes. The upright crenellated “teeth,” aka the battlements along the top of the tower, protected sentries from attacks and allowed them to fire arrows at intruders. Throughout its history, the tower served many functions, including as royal residence to Muhammad I and as a prison during the Christian occupation. 

The towers of the Alcazaba, the Torre de la Vela in particular, provide great views of the white city of Granada below.

Torre de la Vela, the Watchtower

The Torre de la Vela, the Watchtower, defiantly perches on the far west end of the hill, where the previously mentioned modest Zirid castle once stood. It served as a watchtower, and the interior consists of four floors plus the terrace and a subterranean dungeon—a kind of command center in the middle of the fortress. 

Wally and I climbed the narrow staircase to the top to take in the panoramic bird’s-eye view of the rolling Andalusian hills and Albaicín, Granada’s Moorish neighborhood. The terrace is crowned by a bell tower, added by the Christian kings in the 18th century, which was used to signal significant news to the general populace. 

There are many thoughts on the origin of its name. The literal translation of the word vela is “candle,” but one theory posits that the bell was brought from Castil de Vela, a municipality located in the province of Palencia. Then again, it could be connected to the verb desvelar, which means to keep awake, possibly referring to the sounding bell and its ability to awaken anyone below from slumber. In any event, the bell is rung every January 2 to celebrate the taking of Granada from the Muslim sultans.

The Alcazaba at the Alhambra is cool to tour — but just wait till you see the ornate Nasrid Palaces!

Torre Quebrada, the Broken Tower

This imposing monolithic tower stands within the shadow of the Torre de la Vela. I couldn’t find any specifics as to how it acquired its name, but one could presume that it suffered from seismic activity, or Napoleon's army, which decided to inflict damage by blowing up a few of the towers when they withdrew from the palace, petty and bitter at having lost the Peninsular War, which took place from 1808-1814. 

Visitors had to leave their weapons at the Puerta de las Armas.

Puerta de las Armas, the Gate of Arms

Originally, the Bab al-Silas, or Puerta de las Armas, the Gate of Arms, functioned as the populace’s primary entrance. The doorway probably got its name from its associated use: Visitors were stopped and required to leave their weapons behind before gaining access. 

Part of the Plaza de las Armas contains the ruins of the Barrio Castrense, the foundations of the residential dwellings for the royal guard and soldiers needed for the defense of the sultan. 

The foundations of the military quarters can still be seen in the Plaza de la Armas.

The Surrender of Granada by Francisco Pradilla y Ortiz, 1882, shows poor Baobdil turning over the keys to Granada to Ferdinand and Isabella.

Letting the Catholics In

A fortress doesn’t do you any good if you simply open its doors to invaders. But that’s exactly what King Boabdil did, after his fellow Muslims had ruled the region for nearly 700 years. 

On January 2, 1492, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella of Castile ceremoniously entered Granada, curiously in Muslim dress. They set up court in the Alhambra declaring it a Casa Real, or royal residence. One of their first orders of business? Declaring that all Jews and Muslims had to convert to Catholicism or leave the country. –Duke

 

Generalife: The Gorgeous Alhambra Gardens

The lush 13th-century garden complex offers a calm oasis overlooking Granada.

The Generalife gardens were created as a peaceful refuge for the Nasrid sultans

The Alhambra is one of those once-in-a-lifetime trips. When Wally and I learned that we could easily take a train from Sevilla to Granada, home to the historic medieval Moorish fortress of the Alhambra, we didn’t hesitate to add it to our itinerary. 

Duke and Wally love a good garden

Wally and I purchased our skip-the-line tickets for a small-group guided tour months in advance for around 46€. We recommend going this route, but if you decide you don’t want a guide, general admission costs 14€. Wanting to beat the crowds as well as the midday heat, we opted for the earliest time slot, arriving around 9 a.m., shortly after the Alhambra opens.

Be sure to bring your passport as you’ll need to present it at the entrance pavilion. If you’re thinking of trying to purchase tickets the day of, it’s not worth the risk: The number of daily admissions is limited, and sold in three-hour time slots on a first-come, first-served basis, a policy enforced to help preserve the monument. 

“Courtyard terraces exude tranquility, where fragrant flowering jasmine, roses, orange trees and myrtles scent the air.

Towering cypress trees form a dense evergreen screen, lining both sides of the garden path.”

Our tour of the Alhambra complex began with an exploration of the 13th-century gardens of the Generalife. 

A historic illustration of the garden complex

Paradise on Earth

Part of the Alhambra complex, the Generalife (pronounced Hay-nay-ral-lee-fay) served as a respite from palace life for the Nasrid sultans, the last of the Muslim dynasty that ruled Granada until 1492. It’s also a beautiful oasis for modern-day visitors. The name derives from the Arabic Jannat al-Arif, which typically gets translated to Garden of the Architect, though my research suggests Garden of Knowledge might be more accurate. 

