Gayer-Anderson Museum

The basics

Constructed from two separate but interlinked houses, one built in the 16th century, the other in the 17th century, the Gayer-Anderson Museum comprises a warren of beautifully decorated interlocking rooms crammed with treasures. There’s little by way of signage, which would spoil the flow, so some travelers opt to visit with guides able to unpack the stories behind it.

There is a significant charge to enter the Gayer-Anderson Museum, and the houses look unspectacular from the outside. Only a few Islamic Cairo tours stop at the museum, generally visiting it alongside the neighboring Ibn Tulun Mosque. You can also see the museum on Cairo art tours.

Things to know before you go

• There is an additional charge to bring a camera into the Gayer-Anderson Museum.

• The heritage architecture of the houses which comprise the museum is not wheelchair-friendly.

• Parents of young children might want to give this house full of precious things a miss—most kids will find pyramids and camels more exciting than Persian plates or elaborate lacquer work.

How to get there

The Gayer-Anderson Museum sits right by the Ibn Tulun Mosque in the heart of Islamic Cairo, about 2 miles (3 kilometers) southwest of Tahrir Square. It’s at least a 20-minute walk from the nearest Metro station, El-Sayeda Zeinab (Line 1). Most travelers will opt to take a taxi, book a private driver, or join a tour with transport rather than negotiate Cairo’s chaotic bus system.

When to get there

The Gayer-Anderson Museum is open from morning until afternoon seven days a week. It is rarely busy, even at peak season, and can make a great option for beating the midday heat on a walking tour of Islamic Cairo.

The Gayer-Anderson Museum collection

Much of the joy of the Gayer-Anderson Museum lies in the loving restoration of the two interlinked houses, from the marble fountain to the lattice woodwork screens on the roof terrace. But each of the rooms has its own unique style, from the Ancient Egyptian Room, with its mummy case and artifacts, through to the Persian Room with its exquisite tiling. Curios run from childbirth chairs to musical instruments shaped like a crocodile.