- Child Museum (Cairo)
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The Child Museum of Cairo 
Museum founder, Suzanne MubarakEstablished 1985 Location Heliopolis, Cairo, 
EgyptType Children's museum. A hands-on experience of the history of Egyptian civilisation and its various subjects Director Suzanne Mubarak Child Museum is a children's museum in Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt, founded in 1985 and covering 1200 square metres.[1] It was conceived by Suzanne Mubarak,[2] as part of a joint venture with the British Museum.[3] A life-size talking statue of Mubarak has been installed on the museum's second floor; it was a gift from the British Museum to honor her charity work on behalf of Egyptian children.[3] The statue broadcasts a pro-literacy public service message recorded by Suzanne Mubarak.
The museum was inaugurated in 1985, and experts from all over Egypt and the world have contributed to the museum in its science, technology, physics, history, geography, civilization, geology, architecture, engineering and arts to assist children.[4]
Contents
Exterior
The Museum Park has a biologically rich array of plants and trees which convey information about them on labels for the visitors to read. The children are provided with ornithological opportunities, allowing them to observe the birds' nests using binoculars and to witness the birds feeding.[4] Butterflies can also be seen and also the children are given magnifying glasses to observe other insect activity.
Interior
On arriving at the museum, the children are given a green passport which they take around the museum and have it stamped after viewing its various displays.[1] This is taken in chronological order from early history up to the present.[5]
The tour then begins by viewing nine television screens which illustrate Egyptian children wearing traditional clothes from various regions of the country, and their homes.[4] They relate much about the history of civilisations in Egypt, from Egyptian spinning, weaving and the invention of dyes and colors, to the hieroglyphic alphabet in comparison to Arabic, to the Pharaonic civilization which relates how the Ancient Egyptians used the Nile and its resources along the river to make their livelihoods, including irrigation which had a profound impact on agricultural flourishment.[4] This is shown in the River Nile Hall. Plants and animals from the earlier Egypt are also on display and the hall concentrates on three communities, the source of the Nile and its peoples; the region of Nubia and the Upper and Lower Egypt rural people and a video plays songs and music related to these people.[4]
The museum displays the Great Pyramid in which children can explore its various passages and chambers.
Aside from Egyptian ship building displays, in the main building is a hall where a child can view a mechanical movement of the Great Pyramid, revealing its inner corridors and chambers.[4] In the Hall of Deserts, children visiting the museum are provided with a hands on experience of the deserts of Egypt and how plants and animals survived in the extreme conditions. There is an interactive electronic screen, giving the child the choice to listen to information about the Sinai, western and eastern Egyptian deserts as well as viewing footage of desert minerals and the formation of dunes in the desert.[4] There is also a Red Sea Hall which demonstrates to children its different micro environments, and a tour in a submarine allows them to view beautiful coral reefs and brightly colored fish at various depths. However, it also explains the problems of marine pollution and the effect it can have on such species.[4]
On the second floor of the Museum is a life-size statue of Suzanne addressing the children, advising them to read books and improve their knowledge.[4] There is an activity centre including a Discovery Hall in which the children are required to investigate building process and Handicrafts and Arts Hall to the right of this which displays numerous artistic materials, permitting them to freely create pictures. There is also an Information Hall which is essentially a library containing an encyclopedic amount of information from various sources and this hall is frequently a location for lectures on educational development.[4]
References
- ^ a b "Cairo Children's Museum". www.explus.co.uk. http://www.explus.co.uk/XP%20CAIRO%20CHILDRENS%20MUSEUM.pdf. Retrieved January 18, 2009.[dead link]
- ^ Badawi, Cherine (2004). Egypt. Bath, England: Footprint Travel Guides. p. 123. ISBN 190347177X. http://books.google.com/books?id=ojiQTtPEFckC&pg=PA123&dq=%22child+museum%22+cairo+suzanne. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
- ^ a b "Egypt State Information Service-General Museums". http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/Arts&Culture/Museums/GeneralMuseums/070301000000000018.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Dunn, Jimmy (1996). "The Child Museum". InterCity Oz at Touregypt.net. http://www.touregypt.net/childmuseum.htm. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
- ^ "The Child Museum". www.egyptsites.co.uk. http://www.egyptsites.co.uk/lower/cairo/museums/child.html. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
External links
Categories:- Museums in Cairo
- Science museums in Egypt
- Children's museums
- Visitor attractions in Cairo
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