Opened in 1927, the 15 building complex includes a beautiful five acre park setting, meditation pond, fountains, monumental sculptures, a planetarium, gift shop and bookstore, classes in hieroglyphics, guided tours, rose gardens and exotic plants from around the world. Papyrus-lined paths lead visitors past walls carved with hieroglyphs, clustered lotus columns, elaborate fountains, and colossal statues of Egyptian gods.
The museum is sponsored by the Rosicrucian Order, a worldwide educational and philosophical organization. Dating back to ancient Egypt, their beliefs are based on ideas and concepts from some of the finest minds throughout history.
The architectural inspiration is taken from the Temple of Amon at Karnak, Land of the Pharaohs. The Egyptian fascination with the afterlife is display through precious jewelry, pottery, glass and alabaster vessels, bronze tools, and Coptic textiles. Walk through the full-sized reproduction of a noble's rock-cut tomb, dating back to 2000-1788 BC, with colorful images depicting the life in the Nile Valley. A replica of the stepped pyramid built for King Zoser in the 3rd Dynasty is also on display. In the Mesopotamian section of the museum, seals and tablets from Sumer, Assyria, and Babylonian are on display as examples of early known writing.
Within the museum there are four galleries: Mummies, Funerary Practices, Akhnaton and Tel El Amarna, and Varia (which include displays of pottery, jewelry and textiles). Egyptian art history reproductions at the museum include Tut's gold-gilded sarcophagus, Queen Nefertiti's bust, and the Rosetta Stone. This museum is not all about replicas, originals like the delicately carved scarabs and amulets, an unwrapped priest's mummy, a rare baboon mummy and displays of Egyptian gods and goddesses artifacts are part of the collection.
At the entrance to the museum is a hippopotamus/crocodile statue to represent the Egyptian goddess Tuart, protector of women and childbirth, associated with good health and prosperity. The theory goes that when the Nile River rose, these creatures appeared and were a food source for the early Egyptians.
Curious about Egypt, the Land of the Nile and all things Egyptian, join the Rosicrucian Tour to Egypt scheduled for March 9 to 23, 2000 by signing up at the website.
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