The Generalife gardens are terraced, situated on a hill above the city of Granada

Muhammad II, the second sultan of the Nasrid dynasty (who reigned from 1273-1302), commissioned the original estate as a summer palace. His successor, Muhammad III (1302-1309), enlarged and refined the gardens. 

The Generalife is set on a slope of the Cerro del Sol hillside, adjacent to but higher in elevation than the al-Sabika Hill, where the Alhambra stands. Its series of gardens were based on the Zoroastrian division of the universe into four parts, rooted in the sacred elements of earth, air, fire and water. 

Both the upper and lower gardens have been modified over the years. The present plantings were added by the architect Leopoldo Torres Balbás in 1931 and completed by Francisco Prieto-Moreno in 1951. 

Narrow reflecting pools can be found throughout the complex

Water Wonders

The soothing sound of gently gurgling water is ever present at the Generalife — its engineers developed a sophisticated irrigation and hydraulic system by building a dam and aqueduct that diverts water from the River Darro to what would otherwise be a barren hillside. 

The highlight of the Generalife is the Court of the Long Pond

This channel or canal, the Acequia Real (Royal Aqueduct), distributed water to the gardens, fountains and baths of the Generalife and the Alhambra, solidifying its identity as a palace city. Water holds many meanings in the Islamic world and was essential in maintaining agriculture and providing drinking water, and was respected as a divine gift. 

Arches of roses create picturesque frames of the city of Granada

A Relaxing Respite

Courtyard terraces exude tranquility, where fragrant flowering jasmine, roses, orange trees and myrtles scent the air. Towering cypress trees form a dense evergreen screen, lining both sides of the garden path, which are embellished with smooth pebble mosaic patterns: white stones from the Darro and black ones from the Genil River. 

The amazingly intricate stonework is just a taste of what’s to come in the rest of the Alhambra complex

Try not to get lost in the hedge maze!

Wally and I climbed a flight of steps and ascended from the lower garden terrace to the semi-enclosed Patio de la Acequia, also known as the Court of the Long Pond. Jets of water, installed in the 19th century, arch over the center of the rectangular pool. The courtyard was originally divided into four quarters like the Court of the Lions inside the Alhambra. A pair of porticoed pavilions with overlapping glazed roof tiles stand at the north and south ends. The narrow open arcade along the south side was added in 1670 after the Reconquista, when Christians defeated the Islamic rulers of the Iberian Peninsula. 

The pleasant gurgling of fountains floats through the air

A pleasure for the senses, the Generalife is a great way to start or end your exploration of the Alhambra, pause for a while and take in the atmosphere. We lingered in the gardens for about 45 minutes before marveling at the wonders of the nearby palaces. –Duke

 

The Real Monsters of Harry Potter Wizards Unite

What magical creatures come from folklore — and did the augmented reality game get the details right? A glossary of famous monsters, including gnomes, hippogriffs, leprechauns, mandrakes, phoenixes and trolls.

Many of the creatures from the mobile game Harry Potter: Wizards Unite have their roots in actual folklore.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite features some monsters we know well — vampires, werewolves, unicorns and the like — but there are some odd ones you’ll encounter as well. Some of these creatures spring entirely from the impressive imagination of J.K. Rowling, such as those naughty Nifflers and dreadful Dementors. 

But many of the monsters that appear in the addictive AR game have their origins in folklore and mythology from around the world. 

“Some kappa are pranksters, making fart noises and peeking under kimonos.

But others are dangerous, drowning livestock, eating children and raping women.”

The Abraxan winged horse from the Harry Potter universe is based on one of the flying steeds that pulled the Greek sun god Helios’ chariot across the sky.

Abraxan

I’m not sure who would want to drink a potion with horse hair in it, even if it does make you stronger in battle. But Abraxan hair is one of the ingredients in the Strong Exstimulo Potion in the Wizards Unite game.

A little digging reveals where Rowling got the inspiration for these winged steeds: Abraxas was one of four immortal horses that pulled the sun god Helios’ chariot across the sky each day in Greek myth.

A depiction of a boggart from The Spiderwick Chronicles. They can change their shapes at will.

Boggart

Many of the Foundables in the game must face their worst fears when a shapeshifting boggart emerges from its cabinet. Clever Ron is terrified of spiders (like me), but once he casts Riddikulus, roller skates suddenly appear on all eight legs of the arachnid-shaped boggart, causing the creature to slip and bumble in all directions and making it more comical than creepy.

“The world is full of fairies, and if anyone tells you it isn’t, don’t you believe them.” So begins this helpful tome, published in 1956.

Boggarts love to cause mischief, like taking a baby out of its crib.

In English folklore, boggarts are mischief-makers, pulling the covers off you when you sleep, moving furniture, turning milk sour or even taking a baby out of its crib and placing it on the floor. They typically don’t hurt humans, though the threat of throwing a child down a boggart-hole often worked wonders in getting them to behave. Because boggarts are described in such differing ways — human-sized, able to fit in your palm, resembling an animal, invisible — these monsters are believed to be shapeshifters.

