The Barcelona Egyptian Museum displays some 1,200 Ancient Egyptian artefacts and pieces derived from what is considered to be one of the world’s best private collections. 

History of Barcelona Egyptian Museum

The Barcelona Egyptian Museum was founded in 1992 after Spanish hotelier, collector, and patron Jordi Clos decided to put his passion for Egyptian culture to good use. He started by exhibiting around 70 of his previously acquired archaeological finds at the Hotel Claris in Barcelona. This was so popular and well-received that ‘Fundacio Arqueologia Clos’ (The Clos Archeological Foundation) was born. 

In 1994, the foundation opened the Egyptian Museum which now houses around 1,200 exhibits, and is known as one of the foremost and leading collections from the time of the pharaohs. The museum has three main exhibition areas displaying both temporary and permanent exhibitions, lecture rooms, and a vast library containing over 10,000 documents.

Barcelona Egyptian Museum today

The first room in the museum is dedicated to the pharaohs, with statues depicting figures such as Ramases III and reliefs illustrating Cleopatra VII testifying to the mighty power and cult-like status that they held. Further themed areas in the basement are devoted to other senior figures such as priests and aristocrats alongside a collection of precious jewelry such as gold amulets.

The museum is full of treasures that reveal what life was like for Egyptian civilians, with personal hygiene and cosmetic products being displayed alongside exhibits that explain how Egyptian burial rituals were conducted. This includes a number of mummies of both humans and, uniquely, a cat.

There is an audio app guide which is recommended as an accompaniment to the information boards throughout the museum. You can also sign up for events, courses, lectures, and workshops, or even take a trip to the archaeological campus by the museum to learn how to conduct your own historical research. 

Getting to Barcelona Egyptian Museum

From the centre of Barcelona, the museum can be reached in about 20 minutes by foot, and is located amongst the busy shops, restaurants, and elegant architecture that characterises Barcelona’s centre. There are also frequent buses such as the R, R2N, and R2S that stop just outside the museum.