Between Prague and Cairo

We invite you to an exceptional exhibition

Between Prague and Cairo. 100 years of Czech Egyptology

From October 20, 2024, to January 31, 2025

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Opening on October 19, 2024, at 3 PM (Saturday – International Archaeology Day)

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The exhibition will provide insight into archaeological research directly in Egypt and Sudan. It presents stories of uncovering various sites, especially Abusir, which remains the main concession of Czech Egyptologists, research in the Western Desert, or in present-day Sudan.

After 70 years, our famous "Most mummy" will return to Most, a nearly 3000-year-old Egyptian coffin. The mummy was part of the collections of the pre-war Most museum and during the 1950s was transferred to the Náprstek Museum, which is part of the National Museum in Prague, as part of the then centralization of collections. The coffin will become the centerpiece of the new exhibition.

The exhibition was realized in cooperation with the Czech Institute of Egyptology at Charles University and the Náprstek Museum of Asian, African, and American Cultures and will introduce you to the rich and successful history of Czechoslovak and Czech Egyptology over the past 105 years.

The exhibition will guide visitors through the difficult beginnings when a new scientific field was born under modest conditions prevailing at the university in the first half of the 20th century. It was only thanks to the great personal commitment and indomitable will of František Lexa that it became established at the university. With the contribution of his students, it gradually transformed from academic research in Prague into a real scientific workplace engaged in field research enabled by obtaining a permanent concession in Egypt.

The second part of the exhibition provides a glimpse into the period from 1960 to 2019, when the institute was already organizing archaeological research directly in Egypt and Sudan. Abusir is particularly highlighted, which remains the main concession of Czech Egyptologists to this day. Period photographs show the transformation not only of the archaeological site itself but also of the surrounding environment, which has undergone many changes over the century. A satellite image provides insight into the vastness of the area and its potential for future generations of scientists.

However, Abusir is not the only site that the Czech Institute of Egyptology has studied over the past decades. The exhibition also presents other temporary or long-term projects, such as participation in the UNESCO event in Nubia, research in the Western Desert, or in present-day Sudan.

In addition to the stories of uncovering various sites, attention is also focused on specific tasks and projects that the research team members are engaged in. Egyptological activity is often understood as the discovery of new monuments, but this is only the starting point for extensive research activities that follow field research. The projects therefore highlight the interpretative possibilities contained in individual discoveries and finds and their contribution to the study not only of ancient Egyptian civilization itself but also of comparative studies of civilizations and the development of the environment over longer time horizons.

After the opening of the exhibition, there will be a guided tour with the prominent Czech Egyptologist Prof. Ladislav Bareš, CSc.

The opening of the exhibition and the guided tour will be part of the rich program of the VIII. International Archaeology Day at OMGM, on Saturday, October 19, from 1 PM to 7 PM. This year's program will therefore focus on the work and history of the Czech Institute of Egyptology at Charles University.