The creepy Erkling from Wizards Unite looks like a demented cousin of Jack Frost.

Erkling

In the game, these hideous creatures, with their skeletal frame, large red eyes and nose like a misshapen carrot, attack you with blowdarts. 

Saying that you won’t dance with a erlking or join it in fairyland could be the last thing you ever do.

Erlkings are often shown as crowned, flying spirits following those on horseback.

Rowling transposed two letters, drawing inspiration from the erlking, a woodland spirit of Scandanavian and Germanic origin. Based on their depictions in illustrations and paintings, they appear as humans, wrapped in flowing robes and flying, ghostlike, above those on horseback. Sometimes an erlking wears a crown, in reference to the origin of the word, which means “elf king.” While similar creatures are mere tricksters, erlkings are willing to kill humans for doing something like refusing to dance with them or venture into fairyland. Others are said to prey on children. But it could also be that erlkings are merely omens of death, appearing to those doomed to soon die.

This cheeky Gnome Confoundable is waving a fart at us!

Gnome

Forget those statues in your garden of a small humanlike creature with a white beard and rosy cheeks, dressed in a blue tunic and pointy red cap. The gnomes of Wizards Unite have mottled green skin and horns atop their heads. They flounder around in a comical manner, and I can’t help but laugh no matter how many times I see that one gnome wafting its stinky fart in my direction to keep me from the Beater’s bat.

Wally stole — er, permanently borrowed — this book from his neighbors, knowing he’d appreciate it much more than they would.

Gnomes are diminutive creatures of the earth and mountains from European folklore. These shy supernatural folk avoid humans but befriend birds, rabbits, foxes, hedgehogs and squirrels (though they have a particular dislike of cats). They can move through stone as easily as we do through air. Some tales say they turn to stone in the sun, which could explain why it’s only during the nighttime that they sneak out to help with gardening. 

Hippogriffs, part eagle, part horse, can be dangerous!

Hippogriff

Many of us are familiar with Buckbuck, whom Harry and his friends save from execution and is one of the Foundables from the Forbidden Forest in the Wizards Unite game. 

In this 1824 painting by Louis-Édouard Rioult, a knight named Roger, riding his hippogriff mount, saves a woman, Angelica, from a sea monster.

A hippogriff is the offspring of a mare and a griffin, itself a magical creature. Because griffins typically hunt horses, hippogriffs are extremely rare and became symbols of something deemed impossible. When the two creatures do mate, the result is a mishmash, with the forefront of an eagle and the hind quarters of a horse. 

When Mare and Griffin meet and mate
Their offspring share a curious fate.
One half is Horse with hooves and tail,
The rest is Eagle, claws and nail.

As a Horse it likes to graze
In summer meadows doused in haze,
Yet as an Eagle it can fly
Above the clouds where dreams drift by.

With such a Beast I am enthralled,
The Hippogriff this beast is called.

–“The Hippogriff” by Arnold Sundgaard

They’re able to be tamed and make swift steeds, as many a knight and wizard has learned.

The Horned Serpent you must battle in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite

Horned Serpent

One of the Oddities that’s a bit more difficult to defeat, this monster is exactly what its name describes: a giant snake with — you guessed it! — horns. It’s also one of the four houses at Ilvermorny, the unfortunately named U.S. equivalent of Hogwarts. Horned Serpent students are smarties, most likely making them the equivalent of Ravenclaws.

Many Native American tribes had a version of the horned serpent in their folk tales.

These supernatural spirits were primarily water based and could perform powerful magic.

While these mythic creatures from Native American folklore sometimes travel on ground, they’re most often found in rivers and lakes. It seems that each indiginous tribe has its own version of the horned serpent, but they’re almost always powerful supernatural spirits, with powers ranging from shapeshifting and invisibility to hypnosis and healing. Many are also said to control the weather, causing rain, earthquakes and floods.

Watch out for kappa! They’re known to not only peek up kimonos but rape women as well.

Kappa

The kappa shows up in the Circus Calamitous special event in the game, with a head that seems to hold water like a bowl, barnacles stuck to its skin and a Fu Manchu mustache.

The creature derives from Japanese mythology, described as an amphibian humanoid with webbed feet and hands, a beak and a turtle shell upon its back, dwelling in rivers and ponds. 

Some kappa are mere pranksters, making fart noises and peeking under kimonos. But others are dangerous, drowning livestock, eating children (though they’re also fond of cucumbers) and raping women.

The turtle-like kappas’ weakness is the dents on top of their heads, which must always be filled with water.

They do indeed have a small bowl-like dent in their heads called a sara, the source of their magical powers, which must always be filled with water. If they’re on land and you refill its sara, a kappa will be indebted to you for life. 

James Browne’s leprechaun is a cobbler and has a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

Leprechaun

These little buggers throw clods of dirt at you in Wizards Unite, making it oh-so-satisfying when you cast a spell that sends one flying into the air. 

Leprechauns often have treasure — but they’ll do their best to trick you out of getting it.

The Harry Potter game loves its diminutive tricksters, so it’s no surprise leprechauns are featured. These creatures from Irish folklore are quite well known to Americans, thanks to St. Patrick’s Day — though the children’s cereal Lucky Charms has a part to play as well. You can easily picture a leprechaun: a small humanoid with a red beard and a green outfit, from its top hat to its buckled shoes. It wasn’t until the 20th century, though, that the color scheme turned to green — originally, leprechauns dressed in red.

This leprechaun on a vintage St. Patrick’s Day card is probably drunk.

These creatures haunt wine cellars and, playing to a stereotype about the Irish, are famous drunks. In many cases, they’re shoemakers, and you’ll find their pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. If you capture one, you can usually get him to hand over his treasure. Some tales say that those who catch a leprechaun will be granted three wishes. But beware: These naughty fairies will do everything they can to trick you out of your reward. 

A baby mandrake root as seen in the Hogwarts greenhouses.

Mandrake

Who can forget the scene where Harry and his Hogwarts classmates must pull screaming baby mandrakes out of a pot, being sure to wear earmuffs as protection from their horrific wails? 

Mandrakes were popular inclusions in medieval manuscripts.

It’s handy to have a dog you don’t like around when harvesting a mandrake.

These unusual plants actually exist — though it’s highly doubtful that they spring from the fat, blood and semen of a hanged man. Mandrakes are a member of the nightshade family and have hallucinogenic properties. Their roots often form humanlike shapes, leading to the belief that they held various powers over the body.

Dioscurides, a first century Greek physician, states that mandrake boiled in wine was used as an anesthetic in Ancient Rome. Too much, though, could be fatal. And the barren Rachel of Genesis seems to have finally gotten pregnant thanks to the magical properties of the mandrake.

This powerful plant could bring good fortune, riches or power. Slip one shaped like a baby under your pillow and you might conceive a child. Put one that resembles a woman into your pocket, and that gal you’ve got your eye on is sure to fall for you.

The humanlike mandrake root was said to emit a fatal screech when pulled out of the ground.

These ladies are using string to yank out mandrakes — I sure hope they have their ears plugged with wax!

Because the plant emits a fatal shriek when uprooted, harvesting it was a dangerous activity. The only way to safely go about this is to plug your ears with wax and tie one end of a rope around the mandrake and the other to a dog. Throw a treat, which the dog will chase after — yanking the mandrake root out of the ground. Of course, the mandrake will emit its lethal scream, killing the poor doggie instantly (though I’m not sure why you can’t try plugging the pooch’s ears with wax as well).

The adorable mooncalf from Wizards Unite

Mooncalf

No matter how many times I see that poor little guy, with its huge blue eyes, chained up in the game, my heart breaks a little. Sure he’s a misshapen beast with webbed feet, but he’s downright adorable in his way.

The moon could botch a pregnancy, resulting in a horrifically deformed creature called a mooncalf.

Mooncalves in folklore aren’t always bovine: Perhaps the first reference dates back to Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, where the deformed creature Caliban is said to be the offspring of a witch and a devil.

Poor Caliban, a mooncalf created by Shakespeare

Caliban and a couple of other characters from The Tempest

The beasts get their name from the belief that the moon can exert a sinister influence over a pregnancy, resulting in a child that’s monstrously deformed, pale and mentally deficient. 

A Mountain Troll Confoundable isn’t too fond of the Flesh-Eating Slugs (but really, who would be)?

Mountain Troll

In the mobile game, these dimwitted, lumbering giants guard numerous Foundables, including the Mirror of Erised, which reveals that their heart’s desire is…a female of the species. Trolls — they just want to be loved, too. 

Trolls from a 1915 illustration by the Swedish artist John Bauer

Trolls originated in Norway, where they’re a proud part of the national heritage — despite being hideous and cruel monsters (though the females are often said to be quite comely). Wizards Unite and the world of Harry Potter got one thing right about them: They’re great of strength and weak of brain. The good news is that because trolls are so stupid, if you’re caught by one, you just might be able to trick your way out of danger. If you’re not clever enough, though, you could get smashed by a tree used as a club or crushed by a stone hurled by a troll. Or, you might be the troll’s next meal. 

Duke and Wally got attacked by the trolls at the Morton Arboretum outside of Chicago, part of a fun exhibit by Thomas Dambo.

Their skin is gray and tough as stone, their hair wild and unkempt. Like the folklore concerning gnomes, trolls will turn to stone if caught in the sun’s rays. Some of the mountain outcroppings in Norway are the remains of unlucky trolls. 

Trolls that get caught out at sunrise turn instantly to stone.

In some tales, trolls have a particular dislike of Christians and never pass up a chance to wreak havoc on a church — perhaps because church bells are said to ward them off. (Incidentally, they also run in terror from thunder.)

The phoenix gets consumed in flames, only to be reborn from the ashes.

Phoenix

Dumbledore’s companion phoenix is named for Guy Fawkes Day, a strange British holiday with pagan origins that involves bonfires and the burning of an effigy.

That’s because the famous headmaster of Hogwarts’ phoenix shares a bizarre trait with the mythological creature: After living for 1,000 or so years, the gorgeous eagle-like bird grows old and frail before finally bursting into flames. But fear not — the phoenix will be reborn from its ashes, and the cycle will continue. That’s why phoenixes are associated with resurrection.

Phoenix tears are believed to have healing powers, and no one can tell a lie when this creature is nearby.

A page from a medieval bestiary shows a phoenix. Christians liked how the fabled bird symbolized resurrection.

The phoenix is said to have come from Paradise. Its fable began in Arabia and became popular in Ancient Greece and Rome. The majestic bird is covered in brilliant feathers of red, purple and gold. Its tears are said to have regenerative powers, and some say no one can tell a lie when the bird is near.

The pain-in-the-ass pixies you’ll find throughout the Wizards Unite game

Pixie

In the game, these little pests are hard to aim at, as they flit about during challenges — but they’re usually pretty easy to defeat once you land a shot.

Pixies, a variety of which is shown here, from The Spiderwick Chronicles, really just wanna have fun.

This source claims that pixies choose to look like hedgehogs, though most say they have wings like a butterfly or dragonfly.

While the pixies of Harry Potter are troublemakers, that’s not how they’re depicted in British folklore. The diminutive fairy-like creatures are giddy merrymakers who will give you a blessing if you recite a poem or present them with a pretty ribbon (they’re not good at making clothes, so they tend to dress in rags). Pixies sometimes have blue- or green-tinted skin, pointed ears, and wings like those of a butterfly or dragonfly.

One of Halbot K. Browne’s illustrations from the 1854 book A Peep at the Pixies by Anna Eliza Bray

Their magic can make a child smile, a maiden dance or a traveler lose their way (indeed, some disoriented voyagers would gripe about being “pixy-led”). Plants near them grow at an accelerated speed.

Whatever you do, don’t make fun of a pukwudgie. They’re not typically malevolent, but they could cause great harm if you don’t treat them with respect.

Pudwudgie

Rowling offers a variant spelling of the Native American creature known as a pukwudgie. These spirits of the forest are gray-skinned, about 3 feet tall and resemble humans, aside for their bulbous noses and enlarged ears. Like many other fey creatures, they’re sometimes mischievous, sometimes malicious — especially to those who don’t treat them with respect. Their magical powers include being able to turn invisible, confuse people, shapeshift into cougars or other dangerous animals and harm a person with a stare. A particularly vile pukwudgie might push you off a cliff, shoot a flaming arrow at you or kidnap your child. 

No one can seem to agree on exactly what a re’em looks like.

Re’em

If you want to brew an Exstimulo potion, you’ll have to scoop up little pools of re’em blood. Who knew this was an actual creature from Jewish folklore?

Like many of these monsters, there’s a debate about what a re’em actually looks like. One thing’s for certain: It’s massive. Some sources interchange it with a unicorn, but many describe it as an ox-like creature. 

One story about Noah’s Ark tells of a unicorn-like re’em being towed behind it because the giant beast wouldn’t fit on the boat.

A Jewish tale says that there are only two re’em at any given time: one male and one female. For 70 years, they exist on opposite sides of the Earth, but then come together to mate — after which the female slays the male with a single bite. When she finally gives birth, her stomach bursts open, killing her instantly. But she always gives birth to twins: one male, one female. They head off in different directions for 70 years, until…well, you know the drill.

Evidence points to the re’em being a giant aurochs, like those painted at the Lascaux caves.

Another story tells of King David, back when he was a shepherd. He climbed upon a re’em, thinking it was a mountain. He told God that he would build Him a temple as high as the re’em itself if he could get down safely. God sent a lion, the king of the beasts, and when the re’em bowed down in submission, David hopped off. 

An alert for Fluffy, the Three-Headed Dog once cared for by Hagrid

Three-Headed Dog

Hagrid never met a monster he didn’t love, and that includes the vicious three-headed hound to whom he gave the ridiculous name of Fluffy. 

Cerberus, the original three-headed dog, shown in this William Blake illustration, guards the gates of Hades in Greek mythology.

The original three-headed hell hound was called Cerberus. It guarded the entrance to Hades, devouring anyone who tried to leave the underworld. The only person to sneak past this monstrous watchdog was Orpheus, who played music so sweet it soothed the savage beast and lulled him to sleep.

Hercules and Cerberus by Peter Paul Rubens, 1636

The Greek hero Herakles, aka Hercules, had to capture Cerberus as the last of his 12 labors. Despite being bitten by the creature’s snakelike tail, Herakles managed to choke Cerberus until he passed out.

The Wizards Unite version of a zouwu

Zouwu

The zouwu appears in the Circus Calamitous event and was so strange, I had to wonder if it sprung from Rowling’s imagination. 

The mythic Chinese zouwu is actually a docile, lucky creature.

But no — it’s a legendary Chinese monster. Despite resembling a fierce big cat (sometimes described as a lion, sometimes a tiger), the zouwu is a gentle, vegetarian beast that’s seen as a good omen. The Harry Potter version has a strange pink tail like a ruffled dress, but in Chinese mythology, it’s only said that the tail is longer than its body. If you ride upon one, you can cover 1,000 miles in a day. 

The AR game is even more fun when you know the origins of the creatures that populate its world.

As you battle or rescue various creatures in the Harry Potter: Wizards Unite game, don’t get too caught up staring at your phone. You’ll want to be prepared if you happen to encounter one of these monsters in real life! –Wally

A Visual Tour of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo

Take a virtual tour to see our favorite statues of famous pharaohs and tomb relics.

If you can’t actually visit the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, do the next best thing: Virtually tour some of the exhibits below

It’s bad enough that I’ve been self-quarantined inside our home for a week and a half now, with no end to this isolation in sight. On top of that, I seem to have contracted the dreaded coronavirus, with lingering symptoms of COVID-19. 

To make matters worse, I’ve had to cancel a mini-sabbatical to Spain, where I had planned to visit my good friends Jo and José in Málaga, fulfilling my dream of experiencing Semana Santa and touring the colorful towns of the South of Spain, with their charming Moorish influence. 

Plus, it’s looking as if Duke and I will also have to forgo our trip to Athens and the Greek Isles this spring as well. 

“Most of us find ourselves looking for ways to live vicariously, to continue to explore the world — even if that means virtually. ”

Like many of you, travel is what we look forward to. In many ways, it’s what makes life worth living. Planning a trip abroad gives Duke and me something to dream about. In a time when the world wasn’t so chaotic, our future travels would be what got us through tough times. Now we have no idea when we’ll be able to take a vacation again. The world is on lock-down, frozen in place. It’s not a comfortable feeling, and the real extent of the crisis might not be apparent for weeks or even months.

With so much time on our hands, most of us find ourselves looking for ways to live vicariously, to continue to explore the world — even if that means virtually. 

Here’s a photographic tour of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, showcasing some of our favorites statues, sarcophagi and other works of art. (To get a feel for the delightfully dilapidated museum, read Duke’s write-up.)

A gray granite statue of Ramesses II as a child protected by the god Horus, depicted as a falcon.

The fragmented sculpture of the goddess Mut and her husband, the chief god Amun, is composed of 79 pieces. The head of the goddess was discovered by French Egyptologist August Mariette in 1873. Other parts were unearthed during additional excavations in the Temple of Amun-Re at Karnak and sent to the museum, where they were reassembled.

The colossal figures of Amenhotep III, who ruled around 1386-1353 BCE, and his wife Tiye survey the great hall of the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. The statue was discovered at Medinet Habu. Tiye, whose arm wraps around her husband's waist, is the same size as the king, demonstrating her equal status as a powerful and influential queen.

This statue, carved in a variety of sandstone known as graywacke, shows the Fourth Dynasty Pharaoh Menkaure wearing the crown of Upper Egypt. The king, who was born in 2532 BCE, is flanked by the goddess Hathor (left), crowned with a solar disc between cows horns, and Anput (right), the personification of the 17th nome, or district, of Upper Egypt. Note the jackal above her, referring to her husband, the god Anubis.

A realistic-looking sycamore wood figure with white quartz and resin eyes from the Fifth Dynasty, depicting a khry-heb, or lector priest, named Ka-aper. He was responsible for transcribing religious texts and reciting hymns in the temple and at ritual festivals.

Skeleton of a dog. Ancient Egyptians were known to sacrifice and mummify a variety of animals.

An alabaster statue of the high priestess Amenirdis, who held the title of God’s Wife of Amun during the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty. She’s wearing a diadem of cobras and holding a small whip, or flagellum, bent to resemble a lily.

A row of small stone sarcophagi stand in front of a chipped wall typical at the Egyptian Museum

A statue of Meryre and his wife Iniuia. Meryre began his career under the reign of Akhenaten, the so-called Heretic King who ruled from 1353-1336 BCE in the Eighteenth Dynasty, as steward and scribe of the Great Temple of the Aten in Armana, Akhenaten’s capital city, and later as high priest at the temple of Aten at Memphis.

Dwarves commanded respect in Ancient Egypt, thought to possess divine gifts. One of the much-loved gods of the time, Bes (right), was depicted as a dwarf.

A granite sarcophagus lid of a dwarf named Djeho from the Thirtieth Dynasty. Inscriptions on the lid indicate that he was employed to dance at burial ceremonies connected to the sacred Apis bull.

This painted limestone head of Hatshepsut originally belonged to one of Osiride statues resembling the god of the underworld, Osiris, at Deir el-Bahari, the female pharaoh’s mortuary temple.

This granite sphinx was one of several that once stood at Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple. This remarkable woman ruled Egypt, first as co-regent for her nephew/stepson Thutmose III and subsequently as pharaoh.

Another sphinx of Hatshepsut, this one painted limestone. It’s believed to have originally stood at her mortuary temple. Unusual for Ancient Egypt, her face is surrounded by a leonine mane.

A detail of the outermost shrine that enclosed the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun. Composed of gilt plaster over wood with a faience inlay, it bears protective symbols: the djed, or spine of Osiris, and the tjet, or Isis knot.

A diorite statue of the Fourth Dynasty Pharaoh Khefren, who may have ruled around 2558-2532 BCE, seated on a throne, protected by the outstretched wings of a falcon, a symbol of the god Horus. The eagle is on the back, so you unfortunately can’t see it from this angle.

A statue of the lion-headed goddess of war, Sekhmet. Don’t let her calm expression fool you: She could be violent and was given various titles, including Mistress of Dread, Lady of Slaughter and She Who Mauls.

This compact granite block statue depicts Senenmut, the favored official and director of building works under Hatshepsut, who reigned from 1479-1458 BCE, during the Eighteenth Dynasty. Senenmut held many roles, one of which was tutor to Hatshepsut’s daughter, Princess Neferure. The strange style of statuary was common for tutors. The head of the young royal emerges from Senenmut’s cloaked, protective form.

Model soldiers carrying shields and spears from the tomb of a pharaoh. Fun fact: The bravest soldiers were given amulets shaped like flies, to show that they had stung the enemy.

Funerary models carved of wood show scenes from everyday life. Placed in a pharaoh’s tomb, they assured that he would have all he desired, including food and drink, in the afterlife.

A gray granite statue of Tutankhamun depicted as Khonsu, a moon god whose name means Wanderer, son of Amun and Mut. The Boy King wears the sidelock braid of youth and is holding a crook, flail and djed pillar.

A 2nd millennium BCE funerary stele found at Abydos that may or may not depict a ruler named Sobekhotep and his wife.

This red granite statue depicts Ramesses II (left) and the creator god, Ptah (right). Ptah held a close relationship to the primeval god Tatenen, whose name means Risen Earth, referring to the primordial mound that emerged from the watery chaos at the beginning of the world. –Wally

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10 More Museums You Can Virtually Tour

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The Egyptian Museum
Tahrir Square Rd.
Cairo, Egypt

The Charmingly Cluttered Egyptian Museum in Cairo

The decidedly old-school Museum of Egyptian Antiquities houses impressive collections from Ancient Egypt, including the mummies of numerous pharaohs, Amarna Period relics and the treasures of King Tut’s tomb (for now). 

Be sure to explore the peaceful park in front of the salmon-colored museum, which opened in this spot in 1902

There was simply no way I was going to miss the treasures of Tutankhamun, much less the mummies of the pharaohs. So I knew our trip to Cairo wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the landmark Egyptian Museum.

It was a dry, hot morning when Wally and I left the Kempinski Nile Hotel and walked along the Corniche — the grand boulevard that runs parallel to the Nile River. The thoroughfare was not yet car-choked, and we had to walk past armed military police as we approached the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, more commonly known as the Egyptian Museum. 

“The Egyptian Museum felt trapped in time, a bit like the decaying mansion of Miss Havisham, the jilted spinster from Charles Dickens’ novel “Great Expectations.””

The colossi of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye tower above Wally (a queen shown actual size)

The Egyptian Museum’s Rough Start

The museum’s first home was established in 1863 by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette on the banks of the Nile, in Cairo’s Bulaq district. Over time, its extensive collection continued to grow, but in 1878, one of the worst floods in Egypt’s history completely destroyed much of the building, as well as some of Mariette’s drawings and excavation documents. The artifacts were temporarily relocated to the royal palace of Ismail Pasha at Giza after the catastrophe. 

Construction on a new museum began in 1897 at its present location in Tahrir Square, an address that’s now known as the site of protests during the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, part of the Arab Spring. It officially opened its doors to the public on November 15, 1902. 

A pair of larger-than-life figures personifying the goddesses of Upper and Lower Egypt adorn the museum’s façade on either side of the entry arch

The main façade of the salmon-colored Beaux-Arts style structure features a pair of Art Nouveau female figures personifying the goddesses of Upper and Lower Egypt. The museum’s collection consists of approximately 120,000 objects — the largest assemblage of pharaonic antiquities dating from the Old Kingdom (circa 2613-2181 BCE) to the Greco-Roman Period (332 BCE-395 CE). 

We purchased our tickets, which included general admission and the two rooms of royal mummies for 300 Egyptian pounds (just under 20 bucks when we visited), plus an additional ticket for photography for 50 L.E. (about $3). 

Looking down upon the entrance, with its metal detectors

Exploring the Egyptian Museum

We made our way through the courtyard, which contains a reflecting pool with papyrus, additional stone artifacts and a monument dedicated to Mariette. Passing through the museum’s arched entrance, we paused at a security checkpoint, where we showed our tickets and placed our phones in plastic bins before entering. Make sure to look up at the sculpted keystone of the central arch with its Art Nouveau depiction of the goddess Isis, wearing the headdress of Hathor: a solar disc cradled between the horns of a cow. 

Peek behind a wall partition and you’ll see just how disorganized the Egyptian Museum is

Lose Yourself in the Cluttered Collections

The museum has two floors, each of which is arranged in roughly chronological order. Objects are displayed amongst wooden crates and errant forklifts, giving the space a transitory feel. The sprawling second floor halls are filled row upon row of glass cases haphazardly combined with cabinets of curiosities. The Egyptian Museum felt trapped in time, a bit like the decaying mansion of Miss Havisham, the jilted spinster from Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations. 

The section on the Amarna Period, with Akenhaten’s defaced sarcophagus in the foreground

The Good: The Androgynous Amarna Period

One of our favorite parts of the museum was the section on the Amarna Period. At the center of this collection are Akhenaten and his wife Nefertiti. Akhenaten is remembered as the “Heretic King” who abandoned traditional Egyptian polytheism in favor of the monotheistic worship of a single god, the Aten. His reign and art are referred to as Amarna because of the Beni Amran, a Bedouin tribe living in the area when his short-lived capital city was discovered by archaeologists.

The royal family shown worshipping the Aten (aka the sun) and its life-giving rays — check out those thunder thighs!

The Aten was depicted as the disc of the sun, whose rays ended in hands reaching out to touch the royal family. What we like best about the Amarna style is its sculpture, which differs radically from the rest of Ancient Egyptian art, which remained largely static for millennia. Perhaps the androgynous elongation and curved form of the colossal statues of Akhenaten and Nefertiti were meant to illustrate the transformative power of the Aten’s rays?

The unfinished yet still stunning bust of Nefertiti

Don’t miss the unfinished quartzite head of Nefertiti with the sculptor’s ink marks still intact, and take a moment to gaze upon the coffin of Akhenaten, which was defaced after his death. His cartouche (the hieroglyphic symbol with a pharaoh’s name) on the lid of the coffin was obliterated so that his spirit would be unable to return in the afterlife.

Catch the treasures of King Tut before they’re moved to the new Grand Egyptian Museum

King Tut…at Last!

The incredible Tutankhamun galleries are located on the second floor — a collection I have wanted to see ever since I was a little boy. It contains hundreds of funerary objects from Tutankhamun’s tomb, including the black jackal-topped Anubis shrine and gilded canopic shrine surrounded by the divinities of Isis, Nephthys, Neith and Selket.

A shrine to the jackal-headed god of mummification, Anubis, found in King Tut’s treasury

A gilded shrine shows a lesser-known deity, Selket, the goddess of magic, who wore a scorpion atop her head

King Tut’s iconic, dazzling golden death mask, inlaid with colored glass and semi-precious stones, is displayed in a case in a separate room, where photography isn’t permitted. You probably already know what it looks like, anyway.

Sarcophagi line the hall leading to the Mummy Rooms, where you can see the dried-up corpses of legendary kings and queens of Ancient Egypt

Mummies Dearest

The shrunken, desiccated bodies of the royal mummies, the kings and queens who ruled Egypt over 3,500 years ago, are located on the second floor and displayed in dimly lit, climate-controlled rooms, within hermetically sealed nitrogen-filled glass cases.

Despite the entrance ticket referring to “the Mummy Room,” note that there are actually two, on either side of what I’m calling the Mummy Hall — the walls are lined with what I’m assuming are original display cases stacked nearly floor to ceiling with coffins and wooden sarcophagi.

Ancient Egyptians painted coffins with the image of the person inside, so their spirit would know where to return after wandering at night

An attendant will ask for your ticket and will punch a hole in it before you enter. Patrons are not allowed to take photos inside either of these rooms. I would suggest adhering to this policy as you probably don’t want your camera or device confiscated — or worse, be asked to leave. 

Rows of figurines of gods and goddesses sit tucked away in vitrines — some labeled, some not

The Bad: Put a Label on It

The Egyptian Museum’s succession of rooms and dusty display cases preserve a Colonial Era charm, but make it difficult to guess the history and chronology of many unmarked artifacts. Signage is often dated, has indecipherable handwritten captions or is nonexistent. Perhaps with the transfer of Tutankhamun’s treasures to the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), the Egyptian Museum can take the opportunity to reorganize and refine its collection — though the GEM project, as of this writing, is significantly behind schedule. 

You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have — the Egyptian Museum. But the somewhat run-down state makes you feel like you’re stepping back in time

I’ve been fascinated by Ancient Egypt since I was a child, and the Egyptian Museum remains a singular experience for me — definitely one highlight among many and a must-visit for those in Cairo. –Duke

 

The Egyptian Museum can be a bit of a mess inside — but that’s part of its charm

The Egyptian Museum
Tahrir Square Rd.
Cairo, Egypt